Zyan Gibson, a top cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class, announced his commitment to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday. A consensus four-star recruit ranked as the No. 69 player in the nation according to On3 Sports, Gibson chose Alabama over offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, Oregon and more.
With the Gadsden City Titans, who call former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick one of their alumni, Gibson had 17 total tackles and one tackle for loss in his junior year. He also caught four passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
The Gadsden, Alabama native spoke about visiting Bryant-Denny Stadium at the Iron Bowl in November, per Sam Spiegelman of Rivals.
“It was good being back at Bama,” Gibson told Rivals. “I got a chance to talk to Coach (Kalen) DeBoer and Coach Mo (Linguist) before the game and they both keep letting me know how much they want and need me — that I’m their top priority for (the) 2026 class.”
“It’s good seeing freshmen play early,” Gibson added. “That let me know when I work hard that I will have an opportunity to contribute in some way. The defense played aggressive and fast. … Bama is still one of my top schools. It was just good to be around the coaches and getting more information about the program.”
Gibson is the first commitment for the Crimson Tide’s 2026 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, Alabama has the No. 2 overall class in 2025.