Kalen DeBoer added NC State transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers this offseason to help replace Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton in his offense. He probably didn’t know that he brought in recruiting help in the process.
Rogers has yet to play a snap for the Crimson Tide, but the veteran is already paying off with his efforts to flip three-star running back Amir Brown from his commitment to Matt Rhule and Nebraska. Brown attends Rolesville High School in North Carolina, Rogers’ alma mater, and that connection may pay off with a visit.
New Alabama WR Noah Rogers, who played at the same high school as Nebraska RB commit Amir Brown, is doing his part on the recruiting trail…
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) February 20, 2026
“Encouraging me to visit … knows my play style & he thinks I will be great in the 'Bama offense”@RamsFootballNChttps://t.co/YlrMNl8Qyo
Noah Rogers is pushing to flip Amir Brown from Nebraska commitment
Brown spoke with Brett Greenburg of Bama247 about his recruitment and said that Rogers is, “encouraging me to visit.” Brown committed to the Huskers back in November, and the Crimson Tide only offered him for the first time this month.
Kalen DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan have made a habit of showing up early to the recruiting party since arriving in Tuscaloosa. They’ve been early on many recruits who have later shot up the rankings and raked in the offers. Yes, some of that is the ‘Alabama bump’ that affects the recruiting industry rankings anytime a player gets attention from the Crimson Tide, but with back-to-back top-five classes, they’ve proven to have a keen eye.
With Brown, the 26th-ranked running back in the country, the Tide arrived much later, but with Rogers helping to bridge the gap, they have a decent chance of making up the difference. And Brown has already proven willing to change his mind. The North Carolina native is already on his second commitment after de-committing from Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels in October.
After five-star running back EJ Crowell’s arrival in the 2026 class, the Tide are no longer in desperate need of a running back, but it’s hard to have confidence in that group behind Crowell after last season’s run-game debacle.
The Tide finished 131st in rushing success rate and largely failed to make any meaningful upgrades in the Transfer Portal. So, it’s fair to consider running back a position of need in the 2027 class, and though Brown is not an elite prospect, he would address it. Plus, there's always the chance that he continues to shoot up the rankings in his senior year and becomes one of the top players at his position in 2027.