Elite five-star EDGE Tank Jones says Alabama standing out over the other finalists: 'I know they'll take care of me forever'

Not only that, but when Jones was asked if any of the three schools had separated itself from the others, the ultra-talented defender responded, "I would say Alabama."

The Crimson Tide already have a good crop of front-line defenders committed to their 2026 class with Nolan Wilson (4-star / No. 68 / DL4), Jamarion Matthews (4-star / No. 101 / EDGE14), Kamhariyan Johnson (4-star / No. 333 / DL34) and JJ Finch (3-star / No. 462 / DL50), so adding an elite blue-chip at the top would solidify this group as one of the best in the country.

Some have wondered if recently adding Wilson to the class would hurt Alabama's chances of getting Jones, but I don't believe that'll be the case. Yes, Wilson will probably be a Bandit, but he's also got a chance to grow into more of an interior lineman. And with recent five-star addition Xavier Griffin now expected to play primarily off the ball with some situational work on the edge at Wolf (similar to former Bama linebacker Jihaad Campbell), that clears a path for Jones to be a Wolf/Bandit option.

• Johnson: IDL with DE capability in 3-man fronts
• Finch: IDL with DE capability in 3-man fronts
• Wilson: Bandit who kicks inside in passing situations
  
• Matthews: Pure Bandit who mostly plays outside
  
• Jones: Wolf who could grow into a Bandit -- or play both
• Griffin: Off-ball LB who will play situationally on the edge

So in other words, Alabama can make it work with all of them. And even if they still manage to land Ford, I don't think that'll affect things either, as Jones is the priority for that last edge spot (Ford would've been a pleasant bonus).

From what we've been told, the decision for Jones will likely come down to either Alabama or Oregon. The instate product is a big fan of Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, and he likes both defensive systems. You never want to rule out Texas A&M due to their deep pockets, but that system hasn't given edge players much of a chance to put their skillsets on display.

Shemar Stewart was just drafted No. 17 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft, but he only totaled 4.5 sacks in three years despite playing over 1,200 defensive snaps. Then you've got Nic Scourton, who went from 10 sacks at Purdue in 2024 to just five this past season. There are plenty of examples, but it wouldn't be a surprise if that factors into any decision.