Alabama OC Ryan Grubb Sends Strong Message to Two Young Wide Receivers

Outside of Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, the opportunity for meaningful wide receiver snaps in Tuscaloosa was up for grabs.

With the Crimson Tide’s 2025 leading receiver Germie Bernard off to the NFL, it was clear that someone else had to step up.

Five games into the season, Alabama seems to have found its third wide receiver in Rico Scott.

Between Scott, Derek Meadows, and true freshman Cederian Morgan, the competition in Fall Camp was heating up.

Meadows had the length and athleticism. Morgan had the recruiting pedigree and talent. Scott had the experience.

Ultimately, it was Scott who took the job from the young receivers, and barring injury, it doesn’t seem like he’s giving it up. Through these five games, Scott has hauled in 16 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

But don’t think this spells the end of the road for both Meadows and Morgan. Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb wanted them both to know that it’s only going to get better, using Bernard as an example.

"We do develop players, and develop receivers that end up being great players,” Grubb said on Monday. “Germie Bernard took 3 years to grow into the guy he was."

Bernard came to Alabama alongside head coach Kalen DeBoer in 2024 after spending two seasons at Washington.

Bernard was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he found himself behind Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan at Washington. All three, helped the Huskies reach the national championship game before being selected in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Both Meadows and Morgan have limited reps this season for Alabama, with the former generating some serious buzz after Week 1.

Meadows hauled in three receptions for 44 yards against East Carolina, and people (including me) wondered if this would be the season we saw more of him.

Instead, he hasn’t caught a single pass since then.

Morgan is a different story. The five-star true freshman from Alexander City has drawn comparisons to legendary Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, who also wore No. 8, because of his size and ability to make catches all over the field.

However, for most of the season, Morgan has watched the games from the sidelines, with the exception of his lone catch of the season being his first collegiate touchdown.

The season is far from over, so there will be opportunities for both Meadows and Morgan to earn more playing time. 

For now, though, Scott has established himself as Alabama’s No. 3 receiver – and if Grubb’s example of Bernard is any indication, the young receivers have plenty of time to develop.