With only three scholarships on the current Alabama football roster, Kalen DeBoer and staff hoped to land two signal-callers in the 2026 cycle.
In June, Alabama successfully flipped 4-star Jett Thomalla away from Iowa State. That didn't end their pursuit of others, however, and on Tuesday, 4-star Tayden Kaawa from Orem, Utah, originally a Hawaii native, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. He picked Alabama over BYU and Boise State.
Kaawa becomes the 20th commitment of Alabama's 2026 recruiting class, which ranks inside the Top 5 nationally. Kaawa is ranked as the No. 351 overall player in the country, and No.