Hours before Khamari Brooks' commitment, Kalen DeBoer made massive statement by flipping 4-star RB to Alabama from Illinois

Hours before Khamari Brooks' commitment, running back Javari Barnett has flipped his commitment to play for Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer next year. Rivals has rated the running back as a four-star prospect entering college football.

On Monday, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that Barnett has agreed to play for the Crimson Tide after initially committing to the Illinois Fighting Illini in April.

Barnett also shared a statement with Fawcett about his decision to join Alabama for his freshman year.

"Not just doing it but imma do it big," Barnett told Fawcett.

247Sports reports that Barnett met with Illinois on April 4 and committed on April 6. However, he continued to visit other teams to evaluate his options, including the Tulane Green Wave, on June 12. He met with Alabama on Friday, which led to his decommitment from Illinois to join DeBoer's 2026 freshman class.

Barnett will finish his senior year playing for the Tampa Bay Tech High School Titans (Tampa Bay, Florida). According to MaxPreps, he had 30 carries for 249 yards and four touchdowns last season.

One of his best performances was in Tampa Bay Tech's 63-40 loss to the Venice High School Indians (Venice, Florida) on Aug. 23. Barnett achieved 18 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

The four-star running back prospect's commitment comes after the Crimson Tide got JJ Finch to agree to join the roster next year. The defensive lineman flipped his commitment from the Michigan Wolverines to play for DeBoer on Sunday. Last year, Finch had 92 total tackles (57 solo) and seven sacks for the Warren Central High School Warriors (Indianapolis, Indiana).

Alabama Crimson Tide to potentially get Khamari Brooks for 2026 season

Kalen DeBoer is looking to get edge rusher Khamari Brooks to join the team in 2026. He is set to complete his senior year playing for the North Oconee High School Titans (Bogart, Georgia). Rivals has rated the edge rusher as a four-star prospect.

247Sports reported that Brooks visited the Crimson Tide on June 6. He has stated that the two teams he is considering to play for are DeBoer's team and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Brooks is expected to make his decision on Monday regarding which program he will commit to for his freshman year.

Edited by Krutik Jain