Sherrone Moore and Michigan suffer fresh blow as 6'2" 2026 class recruit ditches Wolverines to pick Kalen DeBoer's Alabama

The Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide are prominent college football programs and are great destinations for prospects looking for a solid landing spot before the NFL.

The Crimson Tide and Wolverines were in contention for defensive lineman JJ Finch. On Sunday, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that the highly touted prospect will take his talents to the Crimson Tide.

"Class of 2026 DL JJ Finch has committed to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits," Fawcett wrote on X. "The 6’2 270 DL from Indianapolis, Indiana chose the Crimson Tide over Michigan & Tennessee."

According to On3, Finch was listed as the No. 50 defensive lineman in the class. He turned down offers from Michigan, Purdue, Miami and Tennessee to join the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Crimson Tide have been active on the defensive line recruitment scene with Finch joining four-star DL Kamhariyan Johnson and four-star edge rusher Jamarion Matthews in the 2026 class.

What's next for Michigan and Alabama?

The Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide were well represented in the 2025 NFL draft. Both teams had numerous players taken on Day 1 and Day 2, and these players figure to feature significantly in the 2025 regular season.

It's a solid recruitment strategy to show young prospects that there's a legitimate pathway to the big leagues once their collegiate football careers end.

The Wolverines are entering their second season under Sherrone Moore. He replaced program legend Jim Harbaugh, who left the team after leading them to a national championship in 2023. Moore led the team to an 8-5 record in his first year on the job. He's looking to make a significant improvement on that total.

The Crimson Tide are entering their second season under Kalen DeBoer. Like Moore, DeBoer replaced a program legend in Nick Saban ahead of the 2024 season. DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to a 9-4 record and will hope for a marked improvement in his second year on the job.

Edited by Ribin Peter