The 37th-ranked player in the ESPN 300, Phidarian Mathis, verbally committed to Alabama on the eve of national signing day. Verbal commitments are nonbinding until Mathis signs his national letter of intent tomorrow.
The 6-foot-4, 287-pound defensive tackle from Neville High School in Monroe, Louisiana, chose Alabama over in-state LSU and TCU.
Ranked as the fourth-best defensive tackle in the ESPN 300, Mathis accounted for 41 tackles and seven sacks as a senior, according to Max Preps.
With the addition of Mathis, the Crimson Tide now have 25 commitments, including 18 who are ranked in the ESPN 300.
Mathis will be one of a few recruiting battles between Alabama and LSU over the next 24 hours. The two SEC West rivals are also battling it out for a few other ESPN 300 prospects, including wide receiver Devonta Smith and safety Todd Harris.
Alabama is also finalist for a few other ESPN 300 targets, including defensive end LaBryan Ray, wide receiver Nico Collins and defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon.
The Crimson Tide currently have the top-ranked recruiting class in the country and are looking to finish with the No. 1 class in five out of the last six years.