Alabama
2024 Alabama Fall Football Preview: Finding a “Wolf” to get after the QB
New Alabama DC Kane Wommack is a big believer in getting after the quarterback, as he mentioned just a couple of weeks back.
“There were like 751 takeaways in the NFL last season, and out of those the vast majority of them come from the pressure on the quarterback,” Wommack told reporters on Thursday. “Whether they hit the quarterback, got hands on the quarterback or they were able to put him in an uncomfortable position to where he forced to throw.”
He is spot on in that assessment, but Alabama enters the spring without a returning difference maker on the edge, called the “Wolf” in Wommack’s scheme but roughly equal to what we have long known as a “Jack”, for the first time since 2020 when phenom Will Anderson Jr. burst onto the scene as a true freshman. As with every position on the roster, there are several talented dudes to compete, but if Alabama is to compete for a national title this season at least one of them will have to emerge as a real threat.
The Departed
Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell were an elite pair on the edge for Nick Saban’s last squad. Both are off to the NFL, Turner to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round and Braswell to Tampa Bay in the second. The duo leave behind 18 sacks and 25 tackles for loss to replace. Former five star sophomore Keon Keeley did not depart the program, but he has added weight and moved full time to the “Bandit” position on the defensive line. Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell were the top two edge prospects in the 2022 class, but both have moved to inside linebacker since their arrival.
Returning Contenders
Based on everything that we have heard thus far, all four of the gentlemen listed below have impressed the coaching staff. Don’t be surprised if all of them get some rotational looks, but they are listed here in projected depth chart order.
#34 Que Robinson – RS Sr. 6’5”, 241 lb.
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Robinson is the elder statesman of the group, entering his fifth season on campus. The Birmingham product has plenty of length at 6’5” but is also somewhat slightly built. As a recruit, he was the top player in the state and rated as a high four star. He has generally been running first in camp and should be considered the favorite to start.
#19 Keanu Koht – RS Jr. 6’4”, 242 lb.
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Wommack has been impressed with Koht, calling him a “freak” in the spring. A high four star prospect out of Vero Beach, Koht has waited his turn and has been seen getting some first team snaps in rotation with Robinson. He will be heard from this season.
#42 Yhonzae Pierre – RS Fr. 6’3”, 239 lb.
Pierre is another in-state product, from Eufaula, and came in as a top 50 overall recruit. He is obviously on the small side for an edge rusher, but his explosiveness was said to be off the charts as a high schooler and his listed weight is a full 16 pounds higher than it was in the spring. He seems to be developing on schedule, and the talent is certainly there.
#49 Qua Russaw – RS Fr. 6’2”, 251 lb.
Qua is easily the sturdiest of the group from a build perspective, which may well give him an advantage against heavier run teams, but he hardly lacks explosiveness. The Montgomery product is also the only one on the list who was rated five stars by at least one of the major recruiting services. He saw no time as a true freshman, but his potential is off the charts. Qua will be worth monitoring.
Newcomers
Alabama signed a solid edge class for 2024, but barring something unforeseen it’s unlikely that any of them see much playing time this season. Summer enrollee Noah Carter has reportedly flashed in camp, but even he faces an uphill battle with so much upperclassman talent ahead of him.
#24 Noah Carter – Fr.
6’4”, 242 lb. four star from Peoria, AZ
#40 Sterling Dixon – Fr.
6’3”, 211 lb. four star from Spanish Fort, AL
#43 Jayshawn Ross – Fr.
6’4”, 220 lb. four star from Kansas City, MO
#30 Cayden Jones – Fr.
6’4”, 210 lb. four star from Asheville, NC
Alabama
Alabama community rallies to save Ringo, an injured dog looking for a home: ‘Full of hope’
Ringo, an abandoned puppy that was dropped off at the Madison Police Department earlier this week, will get the surgery he needs thanks to an outpouring of donations from the city’s residents.
On Dec. 9, the Madison Police Department said in a Facebook post it was trying to raise $2,000 so Ringo could get an injured leg amputated.
“Citizens of Madison, we need your help. Recently, an abandoned and abused puppy was brought to us—sweet, loving, and still full of hope despite what he’s been through,” the post said.
“To give him the chance at a healthy, happy life, he needs a surgery to amputate an injured leg. Once he recovers, he’ll be ready for adoption and would make an incredible addition to a loving Madison family—just in time for Christmas.”
Just three days later, the department said in an update that they’d raised the money they needed, and Ringo would get his surgery in the middle of January.
During a vet visit, the pup was given a clean bill of health and all his required shots.
“We completely met the goal and could not have done it without the help of all our citizens here so we greatly appreciate everything you guys donated for him,” an update video said.
Now the police department is asking for the community to step up again and help get Ringo adopted before his surgery.
“Our next thing we can do is have him adopted. He is ready to go into somebody’s home so he can get acclimated and ready to go before his surgery,” the post said.
Anyone interested in adopting Ringo is asked to call Madison’s Animal Control at 256-772-5694.
Alabama
BamaCentral Courtside From Arizona’s 96-75 Win Over Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama fell to No. 1 Arizona in Legacy Arena in the fifth annual C.M. Newton Classic. The Crimson Tide held a 2-point halftime lead, but got decimated in the second half, opening the first six minutes of the second frame with just two field goals made.
