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Alabama Lands Commitment From Blue-Chip Recruit With 34 Letters in His Name

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 4:47 PM ET

Unlike other college football programs that have classes in the double-digit range at this time, the Alabama Crimson Tide have gotten off to somewhat of a slow start in the 2026 recruiting class.

On Monday, the Tide landed what was just its sixth commitment of the class, making them one of two programs in the top 10 of On3's recruiting rankings to have fewer than 10 commitments. The commitment came through four-star interior offensive lineman Samuelu Utu, who picked the Tide over programs such as SMU, USC, Texas and Tennessee, among others.

While some fans are eager to see that head coach Kalen DeBoer can still tap into his West Coast ties, as Utu is a product of Little Saigon, California, others were enamored with Utu's full name.

As shared in his commitment graphic, Utu's full name is Kayden Samuelu Teteleopesega Utu-Lilii, totaling 34 letters.

The 2026 Polynesian Bowl selection, who also stars in volleyball according to 247Sports, issued a strong statement following his commitment, not only thanking God, but also dedicating his major decision to his family.

“It’s bigger than me," Utu told On3. "It’s always going to be bigger than me. I’m so blessed. All glory and honor be to God."

Utu also expressed that this commitment was for his nieces, nephews, cousins and his uncle Mac, whom he described as a second father.

With the addition of Utu, Alabama's 2026 ranks as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country and the No. 4 class in the SEC. While that may seem low for Alabama's standards, it's safe to assume that once they continue to stockpile talent, they will jump back into the top five.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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