No. 1 rising junior in Oklahoma reacts to Alabama offer

Alabama is continuing to extend offers to prospects in the 2026 class while still hitting the road during the spring evaluation period.

One of the recent recipients of an offer from the program is Kaydin Jones out of Jenks, Oklahoma. Jones is the top-ranked rising junior in his state, per On3’s Class of 2026 rankings.

Unlike some other offers to prospects in his class, Jones had been in touch with Bama ahead of Monday’s good news. His trainer, Jeremy Smith, was coached by Alabama running backs coach Robert Gillespie at Oklahoma State. As such, there was communication between the two sides leading up to the offer being delivered.

“It’s a big one,” Jones told BamaOnLine. “My coach was like, ‘Hey, we’ve got this phone call we need to take.’ I’ve been talking with Alabama for a minute now and building a relationship. When I finally got that offer, I couldn’t stop smiling. I called my parents immediately and told them. They were just as excited as me.”

Jones detailed Gillespie’s message to him this week and why Alabama dipped into his recruitment.

“He said they like how complete of a player I am,” Jones said his conversation with Gillespie. “How focused I am on football and all that. He said I’m definitely a guy he wants in his backfield.”

Jones checks in as the No. 11 running back and a top-100 overall recruit, according to On3. He rushed for 939 yards on 151 carries (6.2 yards per rush) and 11 touchdowns to go along with 536 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. He had 14 rushes for 120 yards and 2 total touchdowns in his state championship game.

A sought-after prospect already, Jones wants to maximize his potential at the next level, and believes Gillespie can develop him.

“I feel like he’s a great coach and he’s going to keep it 100 with me no matter what,” Jones said. “Bama football is a business, so I know he’s going to keep it real and tell me when I’m lacking or not getting it done. He’s definitely a guy you’d want to play for, seeing how many backs he sends to the league and just the development and success he’s had.”

“As a running back, it’s already hard enough to get to the league since we’re undervalued,” Jones continued. “With him sending so many guys to the league… it’s kind of like he has the key to success. He knows what it takes to get to the league, so he’s going to put you on the path to better yourself.”

New Alabama offer has high praise for Kalen DeBoer

Leading up to this week’s offer, Jones learned plenty about Gillespie not only from their conversations, but from Jeremy Smith.

Smith, who played for Gillespie for two seasons with the Cowboys, has praised him for the type of mentor he is.

“He said [Gillespie] is the reason he’s the type of man he is today,” Jones said of his trainer’s message. “He developed him as a player and gave him all the knowledge and all the mentorship he needed. That’s why he’s such a good coach.”

Kaydin Jones, No. 1 2026 prospect in the state of Oklahoma. (Credit: On3)

A conversation with Kalen DeBoer has not transpired yet, but Jones is familiar with what he’s accomplished as a head coach thus far.

“I know he’s had a ton of success outside of Washington as well,” Jones said. “Came into Washington and led the program to a national championship [appearance] in his first couple of years… definitely going to keep that success [at Bama] going. It’s hard to replace Nick Saban but, if it was anyone, it would be Coach DeBoer.”

The next step following this offer is to get Jones on campus for a visit. His first-ever trip to Tuscaloosa is likely to take place at some point this year.

“Either during the summer or during the season,” Jones said. “I definitely want to see all those national championships they’ve got. Definitely looking forward to building relationships with the coaches and also seeing what type of people they are.”

Interestingly enough, Jones says he may not potentially take any visits this summer. He went to Louisville, Oklahoma, and Tennessee in the spring. He intends on putting his focus toward perfecting his craft ahead of his junior season.

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