Kalen DeBoer’s red-hot recruiting run continued on Monday night with the addition of three-star wide receiver Owen Cabell. The 6-foot-3 Nashville, Tennessee, product became the Tide’s 15th commit in the 2026 class, which has now climbed up from outside the top 50 to No. 8 in the country in about a week.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 WR Owen Cabell has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @rivalsrecruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 30, 2025
The 6’3 205 WR from Nashville, TN chose the Crimson Tide over Illinois and Vanderbilt
“All Glory to GOD!! Roll Tide!!”https://t.co/rtdGXZfLXY pic.twitter.com/YlC3i3vOny
WR Owen Cabell commits to Alabama two days ahead of Cederian Morgan’s commitment
This recent surge, orchestrated by DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan, was sparked when four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla announced that he was flipping from Iowa State to Alabama on June 17, but picked up even more steam on June 22 with JJ Finch’s announcement. Finch set off a cascade of commitments, more than doubling the size of the class and elevating Alabama to where it belongs among the nation’s elite programs.
The exclamation point is potentially on its way Wednesday, when five-star wide receiver and the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama is expected to make his announcement. Though Morgan is weighing his options between Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, and LSU, most experts predict it’ll either be the Tide or Hugh Freeze’s Tigers. If Morgan does go the other way, Cabell’s commitment two days earlier will soften the blow.
Cabell chose the Tide over Illinois and Vanderbilt, and while he’s the first wide receiver in the 2026 class, he is the second skill player that DeBoer and his staff have been able to sway away from the Fighting Illini. The other is four-star running back Javari Barnett, who flipped from Illinois to Alabama a week ago.
Alabama has fantastic depth at wide receiver on its 2025 roster. With Ryan Williams entering his sophomore year, coming off a historic freshman season at just 17 years old, and Germie Bernard back for his senior season after hauling in 50 catches for 794 yards and two touchdowns a year ago, the Tide boast arguably the most talented receiving corps this side of Ohio State. Plus, the 2025 recruiting class featured 6-foot-5 four-star Derek Meadows, who was a fringe top 100 player in the country.
Still, in a sport that has become increasingly reliant on dominant wide receiver play to succeed at the highest level, prioritizing the position is never a bad idea. Morgan is a different caliber of recruit from Cabell altogether. His commitment would only marginally ease the pain of Morgan choosing an SEC rival, but when it comes to five-stars in the modern college football landscape, it’s always smart to hedge your bets.