Alabama has already received tough injury news for the 2026 season, and it's just the spring.
During Saturday's A-Day scrimmage, NC State transfer WR Noah Rogers, who was in line to start next to Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, was carted to the locker room with a brace on his leg. Kalen DeBoer revealed on Monday that the injury was serious enough that Rogers would miss an extended period of time and would not be available at the beginning of the season.
That's a tough break for both Rogers and Alabama. Rogers was one of the top portal additions for the Crimson Tide and was going to be counted on to play a significant role. There's depth in that position group, however, and it'll be next man up for the Tide this fall.
3 WRs Alabama needs to step up in the absence of Noah Rogers
3. Cederian Morgan
True freshman Cederian Morgan has had an impressive spring practice, showing instant chemistry with Alabama's projected starting QB, Keelon Russell. Morgan had a strong performance during the A-Day scrimmage, making some impressive catches and earning a new nickname from Ryan Coleman-Williams and the rest of the team.
Morgan was a high 4-star recruit in the 2026 class and one of the top players from the state of Alabama. He's a bigger WR at 6-foot-4 and will give Kalen DeBoer a different look on offense next to Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks.
There was little pressure on Morgan to contribute right away with Rogers ahead on the depth chart, but he'll have to play a significant role now. He certainly appears to be ready for it.
2. Derek Meadows
The rising sophomore Derek Meadows appeared to be on his way to carving out a legitimate role mid-season as a freshman. Unfortunately, he suffered a scary concussion against Missouri and didn't see a ton of playing time at WR after that.
But Meadows has had a strong spring and looked like a real difference-maker during the A-Day scrimmage. He's my guess to fill in as the No. 3 WR during Rogers' absence, and he might not give the job back.
One of the more interesting offensive formations during A-Day was DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb putting Meadows (6-foot-5) and Morgan (6-foot-4) on the same side of the formation, which will really stress defenses, particularly with the amount of switch-releases Alabama's receivers run.
Meadows appeared to be on his way toward a breakout sophomore season anyway. With Rogers out, the opportunity for that has only increased.
1. Rico Scott
It's now or never for redshirt sophomore Rico Scott. He initially planned to enter the Transfer Portal this offseason before deciding to return for his third season in Tuscaloosa. He'll have his hands full holding off underclassmen in Meadows and Morgan to get on the field this fall, and with Alabama expected to land another highly-ranked WR in the 2027 recruiting class, this could be Scott's final shot at carving out a big role on offense.
Scott is another player who has had a good spring. He's shown his speed, elusiveness, and impressive ability after the catch. The issue for Scott is that he provides a lot of the same that Coleman-Williams and Brooks do, which is why I lean toward either Meadows or Brooks grabbing the starting spot on the depth chart.
But Scott will have a role this year, and he'll look to make the most of it.
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