Latest news with #JettThomalla
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama lands commitment from second quarterback in 2026 class
The Alabama Crimson Tide have added a second quarterback to their 2026 recruiting class. Yes, having already owned a commitment from 2026 four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla, Alabama has now added yet another signal caller to this class in Tayden Kaawa, who announced Monday night that he had committed to the Crimson Tide. Advertisement A prospect whom Alabama reportedly began emerging for back in June, Kaawa announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide over others that included Boise State and BYU. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Kaawa is considered as the nation's No. 351 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class, as well as the No. 26 quarterback nationally. A four-star prospect, Kaawa is also ranked the No. 6 overall prospect in the state of Utah where he attends Orem High School. Following the decision from Kaawa, Alabama's class now holds 20 total commitments this cycle. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football lands commitment from 2026 quarterback Tayden Kaawa
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama football adds second 2026 quarterback commit. What it means
Alabama football is not done adding quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class. Tayden Kaawa, a four-star quarterback out of Honolulu, Hawaii, committed to Alabama July 22, picking the Crimson Tide over BYU and Boise State. He joins 2026 quarterback Jett Thomalla, who flipped his commitment from Iowa State, in the Crimson Tide's recruiting class. Advertisement Kaawa, Alabama's 20th commit in the 2026 recruiting class, is the No. 351 player and the No. 26 quarterback in the country per 247Sports' composite rankings. Kaawa reported an Alabama offer June 11 before reportedly holding an official visit with the Crimson Tide June 20-22. With Kaawa and Thomalla, Alabama has its first recruiting class with multiple quarterbacks since 2023 when the Crimson Tide signed both Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan. Both quarterbacks later transferred. Kaawa and Thomalla are two of 10 Alabama offensive commits in 2026 joining players like running back Ezavier Crowell, tight end Mack Sutter and wide receiver Cederian Morgan. Advertisement Kaawa would be Alabama's first Hawaiian signee since Tua Tagovailoa. What Tayden Kaawa commitment means for Alabama football Alabama is adding depth to a room that has really no room for error heading into 2025. Heading into its 2025 opener against Florida State, Alabama has Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. That's three scholarship quarterback options in a room where the Crimson Tide would rather have at least one more. With Kaawa, the Crimson Tide adds another development piece, one who fits the bill for what Alabama wants in a signal caller. Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, the Orem High School quarterback had 3,280 passing yards, 318 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns as a junior. Advertisement Heading into 2026, Alabama could have question marks when it comes to who is behind center. But Kaawa is another piece to ensure that the Crimson Tide has succession plan moving forward. Alabama football 2026 recruiting class Zyan Gibson: Four-star cornerback, Gadsden, Alabama Chris Booker: Four-star offensive lineman, Atlanta, Georgia Jamarion Matthews: Four-star defensive end, Gainesville, Georgia Jorden Edmonds: Five-star cornerback, Marietta, Georgia Kamhariyan Johnson: Four-star defensive end, Muscle Shoals, Alabama Sam Utu: Four-star offensive lineman, Orange, California Jett Thomalla: Four-star quarterback, Omaha, Nebraska JJ Finch: Three-star defensive lineman, Indianapolis, Indiana Javari Barnett: Three-star running back, Tampa, Florida Rihyael Kelley: Three-star safety, Cincinnati, Ohio Ezavier Crowell: Four-star running back, Jackson, Alabama Mack Sutter: Four-star tight end, Dunlap, Illinois Zay Hall: Three-star linebacker, Tuscaloosa, Alabama Xavier Griffin: Five-star linebacker, Gainesville, Georgia Owen Cabell: Three-star wide receiver, Nashville, Tennessee Brian Williams: Three-star wide receiver, Orlando, Florida Cederian Morgan: Five-star wide receiver, Alexander City, Alabama Nolan Wilson: Four-star defensive lineman, Picayune, Mississippi Jireh Edwards: Five-star safety, Upper Marlboro, Maryland Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@ or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 2026 QB Tayden Kaawa commits to Alabama football. What it means
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Meet the Nebraska school producing an unusual number of FBS commits — including a future Alabama QB
