Only twenty-five hours after obtaining its first commitment, Alabama football secured its second in the class of 2026 on Sunday.
Dorian Barney, a cornerback for Georgia, and in-state defensive back Jamarrion Gordon pledged orally to Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide that they would play football together. Barney made his choice using social media. He rejected South Carolina, the Bulldogs, and the other nine finalists in favor of UA.
“The time of waiting is past. I’m back home, RTR! Barney shared.
Barney was rated as the fourth-best cornerback in his class and among the top-50 players in the country by 247Sports Composite. He recently visited Tuscaloosa in March with the new coaching staff and had over thirty offers. In the new era of Tide football, Mo Linguist, the former head coach of Buffalo, is now in charge of coaching cornerbacks.
Last fall, Barney led Peachtree (Georgia) Ridge to a 10-2 record. He had 65 all-purpose yards and six receptions as a sophomore, but his primary focus was defense. Barney recorded 32 tackles, two quarterback hurries, 10 passes defensed, and four interceptions. He weighs 170 pounds and is classified as 6-foot-1.
His highlight reel demonstrated how an intuitive player can swiftly assess plays and read a quarterback. With Nick Saban’s retirement, Alabama has had to replenish its defensive backfield. Barney and Gordon are the latest wave of players to be added to the roster after a number of freshmen and transfers were welcomed this offseason.
Although DeBoer’s first recruiting class in its entirety in Tuscaloosa will be in 2025, several of those highly-regarded prospects have already found new homes, if only through verbal commitments. After Sunday, UA moved up to fifth in the 2026 class 247Sports team recruiting rankings—a list released far too early.
