Bama’s fireworks didn’t stop on July 4. Over the last few weeks, Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide has strung together one of the most dominant recruiting runs in the country, landing high-profile talents with the kind of momentum that turns heads from coast to coast. In total, Bama sits with 19 commits in its 2026 class. 14 of which came in June and early July alone. Still adjusting to life after Nick Saban, the summer surge has quietened doubts about DeBoer’s recruiting chops and confirmed what most expected: Bama still eats. But as GM Courtney Morgan will tell you, it’s no time to pop champagne just yet. A summer run is impressive, but National Signing Day in December is still a long way.

“It’s really a culmination of a year of hard work,” Morgan said of the surge. “To us, it’s really not over until it’s over. It’s good momentum but we also know we have to keep them until December.” The Crimson Tide’s current class—ranked No. 5 nationally—features four five-stars in RB Ezavier Crowell, WR Cederian Morgan, LB Xavier Griffin, and safety Jireh Edwards. As Morgan explained, high-profile players often wait until late June or early July to commit after finishing up their official visits.

“Part of our process, kids can commit whenever they want to commit, but when you’re going after the high-profile kids, they want to take their visits and then they get their commitment date and they’re all around the same time at the end of June or early July,” Morgan added. Now comes the hard part—keeping them. Courtney Morgan is no stranger to this stage. He followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington and arrived in Tuscaloosa as the highest-paid front office employee in CFB, inking a three-year, $825,000 deal in 2024.

The hire wasn’t just a statement—it was a structural move for a program looking to evolve in the NIL era. “Our goal is to get them on campus as many times as we can throughout the year, at least three or four times, and then once they come on the OV hopefully it’s their fourth or fifth time and knock it out of the park,” Morgan said. In a market where top programs routinely circle back on committed players, proximity and repetition are Alabama’s armor.

It’s smart because in 2024 and beyond, a verbal pledge doesn’t hold what it used to. With collectives operating in full swing, players get offers even after announcing a commitment—big offers. Which makes Bama’s positioning even more critical. According to estimates, Alabama’s NIL spending is projected to hit $15.9 million in 2025, placing seventh nationally and fifth in the SEC. And the Tide aren’t throwing that money around recklessly. Their current class averages an NIL valuation of $183,000 per recruit—competitive, but still reflective of structure and planning.

And it’s no coincidence. DeBoer and Courtney Morgan are engineering this class around both talent and fit. More importantly, these players have been prioritized, visited multiple times, and sold on development—not just dollar signs. Expectations are through the roof once again. “We’re coming for the natty,” Ezavier Crowell said.

Courtney Morgan’s 2026 recruits talk that Natty talk

In Tuscaloosa, the national title buzz is no longer just wishful thinking—it’s starting to sound like prophecy. With Alabama’s 2026 class climbing into the top five nationally after a run of jaw-dropping commitments, there’s a collective edge in the air. The Crimson Tide’s recruiting haul is full of players ready to compete from day one. And the recruits themselves are already setting the tone.

“It was just the culture that set it off,” said five-star safety Jireh Edwards. “Knowing that you’re playing for something bigger than football. You’re playing for the whole state of Alabama and I don’t want to fail them so I’m going to have to get them that natty. This is going to be the best class ever.” That’s not lip service—that’s the kind of mindset that sets championship seasons in motion.

Four-star DL Nolan Wilson jumped on board on July 4. Four-star CB Zyan Gibson stuck with his Alabama commitment despite strong pushback from Tennessee and Ole Miss. Standout receiver Cederian Morgan on why he chose Alabama over AU, UF, CU, UGA, and Clemson, because he wanted to become a first-rounder, and no team develops receivers like the Tide. “Alabama was the play for me,” he said. “This class is coming with energy and we all are ready to produce as freshmen and bring Alabama back to the national championship.” They’re not just talking—they’re recruiting each other. They’re dreaming out loud.