Alabama flips highly-touted DB recruit from Big Ten program
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Alabama has a new commitment in the class of 2026.
The Crimson Tide have flipped 3-star safety Rihyael Kelley away from Rutgers. Alabama has been in pursuit of the talented defensive back, who had been committed to the Scarlet Knights for just a couple of weeks prior to making this decision.
Kelly shared the news of his change-of-heart with On3’s Hayes Fawcett:
Kelley earned his offer from Alabama back on June 11, just a few days after he initially committed to Alabama. The talented defensive back from Ohio doesn’t have any other major offers, so Alabama is trusting its evaluation of Kelley’s potential.
Kelley is currently regarded as a 3-star prospect in the class of 2026. He’s the No. 1,006 overall player and the No. 85 safety in the country for this class, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 41 player from the state of Ohio.
Kelley is listed at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. Alabama is the third school he has been committed to this month. Before Rutgers, Kelley was committed to Toledo. Aside from Alabama and Rutgers, his only other power-conference offer so far is from West Virginia.
Alabama now has 10 commits in the class of 2026. The group sits at No. 28 in the national rankings according to 247Sports Composite, but there’s still plenty of time for Alabama to climb the leaderboard before signing day.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
