With the final recruiting rankings for the 2026 class done, Alabama football officially signed the No. 2 overall class in the 247 composite. It's the second straight top-five class for Kalen DeBoer and company.
That class features quite a bit of star power, and just like the last two seasons, Alabama will be looking for an immediate impact from several players.
More so than the 2025 class, the 2026 class had more of an in-state flavor. The Crimson Tide signed three of the top four players in the state during this cycle. Two of those players are expected to compete for playing time right away, while the other (CB Zyan Gibson) will enter a crowded cornerback room, but has as much long-term upside as any prospect in this class.
RB EJ Crowell and WR Cederian Morgan come to Tuscaloosa with high expectations. Crowell is the No. 1 RB in the class, and Alabama has a major need for a difference-maker in the RB room.
Morgan enrolled early and went through Rose Bowl preparation, quickly impressing both coaches and teammates with his natural ability.
Alabama fans are excited to see both hit the field this fall. According to OC Ryan Grubb, they won't have to wait long to see the incoming freshmen.
"There's a lot of physical characteristics that those two have, they're outstanding players; but the maturity and the mindset that those two guys have already at this point in their career has been really impressive, Grubb told Juliannna Reichenback with WAKA-TV. "I'm excited to see what they can do this year. They're not going to have to wait long to get on the field."
Ryan Grubb believes EJ Crowell and Cederian Morgan will find quick playing time
ESPN recently compared EJ Crowell to Ohio State freshman RB Bo Jackson, who became the RB1 for the Buckeyes during his first season on campus this past season. Jackson rushed for over 1000 yards on a team that got a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. DeBoer and Grubb would be thrilled to see something similar happen this year in Tuscaloosa.
The opportunity will certainly be there for Crowell. Alabama didn't add a difference-maker in the Transfer Portal, and while Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and AK Dear are talented players in their own right, none has the ceiling of the 5-star Crowell.
At WR, Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks figure to be the Crimson Tide's top two receivers. There should be a lot of competition for playing time behind them.
NC State transfer Noah Rogers and redshirt sophomore Rico Scott figure to have the inside track for WR3, though sophomore Derek Meadows will certainly be a factor, too. So, too, will Morgan, who brings the type of size and physicality that DeBoer and Grubb have shown to covet in the WR room.
Alabama has gotten impactful performances from a multitude of freshmen over DeBoer's first two seasons at the Capstone. Crowell and Morgan look to be next in line to do the same thing in 2026.