Four-star 2026 class IOL Bear McWhorter puts Alabama in top 5 ahead of late-month commitment

Four-star interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter has narrowed his choices to five schools and will announce his commitment on Feb. 28. The Cass High School (Georgia) standout is choosing between Michigan, Alabama, Clemson, Florida and South Carolina.

The 6-foot-4, 290 pound prospect is the No. 48 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class and the No. 56 recruit in Georgia, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. When discussing his decision-making process with Touchdown Alabama, he focused on the importance of relationships and communication with coaches:

“A lot of different things, relationships is a big one, just who I’m hearing from, who I can see myself playing for,” McWhorter says d. “Then just sitting down and praying about it, thinking about it, like, where do I see myself fitting in? Because I feel like I’ve seen everything I need to see on visits.”

At the Under Armour camp in Atlanta this week, McWhorter dominated defensive linemen throughout the event, excelling in one-on-one drills in particular. His agility and ability to move through drills effortlessly proved his athleticism. The program that lands him in its 2026 class will gain a phenomenal presence in the trenches.

Alabama is predicted to land Bear McWhorter's commitment

Bear McWhorter initially committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Aug. 28, 2023, but backed off his pledge on June 30. As he prepares to announce his commitment for the second time, On3’s Andrew Bone projects him to land at Alabama:

"They’re in really strong standing,” McWhorter told Touchdown Alabama last month. “I feel great about them at this point in my recruitment.”

Alabama offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic is leading McWhorter's recruitment, with On3 giving the Crimson Tide an 84.7% chance of securing his commitment. If he commits, McWhorter will be the program's first offensive line prospect in the 2026 class, which currently has only one commit: four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson.

Initially, the Crimson Tide's 2026 cycle included a commitment from four-star interior offensive lineman Zykie Helton, who backed off his pledge in May. In addition to Helton, the program also lost commitments from three other players in this cycle.