EJ Crowell arrived at Alabama with the kind of buzz that usually follows only the most prized freshmen, and the early returns in fall camp are giving the Crimson Tide a first look at why. The former five-star in-state running back from Jackson High School was expected to bring some juice to a ground game that ranked among the worst in the FBS, and after an injury setback earlier this year, he finally got on the field Wednesday for the opening day of camp.
Kalen DeBoer said Crowell had dealt with a “soft tissue deal” in late March, and the freshman was still on a scooter and wearing a boot during A-Day. Even so, DeBoer said at the time that Crowell should be in good shape by June, and Alabama’s staff now has him back in the mix.
“He did some nice things," DeBoer said on Wednesday. "It’s good to see him out there, flying around.
A couple times, you see what you saw from his high school highlight film. Excited to see him.
We’re not in pads right now, so a lot of that is yet to be seen. But just execution, he’s got to catch the ball well.
"I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders from what we’ve seen so far and being able to be consistent that way, learn the offense. When he gets in there in rotation with the running backs, like he was today, he did his job.”
That’s been the consistent theme around Crowell since spring. At SEC Media Days in Tampa, DeBoer said Crowell has "a lot of the tools that you feel lead to being a great running back" and that he's "going to be a piece of the puzzle" in the Crimson Tide's running back room.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who handles play-calling on game day, echoed that assessment after Alabama’s second practice of fall camp on Thursday. His first impression leaned heavily on Crowell’s burst, power, and upside.
"EJ is young, super explosive, runs out of his toes and has good balance," Grubb said on Thursday after Alabama's second practice of fall camp. "He's thick with the ball, he runs physical, he runs bigger than he is, he's got speed on the long end.
"He's just got to learn the game. He's got to learn how to practice full speed all the time.
He's a great kid, he wants to do it, he loves being here, he's an Alabama guy. But he's physical, he's tough, he's got great hands, the sky's the limit for him.
But he's got to learn the game, he's got to know how to practice and he's got a good shot."
Daniel Hill, who is expected to be the starter after splitting snaps with Jam Miller last year, also noted how much better Crowell has looked after working through the setback. Hill said the freshman was frustrated while banged up, but credited him for pushing through it and putting together a strong summer.
"EJ's been a good guy," Hill said on Thursday. "Coming in, highly touted, he was dinged up a little bit and you could see it frustrated him. But he got through that, he had a great summer and he had a great two days of practice."
For all the hype, the learning curve is still there. Crowell reclassified, so he is technically supposed to be entering his senior year of high school, and Alabama is still teaching him the finer points of the college game.
The talent is obvious. The next step is making it all click.
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