In recruiting conversations, sometimes defensive prospects take a backseat. We all discuss QBs, WRs, and RBs, but the defensive prospects often do not make front-page headlines. But if you look at 5-star Jireh Edwards, he isn’t bound by these conventions; in a sense, he is an anomaly in the 2026 class. With 37 colleges already after him, the race for him becomes not just intriguing, but it’s a race against time. Why? The guy himself has finally hinted at his final destination, triggering a frenzy for his recruitment.

When you look at Jireh Edwards’ stat sheet in high school, it makes you wonder why Edwards didn’t reclassify to the 2025 cycle. Standing at 6’2″ and 205 lbs, he is currently the second-ranked safety in the country and is just coming off being named a MaxPreps Junior All-American, registering a whopping 92 tackles. Talk about his on-field ability? It screams ‘future NFL talent’!

Jireh Edwards, a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is a punishing defender who offers not just alignment flexibility but also can spin down the box or guard the border. His explosiveness is particularly remarkable, as he can charge downhill in the snap of a finger and arrive with extraordinary threat. Overall, Edwards is an all-around menace who can play multiple defensive positions and thus is deemed crucial for several teams. But where is he going?

As per On3‘s Steve Witfong, who appeared on the June 12th episode of ‘Jox 94.5’, Edwards is leaning towards Alabama. The On3 reporter cited Bama’s rich history and resources as the major reason for Edwards’ interest in the program. “Alabama has put itself in a position to be competitive in the NIL arena. I heard that it hasn’t even come up yet. I think he just came on his official visit to Alabama and fell in love with the Crimson Tide program, and they’re the one trending right now in his recruitment,” said Steve Wiltfong. But what about the other programs?

A bunch of programs were really getting in on Edwards’ recruitment, like Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M. But now, it looks like Edwards has canceled his official visits to Oregon and Texas and narrowed down his list of schools he’s interested in. The surprising part? Alabama, which wasn’t really in the running before, has made it onto that final list, along with Auburn and Georgia. What led to this change?

Jireh Edwards opens up on Alabama and dampens hopes for others

Jireh Edwards took an official visit to Alabama on June 6th, and that visit turned out to be a pivotal moment in favor of the Crimson Tide. Before this, the safety had only visited Alabama once, while he made four visits to programs like Ohio State and Auburn. Initially, Oregon and Maryland were also at the top of his list with three visits each, but they no longer remain contenders. Edwards views Alabama not just as another college program, but rather as an organization similar to an NFL team.

“What I like about Alabama is the culture and its history. Alabama is the closest college program to be compared to an NFL team. I got down there in the spring, and it was great. They showed me a lot. I can play as a true freshman, I would be around great competition, and they can prepare me for the NFL,” said Edwards.

The Maryland-based safety has jotted down his commitment date as 5th July and has repeatedly said that his final decision will be about “what I can do both on and off the field.” One can easily guess that NIL is something that is also important for him, and Bama, in recent years, has shown progress in that regard. For instance, in the 2025 season, Bama is projected to spend $20 million in NIL money through its Yea Alabama Collective, which is currently ranked 4th in the CFB world with a reported funding of close to $16 million already.