Ezavier Crowell has a stat sheet like no other.
In 13 games with Jackson High School preparing for a 4A state championship battle with Anniston, the Alabama football 2026 signee has 2,324 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns on 184 carries, according to MaxPreps. He averages over 12 yards per touch.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCrowell has had one game under 100 yards rushing in 2025. He had 71 yards on 10 carries against W.S. Neal on Nov. 21. Four of those carries ended in touchdowns. Crowell had an 11-game streak between his junior and senior seasons where he had at least 100 yards rushing and at least one score.
Kalen DeBoer knows Crowell's numbers. But the Alabama football coach wanted to make a distinction.
Crowell makes plays.
"He can break tackles in small areas," DeBoer said. "He can run you over, he's got the ability to make you miss and then he ends up in the end zone. So he's got that finishing speed, too. And so, as a big kid, I'm just really excited how he's going to come in."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCrowell is an in-state centerpiece of Alabama's 2026 recruiting class, committing to the Crimson Tide on June 26 and standing firm as a five-star future of the Alabama run game while his fellow 2026 running back Javari Barnett flipped his commitment and signed with Illinois.
Crowell wasn't supposed to be in this recruiting class. He reclassified to 2026 before his senior season at Jackson. And once that decision was made, DeBoer said "it was immediate for us the direction that we wanted to go."
And DeBoer is not one to tamper expectations regarding Crowell. DeBoer has seen the numbers. He's seen the production. He expects those to translate quickly.
"It's really kind of amazing when you think that he should have another year, and then we're even thinking of him being a guy that can kind of help us, just like a lot of these guys, as freshmen just like the 2025 class is helping us right now," DeBoer said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementColin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer expects Ezavier Crowell to 'help' Alabama in 2026
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