Josh Heupel is pushing hard to flip four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson and it could send the Tide into an offseason tailspin.
Zyan Gibson currently stands as the second-highest-rated prospect in Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class. While that may not carry the usual weight with just six commitments on board midway through June, the Gadsden, Alabama native is still a top-100 national recruit—ranked No. 46 overall by the 247Sports Composite—and someone the Crimson Tide can’t afford to lose.
Gibson has stayed loyal to Alabama through the chaos of official visit season, but his recent trip to Knoxville raised some eyebrows among Tide fans. After the visit, he told Ryan Callahan of GoVols247, “Every time I come up, they show love. It never changed from Day One.”
Tennessee could be pushing to flip Zyan Gibson after his trip to Knoxville
According to 247Sports, Zyan Gibson’s recent official visit marked his eighth trip to Tennessee since the Volunteers extended an offer in October 2023. Although he’s been committed to Alabama since December 2024, Gibson has kept his recruitment open—leaving Tennessee with a chance to flip the elite cornerback from Kalen DeBoer’s class.
Several of Alabama’s top 2026 targets are expected to announce their commitments by late June or early July, which could bring a wave of positive momentum. Still, with just six current pledges and a class ranked outside the national top 50 this deep into the spring, it’s understandable why fans might feel uneasy. If Gibson ends up flipping to a conference rival like Tennessee or Ole Miss—where he also took an official visit—it would only fuel questions about DeBoer’s recruiting chops in year two.
DeBoer did quiet early doubters by securing the No. 3 class in 2025, led by five-star quarterback Keelon Russell. But in a place like Alabama, where expectations are sky-high and national titles are the norm, fans have short memories. Failing to follow that up with another top-tier class could ramp up the pressure to deliver on the field—perhaps even more than it already is.
Typically, a four-star cornerback reconsidering his commitment wouldn’t be alarming for a program with Alabama’s defensive depth. But 2025 is no ordinary year—and without Nick Saban at the helm, every move is under a brighter spotlight.
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