In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the heart of SEC country, four-star quarterback recruit Tanner Bailey, grandson of Alabama football legend Pat Trammell, has committed to arch-rival Auburn University over the Crimson Tide.
The decision, announced via a heartfelt social media post on Sunday, marks one of the most dramatic family betrayals in recent college football history, with Bailey openly crediting Auburn’s aggressive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) offers and a “better cultural fit” for his choice.
Bailey, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound dual-threat signal-caller from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was long considered a lock for Alabama. Trammell, a revered quarterback for the Tide from 1961-1963 under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, led Alabama to an undefeated national championship season in 1961 and remains an icon etched in Tuscaloosa lore.
His grandson’s flip to the Tigers Alabama’s bitterest foe has ignited a firestorm of backlash from Bama faithful, who are branding it a “dynasty-shattering stab in the back.”
“This hurts more than any Iron Bowl loss,” said one longtime Alabama booster, speaking anonymously to AL.com. “Pat Trammell bled crimson. For Tanner to choose Auburn? It’s like watching your own blood turn orange and blue.”
Bailey, ranked as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback and No. 45 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports Composite, didn’t mince words in his commitment video. “Auburn offered me the best opportunity to grow as a leader and a player, with NIL support that lets me focus on football without worries,” he said. Sources close to the recruitment tell CBS Sports that Auburn’s NIL collective, the Plainsmen Guardians, tabled a package worth upwards of $1.2 million annually far surpassing Alabama’s reported $800,000 counteroffer.
But it wasn’t just the money. Bailey emphasized Auburn’s “family atmosphere” and offensive scheme under head coach Hugh Freeze as the deciding factors. “Coach Freeze sees me as the future of this program.
Alabama’s great, but Auburn feels like home a better fit for how I play and who I am,” Bailey added. Freeze, known for his quarterback whisperer reputation from stops at Ole Miss and Liberty, personally hosted Bailey for an official visit last weekend, where the recruit witnessed a mock Iron Bowl walkthrough tailored to his skill set.
Auburn’s pursuit was relentless. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, a veteran play-caller, was spotted at Bailey’s high school games as early as spring, building rapport. “Tanner’s got that Trammell arm talent, but with modern mobility. He’s the spark we need,” Bobo told SEC Network insiders.
The commitment comes at a precarious time for Alabama, which is still recalibrating under new head coach Kalen DeBoer following Nick Saban’s retirement. The Tide entered the 2025 season with sky-high expectations but stumbled to a 2-1 start after a shocking upset loss to unranked Vanderbilt. Recruiting has been a bright spot, but Bailey’s flip—after months of Alabama favoritism—exposes vulnerabilities in the NIL arms race.
“It’s a gut punch to the ‘dynasty’ talk,” said ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, a vocal Alabama supporter. “Saban built an empire on legacy and loyalty. DeBoer? He’s learning the hard way that blood isn’t thicker than boosters’ checks.” Finebaum’s Hot Seat podcast devoted an entire episode to the “Trammell Treason,” fielding calls from furious fans who vowed to burn orange jerseys in effigy.
Trammell’s legacy looms large: He passed for 2,396 yards and 15 touchdowns in his Alabama career, earning All-SEC honors and later serving as a team captain.
A practicing attorney until his death in 2013, Trammell embodied the quiet heroism of Bryant’s era. His grandson’s choice has reopened old wounds, with some Crimson Tide alums questioning if the family ties were ever as ironclad as believed.
Bailey’s father, Todd—a former walk-on at Alabama—declined comment through a family spokesperson, but sources say he’s “supportive yet torn.”
Tanner, who holds offers from blue-bloods like Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon, becomes Auburn’s highest-profile 2026 pledge to date, bolstering a class now ranked No. 8 nationally.
Auburn fans are ecstatic, flooding Jordan-Hare Stadium’s social channels with “War Eagle” memes mocking Alabama’s recruiting woes. The Tigers, sitting at 3-0 under Freeze, now eye a top-5 finish in 2025 recruiting, with Bailey as the crown jewel.
The sting is immediate: Their 2026 QB board thins, forcing DeBoer to pivot to uncommitted targets like five-star Elijah Haven. A rematch looms in the 2028 Iron Bowl, where Bailey could face his grandfather’s alma mater on the gridiron—a poetic, painful collision of legacies. As one Auburn beat writer quipped, “NIL didn’t just change the game; it flipped the family tree.” In the cutthroat world of modern college football, even legends’ bloodlines aren’t safe from the marketplace.
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