5-star EDGE Anthony 'Tank' Jones set to announce commitment on Thursday

Earlier this week, Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal five-star EDGE Anthony “Tank” Jones told reporters he planned to announce his commitment in the coming weeks.

He is holding true to that promise and will make his decision on Thursday, July 31 between Alabama, Texas A&M and Oregon, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons. He will make his choice public on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ which simulcasts on both ESPN and YouTube around 1:20 p.m. Eastern time.

Jones is one of just four uncommitted five-star prospects left in the 2026 cycle, and has narrowed his list of finalists down to three while working toward a decision over the past few weeks.

Alabama, Oregon and Texas A&M are the remaining contenders in his recruitment, with Jones having taken official visits to each program earlier this summer. The in-state Crimson Tide have long been considered one of the favorites — if not the top contender — to land him.

But the Aggies and Ducks have pushed extremely hard for him, and according to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, the Ducks are gaining some steam as his announcement looms.

As a junior, the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder recorded 84 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks. He is also a standout on the track, winning the Alabama 6A discus state championship as a junior with a toss of 161 feet, 5 inches. In the shot put, he threw 56 feet, 3.75 inches to take home silver.

Jones is the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 4 EDGE in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the top-ranked player in Alabama.

Breaking down each of Jones’ top schools

In multiple interviews over the past few months with Rivals’ team of national and team insiders, Jones and his family have gone in-depth about his official visits and what makes each of the finalists stand out.

Oregon: “It’s far away from home, so I feel like it’ll definitely be a great opportunity for me to grow and just be uncomfortable and just grow in situations,” he told ScoopDuck’s Max Torres earlier this month. “I feel like the scheme they got set up for me will be great for me also. Especially seeing like the EDGES they got eating. Coach (Dan) Lanning and coach Tosh Lupoi, they do a great job of just making everything simple and just letting the edges go eat for real. I feel like me going up would be a great fit for me also.”

Alabama: “We came back up there and everything was still consistent,” his father told BamaOnLine. “There wasn’t anything different. There isn’t anything that is forced. They let you be yourself. You are not just coming in there trying to be someone you aren’t. … They want you to be there because you want to be there. It’s more about family and just keeping in touch with each other. It’s nothing glamorous, and not for the money. If you want to be here the door is open. You like it better than how some of these other schools approach it as they’ll just try to throw anything at you.”

Texas A&M: “I’d say the relationships I have with the coaches,” he told Torres of stood out about the Aggies. “I’ve known these coaches longer than both of the staffs of Oregon and ‘Bama. I have great relationships with them and they have a history of producing NFL defensive linemen. Just let me be in the system, be able to go eat and make money. I just love that about them and it’s a great school also.”