Congrats to Alabama football. The Crimson Tide have figured out a way to cheat somehow in the NIL era of college football.
Per WKRG's Simone Eli, Alabama running back commit EJ Crowell has been suspended from his high school's opener on Friday due to a violation.
What sort of violation could get a player in trouble? Well, the 5-star running back at Jackson HS accepted a gift from the Crimson Tide that was eventually returned. The school self-reported the violation.
The 5-star running back decided to reclassify from the 2027 recruiting class to 2026 after rushing for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
You have to give credit to Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide. In a world where players are getting paid millions, they outdid themselves and got one of their star recruits suspended for his final high school season-opening game.
BREAKING: Alabama RB commit, Jackson 5-star EJ Crowell suspended for Friday's opener vs. Saraland due to amateurism violation
— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) August 21, 2025
Sources say the Tide's 5-star commit accepted a gift that has since been returned. Crowell’s suspension stems from a self-reported violation by Jackson… pic.twitter.com/fmL3AbL6g7