"Blitz Bama blitz": Five-star athlete sparks excitement about junior day visit to Kalen DeBoer's Alabama

Alabama hosted more than 20 blue-chip recruits on Saturday for the Crimson Tide’s Junior Day. Kalen DeBoer's program is a top choice for multiple of these prospects, including five-star 2026 class athlete Brandon Arrington.

On Friday, Arrington expressed his enthusiasm about the visit on X, posting:

"Blitz bama blitz baby🐘."

Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is recruiting Arrington at Alabama. Shephard, DeBoer, general manager Courtney Morgan and defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist met with Arrington last week.

Arrington attends Mount Miguel High School in California. Alabama has secured two California-based recruits in its 2025 class: four-star cornerback Chuck McDonald and five-star cornerback Dijon Lee, with whom Arrington bonded during his summer visit.

"Knowing that Chuck McDonald and Dijon Lee are two athletes from California, that shows me that they’re actually recruiting California," Arrington told On3. "Alabama is big on recruiting California kids, so that is big for me.”

Following his visit to Tuscaloosa, Arrington told On3 that his interest in Alabama has grown significantly. The Crimson Tide have one committed player in the 2026 class.

As of now, On3 gives Texas A&M the best odds to land Arrington at 92.7%, followed by USC (1.9%) and Alabama (1.6%). However, Oregon remains a strong contender as well. Arrington visited the Ducks on Jan. 25 and called Eugene the "best place" he has visited. This recruitment battle is expected to intensify moving forward.

Which other prospects were present at Alabama's junior day event besides Brandon Arrington?

Besides Brandon Arrington, Alabama hosted multiple other five-star recruits, including wide receivers Cederian Morgan and Tristen Keys, edge rushers Anthony Jones and Trenton Henderson and offensive lineman Ekene Ogboko.

The event also featured several four-star players, such as cornerbacks Zyan Gibson and Jorden Edmonds, running backs Ezavier Crowell and Jonathan Hatton Jr., and edge rushers Jamarion Matthews, KJ Ford and Khamari Brooks.

Besides them, Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff hosted promising linebackers Izayia Williams and Cincere Johnson along with talented safeties Kaiden Hall, Lasiah Jackson and Darryl Bell. The visit allowed Alabama’s coaching staff to make a strong impression on these elite prospects, which might give the school an edge in their recruitment moving forward.