Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the nation’s consensus No. 1 wide receiver has verbally committed to the Crimson Tide, sending shockwaves through the college football world.
Wait—hold up. Let’s pump the brakes on that headline for a second.
As of December 19, 2025, that “breaking news” isn’t quite breaking anymore. The player many outlets hyped as a potential “No. 1 WR” landing in Tuscaloosa was Cederian Morgan, a five-star phenom from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama. Back in July 2025, when Morgan announced his commitment to Alabama, the excitement was electric. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with a massive catch radius, elite body control, and high school production that included over 100 catches for nearly 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons, Morgan was ranked as high as the No. 2 wide receiver nationally on some boards—and the undisputed top player in the state.
The commitment felt like a statement win for DeBoer in his second cycle, beating out heavyweights like Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, and Clemson for the in-state star. It capped a scorching June-July run that vaulted Alabama’s 2026 class into the top 10.
Fast-forward to the early signing period (December 3-5, 2025), and Morgan made it official: He signed his National Letter of Intent with the Crimson Tide, sticking firm despite the departure of wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard. That loyalty paid off as Alabama locked in one of the cycle’s premier pass-catchers.
But here’s the reality check on the “No. 1” label: The true consensus top wide receiver in the 2026 class is Chris Henry Jr. out of Mater Dei (CA)—a five-star freak athlete who ultimately signed with Ohio State after a dramatic signing-day saga involving coaching changes and late pushes from programs like Oregon.
Alabama’s 2026 WR haul still looks strong on paper (or what’s left of it):
• Cederian Morgan: Signed – The big-bodied red-zone nightmare and in-state lockdown.
• Losses: Owen Cabell flipped to Vanderbilt; Brian Williams Jr. flipped to Auburn.
The class took some hits at the position, but Morgan’s signature remains a bright spot in an otherwise solid (if not elite) 2026 group for the Tide.
Leave a Reply