Losing the SEC championship to Georgia adds immense pressure on Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer. Though the Crimson Tide made it into the Playoff, fans are still unable to digest that they’re a three-loss team. While DeBoer is dealing with pressure on all sides, a voice from Alabama’s future has emerged with a bold vision for what comes next. Georgia beat Alabama 28–7 in the SEC Championship on Dec. 6, dropping the Tide to 10–3, but they still landed in the CFP field and drew a first-round rematch at Oklahoma.

Alabama has seen this formula before, where elite recruiting classes were expected to stabilize pressure-filled transitions, most notably during Nick Saban’s early years, when blue-chip talent laid the foundation before championships followed.

After Alabama’s 40–10 win over Mississippi in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic, Morgan told Larry Rudolph that he and 5-star RB Ezavier Crowell are planning to make a lot of plays and bring the championship back to Alabama.

“Me & EJ [Crowell], we’re like brothers, that’s, he’s my roommate when I get to Alabama, so me and him plan on changing the program, scoring a lot together, and bringing a championship back to Alabama,” said Morgan on playing with Ezavier for the first time. “He’s one of the most down-to-earth. We’ve never been in class. He’s chilling, he’s getting paid to do the things he does. It’s amazing.” Rudolph also noted Morgan plans to enroll Jan. 5 and room with Crowell, which is why Bama fans immediately latched onto the ‘future duo’ angle.

Both Morgan and Crowell are the five-star signees of Alabama’s 2026 class. Morgan is the No. 40 overall prospect and No. 5 WR nationally. Graduating from Benjamin Russell High School, he recorded 112 receptions for 1957 yards and 19 touchdowns in the last three years.

On the other hand, Ezavier Crowell is ranked No. 29 on 247Sports’ Top247 and listed as the site’s No. 2 RB. At Jackson High School, Crowell capped his season with more than 2,638 rushing yards and 35 TDs on 209 carries, per the AHSAA’s state-title coverage.

“In the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic on Saturday, Morgan hauled in a 17-yard touchdown from Spain Park QB Brock Bradley to help Alabama build separation before halftime. Crowell finished with 10 carries for 61 yards and a 20-yard rushing TD, and he also had a 49-yard TD run wiped out by a holding penalty.

The win was Alabama’s sixth straight in the series and pushed the all-time edge to 28–11 over Mississippi. 

Kalen DeBoer receives career ultimatum

After a major setback in the SEC championship game and going 10-3, most believe that DeBoer is in the hot seat. As Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama prepares for the College Football Playoff first-round game against the Oklahoma Sooners, former Alabama RB Damian Harris reminded the HC, sending a clear warning, that he’s in a ‘win-or-leave’ situation.

Harris doesn’t feel DeBoer is meeting the “Bama Standard” through his first two seasons on the job, with a 19-7 record. “I think [Kalen DeBoer’s] job is on the line with this game. This isn’t the standard of excellence that is used to being had in Tuscaloosa,” Harris said to CBS Sports.

It is important to note that Oklahoma was one of the reasons for Bama’s 10-3 run. In their previous meeting in November, the Sooners defeated the Crimson Tide by 23-21, with a field goal in the final quarter, and restricted Bama’s offense from reaching the end zone. It was one of the worst defeats for Bama, as it ended their long-standing undefeated streak at the Bryant-Denny Stadium.