Alabama may have defeated LSU on Saturday as they push for a College Football Playoff berth in Kalen DeBoer’s first season, but it suffered a loss on the recruiting trail on Sunday.

Dorian Barney, one of the top cornerbacks in the class of 2026, has reopened his recruitment. He had been pledged to the Crimson Tide since May.

A 4-star recruit, Barney is rated by 247Sports’ composite ranking as the No. 10 cornerback in the country and the No. 11 player in the state of Georgia. He is also rated as the No. 84 player nationally, regardless of position.

He currently has 38 offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas are other SEC programs on that list besides Alabama.

Despite Barney’s decision, the Crimson Tide currently have one recruit pledged in the 2026 cycle, and that’s in-state 4-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland, the No. 3 DL in the class.

As far as the 2025 cycle is concerned, the Tide are rated as having the No. 1 class in the country. It’s led by quarterback Keelon Russell, the nation’s No. 3 player.

On the field, the Tide have 3 games remaining on their 2024 slate, hosting Mercer and traveling to Oklahoma before welcoming Auburn to Tuscaloosa for DeBoer’s first Iron Bowl.

BREAKING: Four-Star CB Dorian Barney (2026) has Decommitted from Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 180 CB from Carrollton, GA had been Committed to the Crimson Tide since May

Holds a total of 42 Offershttps://t.co/VLUMciAnYb pic.twitter.com/d6kme8CtJl

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 11, 2024

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.