OMAHA, Neb. — Hidden from the view of traffic near a busy intersection and crammed between tennis courts and a softball complex, the single practice field buzzed with intensity on a Thursday in early July. A defensive coach barked instructions and stopped a play mid-flow. The football players, many larger and more developed than the norm for their ages, returned to the line of scrimmage. The same coach chastised one defender for moving slowly. Advertisement 'Do it again.' His words tore through the morning air. 'Do it right.' The threat of complacency rates as a primary enemy of the Millard South football team in 2025. From 2008, when seniors in the graduating class of 2026 were born, until 2020, the state of Nebraska annually produced between three and 10 FBS signees. An increase in developmental opportunities and exposure to college recruiters sent that number soaring to 15 on average since 2021. This year, at Millard South alone, 12 seniors hold Division I offers before they've conducted an official preseason practice. Nine are committed to FBS programs — including Alabama quarterback pledge Jett Thomalla. It is likely the greatest collection of talent to assemble on one Nebraska high school football team. And this surge came, seemingly, from nowhere. Millard South produced four FBS signees in the past five years. 'It's obviously something special,' said tight end Isaac Jensen, who turned down Nebraska, Notre Dame, Florida State, Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn to commit to Missouri in June. 'But that's not how you win games.' To be clear, Millard South is not Bishop Gorman nor IMG Academy, the highly resourced, private powers that routinely produce top recruits. Millard South, a public school, is notably understated in appearance, unlike the modern high schools in suburban Omaha built near it in recent years. It is housed in a 55-year-old building, the oldest facility in a district with three high schools. So how did it put together a roster full of all-stars? 'Most of the guys played together in sixth, seventh, eighth grade,' first-year coach Taylor Mendenhall said. 'On top of that, high school football is still about becoming better teammates, becoming men and stuff like that. 'Their competitiveness within position groups and within the team has elevated them all.' Advertisement Former coach Ty Wisdom, in four seasons, employed an aggressive approach to player development. His attitude attracted the likes of tight end Chase Loftin, who transferred to Millard South from Elkhorn North in Omaha before his senior year. Loftin signed with Florida State last December. Wisdom coached previously at Horizon High in Phoenix. He used Arizona connections to schedule a season-opening contest last year at prep power Basha High. Millard South lost 39-25 but then rolled to 12 wins against Nebraska competition. It won 27-10 in the Class A title game against two-time defending champion Omaha Westside — a school with four alums on the Nebraska roster. Thomalla threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback received his first scholarship offer in January from San Diego State. Thomalla said he 'realized something was happening' when Missouri offered in February. He committed to Iowa State in April. The next day, Alabama quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan followed him on Instagram. An offer from the Crimson Tide followed. Thomalla visited Tuscaloosa in late May. He flipped to Alabama on June 17, the morning before his check-in at the Elite 11 finals in Manhattan Beach, Calif. 'Once you commit to Alabama, you're automatically going to get more attention,' Thomalla said. 'Not a lot of kids have my problem that they're too busy to hang out with friends. I just try to soak everything up and realize that I'm blessed.' Wisdom left Millard South in December, returning to Arizona to run the program at Chandler High. Mendenhall, 30, a former Millard South defensive lineman who spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the school, took over. He got word in his first days at work that Basha — against which Wisdom had scheduled a home-and-home arrangement — was not coming to Omaha this fall. The Arizona trip last year benefited the Patriots competitively and in generating notice for their players in recruiting. Advertisement 'For this senior class, we owed it to them to do something special,' Mendenhall said. So next month, Millard South will open at Arbor View of Las Vegas, which finished 10-2 in 2024 with a pair of losses against national power Bishop Gorman. 'We're going to treat it like a business trip,' said Nelsyn Wheeler, the running back who committed to Illinois last month over offers from Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan State and Kansas. 'We're going to stay smart, because we're going there to compete. And we're going there to put Nebraska on the map. We're going there to win.' Among the FBS commits at Millard South, Wheeler is the only player who's new to the Patriots this year. He rushed for 114.7 yards per game last season at Grand Island, a Class A program 140 miles to the west of Omaha. 'First lifting session,' Wheeler said, 'I realized I was no longer the strongest one. You had four-star O-linemen lifting four plates. It's a different level, which is exactly what I came for.' The spring recruiting spotlight at Millard South paid dividends immediately. Illinois offered Millard South offensive lineman Landen Von Seggern last fall. Von Seggern committed to the Illini in January. Wheeler's offer came in May. He couldn't turn down Illinois coach Bret Bielema after they watched film together of Illini assistant James White. Bielema told Wheeler that his running style reminded the former Wisconsin coach of White, who rushed for 4,015 yards with the Badgers. Wide receiver Amarion Jackson is committed to Iowa State, offensive lineman Carter Glab and defensive back Dayton Gaius-Anyaegbu to Army, and defensive end Solomon Baker and tight end Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu to Fresno State. Defensive back Toris Rudd pledged to North Dakota of the FCS. Wide receiver DaShawn Prince was offered by Nebraska as a freshman, and linebacker Teagan Urban counts FCS-level Drake among his suitors. Advertisement There's more talent hidden on the Patriots' roster, Mendenhall said. The Patriots' opener in Nevada and opportunities in the fall to play in front of college coaches figure to produce another wave of scholarship offers. 