Jumbo Package: Alabama lands top 100 WR prospect
· Yahoo Sports
Happy Monday, everyone. There were many hallelujahs over the weekend after Alabama landed a top 100 prospect in WR Osani Gayles.
After landing multiple receivers in Kalen DeBoer’s first two recruiting classes at Alabama, Gayles is the first one to join Alabama in 2027. But Gayles is the quality of receiver the Crimson Tide expects to land on a yearly basis.
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After adding four-star Cederian Morgan in 2026, a top-50 wide receiver from Alexander City, Gayles continues that same trajectory as a different type of receiver. While a smaller frame at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, he is speedy, reporting a 4.43-second 40-yard dash.
A California native that transferred to IMG Academy, Gayles had 20 catches for 492 yards and five touchdowns, per 247Sports, adding 70 rushing yards and a score on five carries.
DeBoer has mostly shown an affinity for big pass catchers, but every squad needs a gamebreaker or two and Gayles has that potential.
EJ Crowell may well be one of those guys too. He is the latest of the “50 players.”
The five-star running back and Mr. Football winner reclassified to the 2026 class and joined the Crimson Tide this past spring. Despite being a freshman, he might be Alabama’s best hope of reviving its run game.
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen in high school,” Philip Rivers (yes that Philip Rivers) told AL.com before coaching against him in November. “I am looking through a different lens obviously. I think back to when I was 17 and what it would be like to try to tackle Cadillac Williams. I think I would rather try to tackle Cadillac than this guy.”
In what should have been his junior year, Crowell ran 209 times for 2,632 yards, an average of 12.6 yards per carry, en route to being named the 2025 Mr. Football for the state in his final year of high school football.
That’s not SEC football, but Crowell is known for his physicality. That’s needed in the tough conference, which is why his former coaches aren’t worried about Crowell being ready this season.
“It’s just like taking a Ray Lewis and putting him at running back,” Martin said.
Based on at least one metric, Alabama has perhaps the best coordinator situation in the country.
“Ratings are built from play-by-play defensive unit performance on a per-play basis and adjusted for talent,” Matrix Analytical wrote. “Teams with average or below-average talent facing more talented opponents receive more credit for strong results than teams with superior talent producing the same results. Only play-callers with at least four graded years are included in this ranking.”
With Wommack’s inclusion in the top five, Alabama becomes the only SEC school with a top-five offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was ranked the No. 2 offensive play-caller in the SEC as well.
I’m sure that everyone reading this is in agreement on that.
Right?
Joe Gaither covered the LSU matchup in his latest installment.
Will Leavitt be able to withstand a season’s worth of punishment in the SEC?
The Tigers bring back a dynamic running back room in 2026 as Harlem Berry and Caden Durham return as one of the country’s best duos. LSU’s pass catchers begins with tight end Trey’Dez Green, as the athletic freak gives quarterbacks a big target. Kiffin went nuts in the receiver room, bringing in transfer Winston Watkins from Ole Miss, Jackson Harris from Hawaii, Jayce Brown from Kansas State, Eugene Wilson III from Florida, Malik Elzy from Illinois, Tre’ Brown from Old Dominion and more, giving Leavitt a myriad of weapons to get familiar with.
LSU brought in Jordan Seaton from Colorado to play left tackle, and Aliou Bah from Maryland to play guard as the offensive line looks to take a step forward and get the offense moving.
After an offseason of blowing money like a Euro soccer fan at Bucee’s, Lane will be dealing with national championship expectations for the first time since his USC days. That didn’t work out so well for him, and he had a far greater talent advantage then than he will enjoy in the SEC. We’ll see how he handles that kind of pressure nowadays.
Brad Crawford sees some disappointed SEC teams when the final CFP field is announced.
Expect a handful of top-20 teams from the SEC to politick when the selection committee meets for the final time during conference championship weekend. If our early bowl and playoff projections come to fruition, there are as many as six in the nine or 10-win realm vying for what we’re expecting to be a couple of at-large spots behind the league’s champion. Vanderbilt (10-2) and Texas (9-3) drew the short straw last season. Alabama became the first three-loss, non-conference champion to appear in the playoff. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey may have to change his mind on CFP expansion if the SEC fails to lead the country in playoff participants.
Last, Sarah Ashlee Barker had herself a day in the WNBA.
Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 25 points in the Portland Fire’s 124-123 4OT loss to the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena in DC. Barker led the team in scoring and made 10 of her 16 shots from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. She also notched six rebounds and had three assists.
Her previous career high was 18 points, set on May 18 against the Connecticut Sun.
Barker is in her second WNBA season. She was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 9 overall pick at the 2025 WNBA draft. Left unprotected by the Sparks, Portland selected Barker in the 2026 WNBA Exhibition Draft on April 3. The Fire and the Toronto Tempo are first-year expansion teams.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.