Alabama’s passing game has plenty riding on Ryan Coleman-Williams, but Zabien Brown thinks the Crimson Tide’s receiver room is deeper than the headline name.
Coleman-Williams enters 2026 trying to get back to the level he showed as a true freshman in 2024, when he quickly became one of the most explosive young playmakers in college football. After a sophomore slump in 2025, he’s back in the center of the conversation as Alabama looks for its top target to reassert himself as the alpha dog of the group.
Still, Brown believes the next wave at receiver is ready to help carry the load.
"I think Lotzeir's (Brooks) going to have an amazing season," Brown said at SEC Media Days while speaking with WJOX945 radio on the Mac & Cube Show. "I think Cederian (Morgan) will emerge as a young player for us.
Derek Meadows, I think, has an extremely high ceiling. From there, we've got all we need.
I think we're going to be able to do great things this year."
That endorsement matters because Brown sees these guys up close every day. As Alabama’s CB1, he’s spent the offseason lining up against the same receivers he’s now backing to make real noise on offense. Brooks, Morgan and Meadows are all still labeled young, but each has shown enough this spring to suggest there’s more coming.
The Crimson Tide’s path is pretty clear: Coleman-Williams has to return to his elite form, and the players around him have to keep climbing. That includes the growth of Brooks, Morgan and Meadows, plus the steadiness and veteran presence of Rico Scott and Noah Rogers.
If that mix comes together, Alabama’s passing attack has a chance to become a lot more dangerous than just a one-man show.
In Other News...
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Just Took A Telling Turn Before The Season
Ryan Coleman-Williams used his time at the 2026 SEC Media Days to offer a clear view of Alabamas quarterback room, and it was the kind of update that usually says as much about the competition as it does about the players. He came away sounding confident in both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, pointing to Macks command of the offense and Russells ability to absorb the system quickly while still flashing playmaking traits.
For Alabama, the encouraging part is that the conversation around the position has shifted from uncertainty to trust in two different skill sets. Coleman-Williams said he is behind whichever quarterback the coaches pick for the season, which fits the bigger picture in Tuscaloosa right now: the staff has options, the locker room appears aligned, and the final call still carries real weight for how the offense takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Star Ryan Coleman-Williams Makes Jersey Change About Legacy
A small jersey tweak can carry a lot of meaning in Tuscaloosa, and Ryan Coleman-Williams made his own adjustment with that in mind. The Alabama wide receiver changed the name on the back of his jersey from Williams to Coleman-Williams, a move meant to reflect his full birth name and bring his family legacy more clearly into view. He also switched from No. 2 to No. 1, the number he wore in high school, adding another personal touch to a change rooted in identity as much as football.
The timing fits with a broader conversation inside the program about what players want to leave behind, after a team meeting with Nick Saban centered on legacy. For Coleman-Williams, the decision was tied to family history and the weight of carrying the Coleman name forward, a detail that gives the uniform change a little more resonance than the usual offseason number swap. It is the kind of move that says something about where a player feels he comes from, even before he makes his next catch. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Just Zeroed In On Alabamas Biggest Offensive Problem
Alabamas offseason conversation has centered on the same place it so often does when the Crimson Tide want to get back to their standard: the line of scrimmage. At SEC Media Days, Kalen DeBoer made it clear the staff is putting a premium on getting the rushing offense moving again in 2026, a priority that carries extra weight after a 2025 season in which Alabamas ground game never really found traction.
The numbers told the story, with the Tide averaging just 3.25 yards per rush and landing near the bottom of both the SEC and the national rushing charts. Alabama is hoping the answer comes from two directions at once, with current backs taking another step forward and incoming offensive line help giving the run game a better foundation, but the real test will be whether those pieces turn emphasis into production. [Read more 🡒]