The top-ranked Wildcats went on to claim a 96-75 victory and dropped the Crimson Tide’s record in the event to 2-3.
“They’re obviously a really good team,” Nate Oats said. “There’s a reason they’re number one in the country. I thought the first half we played pretty well. We were down five on the glass and needed to clean it up a little bit, and then the second half we had this issue where we just haven’t had very good starts to the second half. We came out and didn’t have a very good start, and it got progressively worse. I think they scored, shoot 39 the entire first half. They had 39 in less than 12 minutes to start the second half.
“Start of the second half was bad. Obviously, they came out of halftime ready to play; we didn’t. The toughness factor was a problem. It’s impossible – I shouldn’t say impossible. It’s nearly impossible to win a game when your opponent gets 28 more field goal attempts than you. If you look, we outshot them from the field and from the free throw line, both percentage-wise. Free throws, they made one more free throw than we did and they got 28 more field goal attempts. You can’t win games giving your opponent 28 more field goal attempts. Offensive glass we had three the whole game, they had 22. We lost the rebounds by 20 again. This has been a recurring issue for us.”
Alabama History in C.M. Newton Classic
- 2021 – Davidson 79, Alabama 78
- 2022 – Gonzaga 100, Alabama 90
- 2023 – Alabama 101, Liberty 56
- 2024 – Alabama 100, Illinois 87
- 2025 – Arizona 96, Alabama 75
Watch the above video as BamaCentral writers Katie Windham, Hunter De Siver, and Will Miller, provide thoughts and takeaways from the Alabama men’s basketball team’s 96-75 loss against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The trio discusses the performance of the No. 12 Crimson Tide and the rebounding issues that continue to plague the program.
Alabama
Arizona vs Alabama Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s College Basketball Game
Even on a neutral floor, Alabama should feel plenty of support from the Birmingham crowd at Legacy Arena — enough to keep No. 1 Arizona on its toes.
Photo By – Imagn Images. Alabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway (2) drives to the basket.
The Arizona Wildcats are regarded as the best team in the land once again and will put that moniker to the test when they hit the road to face Alabama in Birmingham.
Both of these teams will come into this matchup off strong wins. The Wildcats beat Tide rival Auburn by nearly 30 points, while Alabama blew out UTSA by 42.
I break down the matchup in my Alabama vs. Arizona predictions & college basketball picks for Saturday, December 13.
Arizona vs Alabama prediction
Arizona vs Alabama best bet: Alabama +1.5 (-110)
In name only, this will be a neutral site game but given the geography between the two teams and the fact that this game will be played in Birmingham, this is certainly going to be a very pro Tide crowd.
With that at the forefront, it’s enough to shift things and make Alabama my best bet to cover. I projected this number closer to three.
The Tide have the best unit on the floor: It’s offense. The Nate Oats math-ball shot profile led by Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway is kinda exactly what you want here.
Arizona’s defensive profile is more conducive to slowing down your traditional post and big to big actions, not exactly this one. What’s particularly concerning is allowing an above average scoring rate (.93 points per possession) on attacks + kicks along with 1.02 points per possession on big cuts and rolls.
These are two items that are a foundation of the Alabama offense. Their clearest edge is in transition and on the offensive glass, areas Alabama can at least partially control by taking care of the ball and keeping the floor spaced.
In a game that should be played in the 80s possession-wise with huge three-point volume, I’d rather have the side with more proven perimeter shot-making and multiple paths to scoring efficiently.
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Arizona vs Alabama same-game parlay
I started things off here with Holloway to go over his assists number. He’s the primary facilitator on the big cut-and-rolls, meaning he should benefit the most from these sets with an increase in assist volume.
This doesn’t even begin to mention how he’ll likely find some easy ones in transition.
Speaking of transition, I’ll finish our same-game parlay off with Jaden Bradley to go over his points total because of it. Alabama, somewhat a product of how they play, has one of the worst transition defenses in the country, and Bradley may be the best transition scoring option on the floor.
Arizona vs Alabama SGP
- Aden Holloway Over 4.5 assists
- Jaden Bradley Over 16.5 points
- Alabama +1.5
Our beyond the arc SGP: Wrightsell shoots from deep
Latrell Wrightsell should get plenty of clean looks from deep given how Arizona is likely to defend Alabama, so I paired his over 1.5 threes with the game Over.
I’m close to market on the number, but with two awful transition defenses, the pace and easy-runout points make me lean higher.
Arizona vs Alabama SGP
- Alabama +1.5
- Aden Holloway Over 4.5 assists
- Jaden Bradley Over 16.5 points
- Over 178
- Latrell Wrightsell Over 1.5 threes
Arizona vs Alabama odds
- Spread: Arizona -1.5 (-110) | Alabama +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Arizona -130 | Alabama +110
- Over/Under: Over 178 (-110) | Under 178 (-110)
Arizona vs Alabama betting trend to know
Arizona has hit the 1H Moneyline in 29 of their last 37 games (+21.10 Units / 1% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Arizona vs. Alabama.
How to watch Arizona vs Alabama
| Location | Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, AL |
| Date | Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Arizona vs Alabama key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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