Kalen DeBoer isn’t here to play catch-up. After flipping 4-star QB Jett Thomalla from his Iowa State Cyclones commitment, the Tide doubled down and tossed a curveball northward. Right when folks thought the recruiting weekend had wrapped, DeBoer cracked open the chessboard and slid a new piece into play—from Michigan of all places. A camp invite. An on-the-spot performance. And just like that, Alabama extended an offer to one of the Midwest’s fastest-rising 2026 wide receivers.

Enter Samson Gash, a 6-foot, 170-ish pound burner out of Detroit Catholic Central who’s been torching DBs and clocks. Gash clocked a blazing 10.41 in the 100m dash and just came off a ridiculous junior season with over 1,700 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. But that Alabama offer? That changes everything.

Just hours after Alabama wrapped up a high-stakes official visit weekend that hosted 13 targets—including top names like CeDerian Morgan, Anthony Jones, Zyan Gibson, and Zay Hall—Gash dropped the bomb on X. He’d worked out in front of Bama’s staff, and apparently, that was all they needed to see. The offer went out. And suddenly, what looked like a Michigan-Michigan State tug-of-war now has SEC heat.

And the timing couldn’t be more disruptive. Gash was nearing a commitment, with MSU viewed as the front-runner. But when Alabama comes calling? Plans tend to pause. Gash already had a deep FBS offer list—Penn State, Wisconsin, Pitt, Wake Forest, Iowa, Illinois, the list goes on—but Bama’s entry into the chat flips the script.

Rated the No. 49 wide receiver in the 2026 cycle and No. 4 in the state of Michigan by 247Sports, Gash isn’t just some late bloomer. He’s the type of Swiss-Army wideout who makes defenses look silly. Recruiting insiders have noted how DeBoer and his staff are prioritizing players who can win matchups in space. Gash fits that blueprint like a glove. And considering Alabama’s wide receiver room will likely experience turnover after the 2025 season, the path to early snaps in Tuscaloosa isn’t as clogged as it once was.

Even after locking down 5-star CB Jorden Edmonds and four 4-star ballers for the 2026 class, Kalen DeBoer isn’t done cooking. Bama’s 2026 haul is off to a solid—kind of slow—start under DeBoer, with heavy hitters like Edmonds, 4-star EDGE Jamarion Matthews, and 4-star OL Chris Booker already in the bag.

Just when folks thought Bama was done for the weekend, the Tide tossed in a bonus round—and it hit hard. On Sunday, Alabama picked up its eighth commitment in the 2026 class.

Alabama locks in big-time 3-star defensive lineman

On June 22nd, Kalen DeBoer landed 3-star defensive lineman JJ Finch out of Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the Midwest’s nastiest disruptors, Finch, has been on multiple radars this cycle, but it was Alabama that got him to say yes.

Standing 6’3″, 260 lbs, Finch isn’t just a space-eater. He’s a line-wrecker. As a junior, the DL tallied 92 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and seven sacks—plus seven pass deflections and two forced fumbles for good measure. That’s not a stat sheet; that’s a straight-up rap sheet. And the best part? He’s just scratching the surface.

With offers from Michigan, Purdue, Miami, and Tennessee, Finch had his pick of programs. But Bama brought the big picture. Defensive line coach Freddie Roach pitched development and NFL pedigree, and that combo was apparently too strong to turn down. Now, Finch joins Jamarion Matthews and Kamhariyan Johnson in a growing front-seven core.

What’s interesting here is the balance DeBoer is crafting in this class. 5 of the eight commits so far are defenders, and all are versatile pieces. Finch, in particular, adds muscle to a class that was previously heavy on edge rushers and DBs. With Finch, Alabama is getting a defensive player who can anchor in 3-4 sets, play interior on passing downs, or even shift to end depending on the scheme. Flexibility? Check.

Now sitting at No. 44 nationally, Alabama’s 2026 class is trending up, and this past week’s haul—with QB Jett Thomalla and now JJ Finch—feels like a gear shift. The Tide may have started slow, but don’t get it twisted. DeBoer’s not chasing ghosts. He’s plotting something real.