Five-Star In-State Running Back Signs with Alabama Football

The Alabama Crimson Tide added its top option at running back in the 2026 recruiting class on Wednesday, and the Crimson Tide didn't even have to leave the state for him. Five-star, Jackson, Alabama, running back EJ Crowell has officially signed with Alabama Football.

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Crowell, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back, plays for Jackson High School in Jackson, Alabama, and will compete for a state championship this week, as Jackson is in the AHSAA Super Seven for the 4A State Championship game, which will be played on Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT. Crowell is rated as the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, the No. 2 running back, and the No. 1 player in Alabama.

During his final season of high school football (before the state championship game is played), Crowell has accumulated 2,372 yards and 31 touchdowns. He committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide on June 26, 2025. Crowell is also a track-and-field star, qualifying for the state championship in the 200-meter dash in 2024. During his sophomore campaign in 2024, Crowell rushed for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns, and as a freshman in 2023, he rushed for 1,737 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Crowell reclassified to the 2026 recruiting class from the 2027 recruiting class earlier in the year, but that didn't stop 247 Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins from comparing the young star to former first-round running back Josh Jacobs, who also played at Alabama.

"-A potential bellcow for a College Football Playoff contender with the size and skills to handle every-down work.
-Elected to forgo his senior year of high school, but enters college with no shortage of experience having run for over 5,000 yards at the prep level while averaging well north of 10 yards per carry.
-Moves with excellent bend, vision and burst for someone believed to be hovering around 215 pounds and has proven to be a rather effective pass-catcher out of the backfield and the slot.
-Displays great contact aggression as he propels himself through waves of tacklers and is almost always falling forward.
-Efficient on outside runs as he makes decisive cuts and has the speed to beat his fair share defenders to the perimeter.
-Creative in tight quarters as he finds ways to get out of trouble with his lateral agility and can quickly turn negative plays into positive gains and has put a few full-player hurdles on the highlight reel."

Want to keep up with all of Alabama's signees in the 2026 recruiting class? 

Check out our 2026 Early Signing Day tracker!

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.