Big and not-so-big surprises in Alabama football's spring work

Alabama football Offensive Coordinator stunned many Crimson Tide fans when he named Jaclkson Lloyd as Alabama's starting left tackle. Not that expectations for Lloyd have not been high since he arrived in Tuscaloosa for the 2025 season. The surprise was Grubb stating that three sessions into spring work, Lloyd had already won the job.

Of course, competition will continue for Lloyd. He will have to hold off redshirt junior transfer Jayvin James. James has 18 starts in his college career, including nine last season at Mississippi State. Other Crimson Tide players will also continue their pursuits for a starting tackle role.

Two smaller surprises have come in the form of practice videos of Cederian Morgan and Jireh Edwards. Alabama fans already knew that Morgan and Edwards were not typical freshmen. Morgan is a big wide receiver at 6'4" and 223 lbs. Edwards is almost as physically imposing at 6'2" and 221 lbs. Simply stated, the Alabama coaching staff will not be able to keep the pair off the field in 2026.

Some Alabama fans viewed the transfer exit of Isaiah Horton as a big loss for the Crimson Tide. He was a solid player. His big body was well-suited for tough redzone catches against smaller defenders. Morgan matches the height of Horton and has 15 more pounds of muscle to leverage against defensive backs. Even better, Morgan comes to the Tide with the reputation of being a playmaker. From watching practice videos, Morgan looks like a freshman poised to explode at some point in his first season.

An Alabama Football Enforcer?

Jireh Edwards is Alabama's most physically imposing safety. He has a linebacker's body at 6'2" and 221 lbs. Take a look at No. 10 in the video below.

Edwards will not beat out Keon Sabb or Bray Hubbard. Though Red Morgan and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. are expected to battle it out for the starting Husky role, Edwards has the perfect physique for the hybrid position. If he does not gain considerable playing time in the secondary in his freshman season, Edwards should become a fearsome presence on special teams.

To the extent Morgan and Edwards are surprises, they are small ones. Both were highly rated recruits, but even 5-stars often need time to physically mature. That is not true for the Alabama duo.