Kalen DeBoer landed the top 2026 recruit in Alabama football’s home state on Wednesday. Benjamin Russell wide receiver Cederian Morgan announced he’ll be joining the Crimson Tide as part of the 2025 recruiting class.

Morgan, who announced the news in Alexander City on Wednesday, chose Alabama over a list of finalists that also included Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Clemson and Colorado. He’s the third five-star to join the Tide’s 2026 group, according to the 247Sports composite ratings.

The 247 composite ranks Morgan as the No. 2 receiver in the 2026 class. It also has him as the No. 12 overall player in the group.

Speaking with AL.com earlier this summer, new Benjamin Russell coach Kirk Johnson praised Morgan’s attitude.

“He’s a great, great kid first of all,” Johnson said. “He’s a team first guy. He was one of the first guys I met when I got here. He wants to do something special with this team and for this city, and I highly respect that. A guy with his talent could easily be like, ‘I want the ball. Who is going to get me the ball?’ That’s not Cederian at all.”

Morgan made 70 catches for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He joined one of the state’s other top recruits, Jackson running back EJ Crowell, in joining Alabama’s class in recent days.

“Evaluation echoes that of a luxury sports car: big, smooth, and powerful,” 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote in his assessment of Morgan. “Plays with obvious horsepower, accompanied by some encouraging physical refinement and nuance in regards to fluidity and locomotion. Dominant in contested scenarios as a consistent high pointer who exploits significant physical advantages vs. smaller defenders. Owns an enormous catch radius that gives a QB a large target throughout the route tree. Immensely productive with huge receiving numbers and even some limited defensive reps”

The Crimson Tide has now locked down three 2026 wide receiver commits over the past three days. Tennessee three-star Owen Cabell joined the class on Monday, while Brian Williams Jr., a three-star from Florida, announced his pledge on Tuesday.

Alabama’s staff began finding major momentum for the 2026 class toward the end of June. The group vaulted into the top 10 nationwide, and with Morgan as the 17th commitment, still has room to further climb in the ranks.