For Alabama football, recruiting has become less of a one-man show and more of a coordinated operation, and Kalen DeBoer is making it clear Courtney Morgan sits right in the middle of it.
DeBoer said Monday that Alabama’s first general manager has handled the job with a broad view of the program, something the head coach values as the Crimson Tide keep tightening the way they build their roster.
"I think Courtney just does a great job of seeing the big picture," DeBoer said Monday during his weekly media availability.
Morgan was DeBoer’s first hire after he took over in January 2024, and the two already had history together. They spent two seasons side by side at Washington, where they reached a national championship, after working together for one year at Fresno State in 2020.
At Alabama, Morgan has helped set up a routine that keeps recruiting moving in sync. He organizes weekly meetings between his staff and DeBoer’s assistants so everyone stays aligned, then the full staff comes together at the end of the week to go over updates.
"We do it as a full staff," DeBoer said. "That's the way we want our recruiting to be.
That's the way our team is. It's all in together."
That approach has already produced results. DeBoer, Morgan, director of recruiting Jatavis Sanders and others helped bring in the No. 2 recruiting class in their first season, with assistance from former head coach Nick Saban. In their first full year together, Alabama finished with the No. 4 overall class, a group that included quarterback Keelon Russell, offensive lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee Jr.
The focus has shifted recently, though. Alabama has put more emphasis on keeping its roster intact, and high school recruiting has taken a back seat for now. That shows up in the 2027 rankings, where the Crimson Tide sit 37th, their lowest mark since 2003.
Athletic director Greg Byrne told Front Office Sports that change is coming.
"The year after, we're planning on going heavier from a high school recruiting standpoint," Byrne said. "You have to be flexible."
Even with the 2027 class still more than two months away from early signing day, Alabama already has a workable start for 2028. The current group includes four-star quarterback Kingston Preyear, four-star edge Tysir Young, four-star offensive lineman Anthony Blalock Jr., three-star cornerback Braylen Gibbs, three-star quarterback Charles Scott Jr. and three-star linebacker Dustin Henry.
DeBoer pointed to the evaluation process behind that early foundation.
"I think there's great evaluation," DeBoer said. "I think there's an understanding of what our team is and what we need from year-to-year, whether that's the high school level (or) a couple transfers."
That transfer piece mattered a lot last offseason, when Alabama added 20 players from the portal, including wide receiver Noah Rogers, linebacker Caleb Woodson and tight end Josh Ford. DeBoer said he likes what those players have done on the field, but he is just as pleased with how they have fit away from it.
He credited Morgan and the scouting department for digging beyond the highlight reel and learning who these players are as people before bringing them in.
"We've brought in some guys that I think really have adapted well," DeBoer said. "We anticipated that because of our research and understanding of these guys and their character. There's a lot of phone calls that are made to people to find out because everybody can turn on the film and see what pops off the screen and why everyone around the country wants certain prospects."
For Alabama, that’s the blueprint: shared work, constant communication and a recruiting operation that DeBoer says is all built to function as one unit.
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