One of the biggest disappointments for Alabama fans this spring has been that 5-star RB EJ Crowell has been hampered by an injury. He's seen limited reps as a result, and he was in a boot and riding a scooter during the A-Day scrimmage on Saturday.
Crowell comes to Alabama with the highest of expectations after one of the most decorated three-year runs in the history of high school football in this state. Despite missing time this spring, he's still expected to play a major role in the fall.
He may not be the only freshman running back that's true of.
Trae'shawn Brown, a late addition to Alabama's 2026 signing class, has been making waves himself this spring. Brown was on nobody's radar until he signed, seemingly out of nowhere, with the Crimson Tide back in December. He's not flying under the radar any longer, at least for the coaching staff and observant Tide fans.
Brown looks like a difference-maker. He's grabbed the spotlight while Crowell recovers, and he might not give it back.
Freshman RB Trae'shawn Brown is having a big spring for Alabama
The Huntsville, Texas native is looking like another elite evaluation by this Alabama staff. He held no Power Four offers before the Crimson Tide came along at the last minute. He was set to sign with Boise State before Alabama came calling.
He's similar in a lot of ways to former Alabama RB Josh Jacobs, both in how he flew under the radar as a recruit and his twitchiness as a runner. You be the judge - who does this look like to you?
Alabama Freshman RB Trae’shawn Brown looked impressive during A-Day! @TraeshawnBrown
— Larry Rudolph (@ScoutFball) April 12, 2026
He had seven games with 100 rushing yards or more as a senior. He took advantage of every rep.
He is also a multi-sport athlete, with a 100-meter time of 11.46 and a 200-meter time of 23.93. pic.twitter.com/yTmuEGx3aw
Brown showed some real ability out of the backfield as a pass-catcher during A-Day, along with some shiftiness in finding seams to run through. That kind of twitch and vision was missing a lot last season for an Alabama run game that provided next to nothing to the offense.
Daniel Hill seems pretty firmly entrenched as Alabama's RB1, but the competition for his top backup is wide open. Crowell will play a major factor in that during the summer and fall, but Brown has a jumpstart thanks to his health this spring.
Returning backs Kevin Riley and AK Dear haven't done enough during spring so far to move the needle and stay ahead. They both could be in danger of losing playing time to the talented freshman duo, one that could invoke memories of a past era of Crimson Tide football.