BREAKING: Shaun Alexander Award winner Zane Jones commits to Alabama
By Sterling Sawchuk
January 27, 2027
Mere hours after quarterback Darian Mensah shocked the world and announced his commitment to the USC Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley after seeming like a shoe-in to join the National Championship runner-up Miami Hurricanes, the number one wide receiver in the transfer portal is also now off the board after former Syracuse wide receiver Zane Jones announced his intentions of joining the Alabama Crimson Tide.
One of the more publicized recruitments this off-season, Jones reportedly took visits to a number of Power 5 schools, including Penn State, Michigan, and the Hurricanes. Jones was also linked to Texas, Texas A&M, and UCLA before closing his recruitment officially and announcing his commitment to newly-minted head coach Lane Kiffin, who recently took over the Crimson Tide coaching position after Kalen DeBoer was fired last season.
Alabama finished well out of the picture in the SEC standings, watching Georgia run away with a National Championship over Miami last year along with their SEC championship over Texas.
Jones led the Syracuse Orange in all major receiving categories while finishing in the top five in catches, receiving yardage, and touchdowns in the nation as a true freshman. He finished as a second-team All-American, a freshman All-American, and a first-team All-ACC team member while winning the Shaun Alexander Award as the nation's top freshman. He also finished as the runner-up for the Fred Bilenikoff Award as the top receiver in the country, finishing behind Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith.
According to Polymarket, branded as "The World's Largest Prediction Market", Jones is entering the 2027 season as the third-highest favorite to win the award behind Oregon junior receiver Dakorien Moore and Georgia junior receiver Landon Roldan - both who rounded out the consensus top five in last year's voting finishes.
Jones is presumed to be the best wide receiver hopping into the transfer portal this off-season and figures to get paid as such . With Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith setting the current benchmark for wide receivers at a reported $5 million, Jones features to approach that number - and depending on where he ends up - might even exceed it. He managed to finish third in Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver, losing to Smith and his 102 catches, 1,460 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns.
One of the highest rumored objectives for the upcoming sophomore was entering a more competent offense that had the ability to challenge for a championship and Jones enters an Alabama offense priming to explode behind young quarterback Keelon Russell who is finally taking the reigns from Los Angeles Rams draft pick Ty Simpson. Jones joins a wide receiver room primed with talent, including senior Jalen Hale who had 755 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last year and incoming junior Bobby Golden, who had 809 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns last year with Louisville. Not to mention former 1,000 yard receiver with Louisiana, senior Shelton Sampson Jr. and Jordan Napier, who had his own 1,000-yard campaign a year ago with San Diego State.
This is an Alabama team primed with offensive weapons and wizardry from the coaching staff. And they finally landed their whale of a receiver in Zane Jones.
Someone call Saban, we back in this bitch.
