The Class of 2026 has wrapped its run through AL.com’s Best in Bama, and every senior on the list landed at a Power 4 program.
Alabama led the way with five signees from the group, while Auburn and North Carolina each signed three. Florida and Mississippi State added two apiece. The rest of the class spread out to Oregon, LSU, South Carolina, Clemson, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Miami, Wake Forest, Purdue and Ohio State.
At the top of the list was Jackson running back EJ Crowell, who held the No. 1 spot for all but the first week of last season’s rankings and signed with Alabama. He was one of 26 seniors from the final Best in Bama board who moved on to major-college football.
Auburn’s late push also paid off with Saraland wide receiver DeShawn Spencer, the No. 11 prospect in the final rankings. Spencer spent much of the year committed to Duke before Auburn hired Alex Golesh as head coach, and Golesh had already been high on him from his time at South Florida. Golesh said in Mobile last month that Spencer could help right away.
“He’s come in and been exactly what we thought. He’s earned everybody’s respect,” Golesh said.
“He’s a young guy who we’re going to have to get the ball in his hands. It’s kind of cool that his best practice was the spring game.”
Now the focus shifts to the next wave. Best in Bama will turn to the Class of 2027, with that list set to be unveiled on AL.com July 12-16.
Here’s a look back at where the Class of 2026 finished and where each player signed:
- EJ Crowell, Jackson, RB, Alabama
- Anthony “Tank” Jones, St. Paul’s-Mobile, DE, Oregon
- CD Morgan, Benjamin Russell-Alexander City, WR, Alabama
- Corey Barber, Clay-Chalkville, WR, LSU
- Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley, LB, Auburn
- Landon Duckworth, Jackson, QB, South Carolina
- DeShawn Spencer, Saraland, WR, Auburn
- Zyan Gibson, Gadsden City, CB, Alabama
- Shadarius Toodle, Cottage Hill Christian-Mobile, LB, Auburn
- Marquez Daniel, Booker T. Washington-Tuskegee, WR, Florida
- Brock Bradley, Spain Park, QB, Clemson
- Kamhariyan Johnson, Muscle Shoals, DL, Alabama
- Vodney Cleveland, Parker, DL, North Carolina
- JJ Bush, Theodore, LB, Missouri
- Zion Crumpton, Carver-Montgomery, WR, Mississippi State
- Dylan Purter, Booker T. Washington-Tuskegee, CB, Florida
- Keeyun “Red” Chapman, Jackson, WR, North Carolina
- Jamarrion “Juice” Gordon, Jackson, CB, North Carolina
- Kaleb Morris, Mary G. Montgomery, DL, Mississippi State
- Hezekiah Harris, Mae Jemison-Huntsville, LB, Tennessee
- Zay Hall, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, LB, Alabama
- Braylon Outlaw, Pike Road, LB, Georgia Tech
- Tyson Bacon, Hoover, DL, Miami
- Monroe Partin, Bayside Academy, LB, Wake Forest
- ArMari Towns, Southside-Selma, TE, Purdue
- Emmanuel Ruffin, Bessemer City, DL, Ohio State
In Other News...
Auburn Champion Sends A Strong Message About Alex Golesh
Kodi Burns has been around enough football to know when a program is trying to find its footing, and the former Auburn player turned assistant is clearly buying into what Alex Golesh is bringing to the table. Golesh arrives with a rsum built on offense, including stops as coordinator at Tennessee and USF, and Auburns focus now is less on talking about quick fixes and more on building a real identity under a new head coach.
Burns confidence matters because he has seen Golesh up close before, and that kind of firsthand perspective tends to carry more weight than offseason buzz. Even so, Auburns outlook remains split as some see a rapid jump and others expect a slower climb, which leaves the Tigers in a familiar spot for a program that is still trying to turn belief into something more tangible. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Finally Has A Kicker Fans Can Believe In Again
Alex McPherson gave Auburn something it has been searching for in the kicking game, and he did it by turning a once-unstable spot into a real strength. After working back from serious health problems, he settled in for a strong 2025 season and finished 20 of 23 on field goals, a level of consistency that changed the way the Tigers could approach close games.
Now Auburn heads into 2026 with McPherson still in line as the starter, Connor Gibbs back as the kickoff specialist and Towns McGough headed to Cal. McPherson sounded confident during spring practice, and for a program that has spent too long wondering what might happen when the offense stalled near the goal line, simply having a kicker the staff can trust again matters plenty. [Read more 🡒]