Alabama football 2026 in-state wide receiver offer feels he can be a 'game changer.' Here's why

Alabama football 2026 in-state wide receiver offer feels he can be a ‘game changer.’ Here’s why

Posted by author February 11, 2025 Football

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Corey Barber grew up an Alabama football fan because of its wide receivers.

Watching Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, Barber remembers receivers who could turn a small play into a big play, receivers who could dominate “big boy ball” in the SEC. Barber saw a group of receivers to emulate.

“They’re just game changers, for sure,” Barber told the Tuscaloosa News. “They can change the game by themselves.”

Barber, a 2026 receiver out of Spain Park High School in Birmingham, achieved a dream, earning a scholarship offer from Alabama to potentially join the list of receivers like Cooper, Jeudy, Waddle and Smith.

“I was shocked,” Barber said, getting the call from Alabama wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard and defensive line coach Freddie Roach Tuesday. “I was lost for words just knowing I grew up an Alabama fan. So it was really a dream come true.”

But Barber views himself in the same way as the Crimson Tide receivers he grew up watching.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver said he has the capability to turn a short play into a home run, one who can high point the ball with ease and be a game changer for whatever offense he eventually joins.

Barber said he’s developed a relationship with Alabama the past year, getting to know Shephard, Roach and head coach Kalen DeBoer.

All Barber needed was film to back him up. The incoming senior had 73 catches for more than 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving the Crimson Tide enough to extend an offer.

“They just felt it was the right time, and they felt I really fit into their program,” Barber said.

Barber’s connections with Alabama don’t stop with the coaching staff. He calls defensive back-turned-wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe his best friend, someone he feels will slide right into the Crimson Tide offense with his “unfair” speed.

“That speed he has is different,” Barber said. “He’s a great route runner. I really feel like he could be some real help in that receiver room, you know, just being a deep threat and a guy that can change the game.”

That’s the kind of receiver Barber feels he can be. Right now, it’s a matter of deciding where.

Barber listed Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami, Auburn and West Virginia as his current top schools. He has not decided on official visits yer, but said Alabama is “definitely” getting one.

Barber grew up an Alabama fan. But he said he still has questions, saying he wants to visit as soon as possible to see what the culture is like up close and how Shephard coaches the wide receiver room.

Barber knows what he can bring to a wide receiver room: work ethic, someone who’s a good teammate and does the right things, someone who loves to win and plays with integrity.

It’s what Barber watched Cooper, Jeudy, Waddle and Smith do.

“You’re going to get a receiver who can be a game changer, change the game and who’s going to come in and be a dog for sure,” Barber said.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.