It was undoubtedly used as a negative recruiting tool by rivals in the pursuit of Ezavier Crowell that Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb's offensive style is built around being wide-open and attacking defenses vertically with the passing game.
That tactic clearly didn't work as Crowell announced his commitment to Alabama on Thursday night in a televised ceremony. Crowell chose Alabama over Texas, Georgia, Auburn, and Florida. He's the second RB commitment of the week for the Crimson Tide, joining Javari Barnett, who flipped his commitment from Illinois on Monday.
Crowell's commitment also marks the second straight class where Alabama signed one of the top running backs in the nation. Last year, Alabama signed 4-star AK Dear, who ranked as the No. 53 overall player and No. 2 RB in the 2025 class.
Even in the peak of Alabama's aerial assault offenses, piloted by 1st Round picks at QB in Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young, Tide fans still couldn't help themselves. When push came to shove, the mantra remained to run the damn football. Fans can now rest easy knowing that will continue to be a staple of Alabama football, even with a new coaching staff.
Alabama's traditional running game was a struggle last season. One could argue that the talent level of the RB room has dropped off some since Jahmyr Gibbs entered the NFL Draft. One could also blame it on play-calling and Jalen Milroe's inability to correctly process read-option looks.
With a new QB, Alabama figures to have more of a traditional running game in 2025. Ty Simpson is certainly a capable runner, but the offense will look more like DeBoer and Grubb envisioned it with Milroe now in the NFL.
Alabama's pipeline of elite running backs will continue witih Crowell
Crowell is as good as it gets on the high school level. He was originally in the 2027 recruiting class, but chose back in January to reclassify into 2026. I can only guess that it was out of sheer boredom. He has terrorized Alabama high school defenses the last two seasons, and it's time for a new challenge.
As a sophomore in 2024, Crowell racked up 1964 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. He averaged 11.7 yards per carry.
Crowell will continue an elite pipeline of Alabama running backs. No other school could even argue Alabama's status as "RBU." Alabama had three of the top six leading rushers in the NFL last season in Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
The talent level in the RB room had dropped off a bit since Gibbs went pro. Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams, Jam Miller, and Justice Hayes have all been solid runners, but not on the level of the likes of Gibbs, Brian Robinson Jr., Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, or Derrick Henry. That's not to mention the likes of TJ Yeldon, Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson, or Mark Ingram if we go back further.
The talent at RB to come through Tuscaloosa over the last 15 years has been insane. Crowell looks like he's the next in line, ready to pick up where the greats left off and create his own legacy in Bryant-Denny.