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4-star DL Elijah Golden logs first spring visit to Alabama

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•03/23/25•

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Elijah Golden
Elijah Golden (Keith Niebuhr/On3)

Alabama continues to make waves with top prospects this spring as it looks to build another elite recruiting class.

The Crimson Tide had more blue-chippers in Tuscaloosa this weekend, including King George (Va.) Cardinal Mooney four-star defensive lineman Elijah Golden. The 6-foot-3.5, 260-pounder spent time around the Bama staff for the first time this spring as they continue to push for his pledge:

Things are moving quick with Golden and the SEC program. He’s already scheduled a return visit for April 4 next month and has also locked in a June 13 official visit, too. Bama defensive line coach Freddie Roach is leading the charge, and Golden told BamaOnLine’s Blake Byler earlier this month that he’s building a strong relationship with the longtime assistant.

“We’ve just had great talks, you know,” Golden said. “We talk about the gym, about life, about how everything’s going. We talk every day.”

Golden is the No. 227 overall prospect and No. 24 DL in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 32 player in Florida.

The blue-chipper already holds around 30 Power Four offers. The likes of Florida, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Clemson have also been prevalent in his recruitment. Multiple factors will play a major role in his eventual decision:

“I’m big on everything such as relationships, NIL and how a school is going to use me,” Golden told On3’s Chad Simmons in January. “That is the biggest thing for me, how a school is going to use me. In college… I want to play multiple positions. I want to play d-end, d-tackle and nose tackle, everything on the defensive line, because I’ve been doing that all my life.”

More on Alabama Recruiting

After signing the No. 3 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings last cycle, DeBoer and his staff are looking to keep their foot on the gas in the class of 2026. It’s been a slower start thus far, though, as the Tide’s 2026 class features just three commits to date.

Gadsden (Ala.) City four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson pledged on Christmas Eve and will remain headlining member of the pledge list, currently checking in as the No. 62 recruit and No. 10 corner in the nation.

February brought a pair of pledges for Bama. Atlanta Hapeville Charter four-star interior offensive lineman Chris Booker committed on Feb. 20 and was followed by Gainesville (Ga.) four-star EDGE Jamarion Matthews a day later. Both are top-30 players at their respective positions.

Despite just having the trio of commits, Alabama’s class checks in at No. 15 nationally thus far.