Rome Odunze is, more than anybody else, the greatest illustration of a receiver’s success under coach Kalen DeBoeras.
During his two seasons at Washington, Odzune caught 167 receptions for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns while working with DeBoer and receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard. Consequently, Odunze was chosen by the Chicago Bears with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Notable: Odunze weighs 214 pounds and is 6 feet 3 inches tall.
For DeBoer, having a receiver like that worked fairly well. Therefore, it is not surprising that Alabama is also pursuing other tall receivers.
The most recent is Cederian Morgan, who according to the 247Sports Composite is the top recruit in the state and the 12th best recruit overall in the 2026 class. On Wednesday, the five-star Alexander City recruit made his Crimson Tide commitment.
Morgan weighs 210 pounds and is 6 feet 4 inches tall. He is the third receiver in this class to pledge to Alabama, and all of them are at least six feet three inches tall.
Morgan follows in the footsteps of tall receivers who join DeBoer at Alabama or commit to him through high school or the portal. The average height of a receiver in the last two recruiting classes—both of which were entirely DeBoer classes—has been just less than six feet three. The average rises to just about 6-foot-4 when the 5-foot-9 outlier Lotzeir Brooks is removed.
Compared to the previous five years, when Saban and company recruited receivers through high schools and the transfer portal, that is a discernible increase. A Saban receiver recruit’s average height is little over six feet.
Despite the fact that DeBoer had to re-hire Ryan Williams and that class, that also covers the class of 2024.
Since 2021, Saban had not acquired a receiver who was six feet three inches or taller. Agiye Hall and Ja Corey Brooks were both listed at that height.
This season, Miami transfer Isaiah Horton and freshman Derek Meadows will be Alabama’s two 6-foot-4 or taller receivers. There will be more for the 2026 season after that.
Tall doesn’t always equate to good or even outstanding, but in DeBoer’s scheme, Odunze was a shining example of what that kind of player might accomplish. Therefore, it makes sense that Alabama would try to sign more Odunze-like athletes.
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Nick Kelly writes about Alabama news for the Alabama Media Group and AL.com.Keep up with him on Instagram and Xand.
