Cederian Morgan has Earned a New Nickname at Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Wearing the jersey No. 8 as a wide receiver at Alabama has some pressure to it.

NFL and Alabama legend Julio Jones wore that number when he helped start the Nick Saban dynasty, and his large frame and big catch ability helped him become one of the all-time greats.

Alabama 6-foot-4 freshman wide receiver Cederian Morgan dons the 8. He had a couple of wild plays during Saturday's A-Day scrimmage in Tuscaloosa, including a touchdown near the corner of the end zone, and a 40-yard catch-and-run — the longest gain by Alabama all day.

"Man, that's my dog," Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams said of Morgan after the scrimmage. "Really just seeing him, he's stacking days early on. He's still learning and stuff because he's only been here 24 seconds."

Having a nickname is something that's earned and not given. Morgan has made tremendous strides this spring, and Coleman-Williams revealed the freshman's new nickname.

"Just to see him continue to stack days and stack days, we call him the Gulf of Mexico," Coleman-Williams said. "You throw it in there, he's going to catch it. He's got plenty of space. I'm just super proud of my guy, we've got two more practices and we're ready to continue to work.

"He's a dog. Day in and day out. Just the culture in the room, it brings a high intensity. We expect the best out of each other. But we're here to have fun. It's a child's game, and whenever you gave fun, that's when the plays like he had today, the plays like our entire room has, you don't see the ball on the ground."

Morgan played for Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama, about an hour northeast of Montgomery. At the time of his commitment, he was ranked as the No. 15 national prospect, No. 2 wide receiver and No. 1 from the state of Alabama, per On3.

He chose Alabama over a competitive group of top programs including Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Colorado and Clemson. Morgan was a top priority for head coach Kalen DeBoer and former wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard since the two arrived in Tuscaloosa. His relationship with the staff began when Alabama made its first recruiting rounds across the state last spring.

Shephard visited Benjamin Russell and met with Morgan early on after arriving in Tuscaloosa, laying the groundwork for what would become a strong connection. Alabama offered him following a visit in June 2024, when the staff made it clear he was the top in-state receiver target for the 2026 cycle.

He grew up an Alabama fan and idolized the aforementioned Julio Jones. That lifelong connection to the program made the offer feel especially personal. But can Cederian Morgan truly emulate Jones in the fall?

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.