Alabama Faces Tough Competition as Top Recruit John Meredith III Likely Chooses Texas A&M

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Following their Rose Bowl loss to the Indiana Hoosiers, the Alabama Crimson Tide has shifted its focus to high school recruiting. One of Kalen DeBoer’s top priorities has been cornerback John Meredith III out of Fort Worth, Texas.

As a five-star recruit, the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 2 player in the nation, he’s garnered attention from a handful of college football‘s best teams. Alabama has already gotten a closer look at the defender, hosting him for two unofficial visits in Tuscaloosa.

While the battle for his commitment continues to play out, the Crimson Tide were named one of his top 11 schools. Other SEC teams making the cut included the Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs.

Along with his high rankings, Meredith increased his stock by earning first-team honors as a MaxPreps Junior All-American. Unfortunately for Alabama, that only means the competition is becoming fiercer.

On Wednesday, Rivals’ recruiting editor, Josh McCuistion, logged an expert prediction for Meredith to pass on the Crimson Tide and instead choose Texas A&M. With 208 predictions, McCuistion has been correct 78.85% of the time.

The Aggies’ 2027 recruiting class is already among the best in the nation with 10 commitments. Meredith would become the third cornerback, joining four-star Raylaun Henry and three-star Hakim Frampton.

While he has several years until hitting campus, Meredith is widely viewed as a player who could impact any team as a true freshman. Losing out on him would be a considerable blow for Alabama and would mean it needs to shift its focus to other recruits.

Other cornerbacks the Crimson Tide have offers for five-star Joshua Dobson, four-star Gabriel Osborne Jr., four-star Juju Johnson and four-star Danny Lang.

Related: Georgia Receives Strong Message From Former Michigan QB Commit

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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