'They're hungry,' Mendenhall said. 'But like all high school kids, they need to be reminded.' That need for a reminder explains the tension on the turf behind the high school building at a July workout — still several weeks before the Patriots don pads early in camp. The pressure applied by coaches didn't stop with a demand to repeat one play. Mendenhall experienced a state championship in 2009 during his time in uniform at Millard South. The program later endured some rough times, but its players maintained a work ethic that pushed the Patriots over the top when an abundance of talent arrived with the senior class of 2026. 'The coaches need to stay on us,' Wheeler said, 'because we're going to be everyone's national championship this year.' The Patriots spent most of last season ranked No. 2 in their own state, downgraded because of the loss to Basha. Did it matter that other teams in Nebraska played no such competition? 'No,' said Baker, the defender committed to Fresno State. 'Losing our first game gave us a lot of our motivation. Being ranked No. 2, that's the first-place loser.' They'll be favored heavily to repeat in 2025. Some motivation this year might involve an interesting subplot: Nebraska, in putting together its 2026 class, pursued only Jensen, the Mizzou-bound tight end, from Millard South. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Thomalla, the state's top-rated prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, did not receive an offer because the Huskers took the commitment of 2026 QB Dayton Raiola — brother of starting QB Dylan Raiola — last September. The Huskers, in fact, went after just three prospects from Nebraska, landing only Elkhorn North linebacker Jace Reynolds in their 12-player class. 'They're not just going to offer because a kid is from Nebraska,' Jensen said. 'It was a blessing that they gave me a chance. But we will all keep our heads down and keep working.' To date, their work has produced unprecedented results.
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama reportedly trending to add second quarterback prospect to soaring 2026 class
Could the Alabama Crimson Tide potentially add yet another quarterback to its' 2026 recruiting class? Yes, even despite Alabama already owning a commitment from signal collar Jett Thomalla, the Crimson Tide are reportedly trending to land another quarterback in the 2026 class, per On3's Steve Wiltfong. That prospect is four-star Tayden Kaawa, who ranks as the nations No. 345 overall player in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings. Kaawa is also considered as the No. 6 player in the state of Utah where he attends Orem High School, as well as the No. 24 overall quarterback in the cycle. At the moment, a commitment date is not currently set for Kaawa, but could be coming in the near future, according to Wiltfong. Other schools in the mix for Kaawa's commitment include the likes of BYU and Boise State, among others. Alabama's 2026 class currently ranks No. 5 nationally according to the 247Sports Team Rankings with a total of 19 commitments. Of those 19, four are currently considered as five-star prospects. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama Flips 4-Star QB From Big 12 Powerhouse
Alabama Flips 4-Star QB From Big 12 Powerhouse originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide have their Class of 2026 quarterback. Jett Thomalla changed his mind on Tuesday, ditching Matt Campbell and the Iowa State Cyclones. Advertisement 'BREAKING: Four-Star QB Jett Thomalla has Flipped his Commitment from Iowa State to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits,' On3's Hayes Fawcett wrote on X. 'The 6'4 210 QB from Omaha, NE had been Committed to the Cyclones since April. 'All glory to God, Roll tide!!' Thomalla is listed as the No. 16 overall passer in his class according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's the top-rated prospect in Nebraska. 'Decorated prep signal caller with some peaks and valleys on the game tape, but one that has a chance to emerge as a winner on Saturdays,' 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins said of Thomalla in an April scouting report. 'More than capable of extending plays and creating opportunities when the pocket breaks down as he climbs away from pressure and keeps his eyes down field. Millard South quarterback Jett Thomalla (4)Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK 'Projects as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level. Likely to need a developmental year or two, but hard not to get excited about the size, velocity and resume.' Advertisement Thomalla was named MaxPreps' 2024 Nebraska Player of the Year. He led Millard South to a 12-1 record and Class A title, setting the state classification record in passing yards (3,663 yards), touchdown passes (47), and completions (250). Ryder Lyons (No. 5 passer in 247Sports' rankings), Landon Duckworth (No. 6), Bowe Bentley (No. 10), and Oscar Rios (No. 12) are other highly-touted signal-callers in Thomalla's class who have yet to sign. Related: Legendary Alabama QB Predicts New Starter Without Hesitation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
