Georgia football hasn’t found a lot of success recruiting the running back position in the 2026 class. Many of their top targets have committed elsewhere, and that includes five-star running back Ezavier Crowell.
Crowell committed to Alabama at the end of June, which came just a few weeks after his official visit to Georgia. Even though UGA was a finalist for Crowell, it was very apparent the Bulldogs wouldn’t win his recruitment after his official visit to Athens, so this loss didn’t sting that much.
Since committing to Alabama, Georgia fans have mostly forgotten that Crowell was even a target for UGA. But some breaking news has brought Crowell’s name back into the spotlight, and unfortunately it’s for all the wrong reasons.
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
Former 5-star Georgia recruit suspended for season opener
According to multiple reports, Crowell has been suspended for the first game of his high school season for violating amateur rules in the state of Alabama. In this case, sources indicate that Crowell received a gift that put his amateur status in jeopardy, which is a requirement to play high school sports in Alabama.
This gift has been returned, but Crowell will serve a one game suspension because of it.
It’s unclear what this gift was and when it was given to him. Based on the specific rule that was broken, it’s not a guarantee that it had anything to do with his recruitment and decision to commit to Alabama. There is a chance that it was related to his recruitment, but it could have come from a wide range of different sources unrelated to recruiting.
It would be a shame if this gift was related to his recruitment because that could have impacted Georgia’s chances to earn Crowell’s commitment. That however has not been confirmed to be the case and likely won’t as the specifics about his suspension more than likely will remain a secret.