The injury to superstar wide receiver Ryan WIlliams opened the door for freshman Lotzeir Brooks.

Perhaps it’s not a name you’ve heard if you follow recruiting closely. The true freshman from Millville, New Jersey was only a three-star recruit when Alabama made an offer to him.

The resume wasn’t that impressive in the recruiting ranks. New Jersey typically isn’t a breeding ground of elite football players, and Brooks was only ranked the fifth best player in his state.

However, don’t mistake that for being a slight to him.

In 2023 as a junior, Brooks caught 61 passes as a wide receiver for nearly 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns. Not only that, he played defense as well, and nabbed six interceptions.

As Alabama was finalizing their freshman class for the 2025 season, a lot of the attention was rightfully pointed towards the five-star recruits such as Dijon Lee, Keelon Russell and Michael Carroll.

Yet the message remained clear about Brooks.

He’s a hidden gem that head coach Kalen DeBoer decided to showcase during the Crimson Tide’s 73-0 win over UL Monroe on Saturday.

He was targeted five times and brought in four catches for 58 yards. Just a little peak behind the curtain to see what’s on hand for the future of this program.

Alabama’s staff loved what they saw out of him, and it seemed like all the offseason hype was coming into fruition.

“With Lotzeir, I loved what I saw,” DeBoer said. “I really like the third down catch in their territory, going up and getting it. I think that’s something he does really well. I’ve seen that quite a bit in practice. He plays bigger than he is and got good catch radius. Guys have a lot of confidence going to him.

Over the offseason, Alex Scarborough of 247Sports did a piece on him and wasn’t expecting the overwhelming praise about him.

“Hearing coaches and players rave about Lotzeir Brooks in spring practice was not something I was expecting — at least not to the extent that took place in March and April,” he wrote. “I'd been told that the freshman from Millville, New Jersey, was someone to watch out for, but he seemed like more of a long-term play for Alabama, a project to be shaped and molded by the coaching staff over time.”

But then, once DeBoer spoke about him in spring camp, Scarborough had no choice but to look out for #17.

"Sometimes it's hard to find guys," DeBoer said. "It's not hard to find him."

Weeks after those comments, safety Bray Hubbard hopped onto “Hey Coach,” DeBoer’s local radio show, and he couldn’t stop raving about the freshman.

"I'm sure everybody's heard about Lotzeir Brooks,” he said. “That dude, he's a shifty guy. I mean, that's a hard guy to tackle."

There’s something to be said about a player who had to work for everything he’s had and to an extent, it’s the perfect example of the Bama Standard.

For Brooks, he brings a dynamic skillset. He’s a speedy wide receiver who possesses excellent body control, and can go up and grab the 50/50 ball. Many have compared him to Jaylen Waddle, but even with the talent, it’s unfair to make that kind of comparison until he’s a full time starter.

He’s smaller in size but stout in stature, and as a freshman, there’s only room to grow – especially since he’s already receiving snaps.

If you keep on digging, you’ll manage to find a diamond, and even though Brooks isn’t a solidified star just yet, he won’t be a secret for long.