Alabama's latest 2026 WR addition could quickly feel underwhelming

July 2 has been circled on many calendars in Tuscaloosa for a while. Wednesday is when five-star in-state wide receiver Cederian Morgan will finally make his decision between Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia, but in the meantime, Kalen DeBoer and his staff just keep picking up commitments. 

On Tuesday night, for the second-straight day, Alabama added a wide receiver to its 2026 class, with three-star Brian Williams Jr. joining three-star Owen Cabell, who made his announcement on Monday. Williams became the ninth player in nine days to commit to the program. 

While that momentum is exciting, and has launched the now 16-player Crimson Tide class to No. 7 in the national rankings after spending much of June outside the top 50, it’s all building towards Morgan’s decision on Wednesday. 

Brian Williams Jr. commits to Alabama over Florida and Penn State

With the body of a true X receiver, at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Williams did much of his damage for Lake Mary High School in his junior season isolated opposite a bunch or simply away from the strength of the formation. Though many players at his size would rely primarily on their physical gifts to create separation, Williams is a tactician, adept at using his polished footwork and hand placement to beat press coverage, if a cornerback ever dares, and he’s savvy enough to find soft spots in zone. Plus, if he does find himself with a true one-and-one, he’s every bit the athlete to embarrass the poor kid who drew the assignment. 

The advent of the revenue-sharing era, which began on Tuesday as the House v. NCAA settlement went into effect, will force teams to recruit more intentionally, no longer employing a scatter-shot approach attempting to appeal to every blue-chip player on the board. While there will inevitably be NIL loopholes to exploit, the playing field has been somewhat leveled, and in response, Alabama has clearly identified the blue-chip players it values the most while looking to backfill the rest of that position group with intriguing, high-upside three and four-star players. 

Those types of strategic recruiting decisions are why it's necessary to have a general manager like Courtney Morgan, and why it was so important that DeBoer brought him from Seattle to Tuscaloosa last offseason. 

If DeBoer and Morgan’s plan comes to pass at wide receiver, that means Cederian Morgan will be the blue-chipper, with Cabell and Williams as the three-star developmental projects. The Tide took the same tack at the running back position with Ezavier Crowell, a four-star and top 100 player in the class, and three-star Javari Barnett. 

However, if Morgan surprises the staff and chooses an SEC rival or joins Coach Prime in Boulder, then the Tide will need to turn their attention to other blue-chip options. Because Cabell and Williams alone will begin to feel like an underwhelming haul at one of the sport’s most important positions.