One of the top commitments in Alabama's 2026 recruiting class - 5-star RB Ezavier Crowell - is under fire and facing a one-game suspension due to a violation of the AHSAA's amateurism bylaws. The news was first reported by WKRG's Simone Eli.
According to Eli, Crowell's violation was self-reported and due to his accepting an unknown gift that has now been returned.
Crowell will be suspended for Jackson High School's first game of the season this Friday against Saraland. Jackson self-imposed the penalty on Crowell as a means of getting ahead of any punishment. The good news for Crowell is that the Central Board of Control accepted the punishment, meaning that Crowell will be able to return to action for the second game of the season.
Ezavier Crowell's amateurism suspension will have no impact on his commitment to Alabama football
These are not the old days any longer. What is illegal in terms of AHSAA rules is no longer illegal according to the NCAA. Crowell's amateurism violation and subsequent suspension will have no impact on his status with Alabama.
Crowell should technically be a high school junior, but reclassified into the 2026 recruiting class. In spite of that, he's a 5-star recruit in the 247 composite. Crowell's decision to reclass came after back-to-back monster seasons for Jackson. As a freshman, Crowell ran for 1737 yards and 25 touchdowns. He followed that up with a sophomore season that saw him eclipse those numbers, rushing for 1964 yards and 31 touchdowns. In his two seasons in high school, Crowell has averaged over 11 yards per carry.
The elite running back committed to Alabama in late June, kicking off a ridiculous recruiting run for Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide. Crowell joined a class that had one 5-star committed already in CB Jorden Edmonds, and they were soon thereafter joined by LB Xavier Griffin, WR Cederian Morgan, and S Jireh Edwards.
Crowell is a big reason why Jackson is the overwhelming favorite to win another State Championship in 2025. They have to be breathing a sigh of relief that their star RB is going to miss only one game.