Anthony “Tank” Jones is getting closer to making a decision.
The Mobile, Ala. product is not just one of the most coveted defensive recruits in the 2026 cycle, but one of the most coveted recruits regardless of position. And, on Thursday, he revealed a top 3 of Alabama, Oregon, and Texas A&M, he told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.
Texas A&M, Oregon, and Alabama all received official visits from Jones in June, in that order. In fact, he met with Nick Saban as Kalen DeBoer was out of town during Jones’ visit to attend the funeral of the sister of Tide QB Keelon Russell.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Jones is a top 20 recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, coming in at No. 16 nationally. He is considered the No. 3 edge rusher and the No. 2 overall player in the state of Alabama.
Notably, Alabama already has a 5-star edge rusher committed in Gainesville (Ga.) High’s Xavier Griffin, the country’s No. 8 player, who announced on Sunday. But DeBoer would love to add Jones to what’s shaping up to be a terrific recruiting class.
Jones has been one of the most productive players in the state so far during his prep career. As a freshman in 2022, he totaled 130 tackles, 15 sacks, and 2 interceptions. As a junior last fall, he made 84 tackles to go along with 18 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.
Oregon and Texas A&M, though, will look to have something to say about that. Dan Lanning is looking to add another star to an already top-10 class, while Texas A&M, currently at No. 4, has Atlanta-area edge rusher Jordan Carter in the fold already but could still yet land Jones.
You can see Jones’s highlight tape below, via Hudl:
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.
