Alabama Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre Returning

Alabama got great news about its pass rush for the 2026 season, with linebacker Yhonzae Pierre set to return to the Crimson Tide, according to a report by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

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Pierre, a 6-foot-3, 248-pound linebacker, played his high school football at Eufaula High School in Eufaula, Alabama, where he was rated as a five-star edge rusher signing with the Crimson Tide in Alabama's 2023 recruiting class. He was the No. 28 overall prospect in the class, the No. 4 edge rusher, and the No. 2 player in the state of Alabama in 2023. In his three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Pierre has totaled 58 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and three pass breakups. According to Zenitz, he was viewed as a day two prospect in the 2026 NFL draft.

He burst onto the scene for the Crimson Tide during the 2025 season, seeing action in all 15 games with 12 starts, totaling 52 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and one pass breakup. He stepped in for injured starter Qua Russaw when Russaw broke his foot during Alabama's 24-21 victory over Georgia, and never relinquished his starting spot.

His top performance came in the Tide's 37-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, recording six tackles and three sacks in the Third Saturday in October rivalry. That performance earned him SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors against the Volunteers.

Pierre's return is the second announcement for the Crimson Tide of a draft-eligible player coming back for another season, with Kadyn Proctor, Parker Brailsford, and Ty Simpson all forgoing their final years of eligibility and declaring for the NFL draft. Alabama safety Bray Hubbard has also announced that he will be returning to the Crimson Tide.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.