Alabama
Alabama football offense will take some time to look more like Washington’s | Goodbread
The hire of Kalen DeBoer to replace Nick Saban as Alabama football’s head coach signaled wholesale change in the Crimson Tide’s offensive system. The attack DeBoer led at the University of Washington on his way to a College Football Playoff championship game appearance in January looked nothing at all like the system Tommy Rees directed at Alabama last season as Saban’s last offensive coordinator.
But wholesale change doesn’t necessarily come at warp speed, and as Alabama begins game-week preparations to face Western Kentucky in the season opener at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN), DeBoer cautioned that the transition to his system has been incremental, and that game plan must be well-suited to the talent on hand.
GOODBREAD: SEC Power Poll
GOODBREAD: Coach should match protest with proof on Alabama tampering allegation
To review, here’s what DeBoer offered on that subject in his introductory press conference in January: “It’s always going to be around our personnel. Yes, we’re going to recruit the best, the highest-character guys, but we’re going to be able to have concepts and systems that are able to be adjusted to what we have and what our strengths are.”
Fast-forward seven months to Monday of Week 1, when I asked DeBoer how much his offensive system at UW had to be adjusted to suit the personnel he inherited: “There are certainly some adjustments that coach (Nick) Sheridan (and) our staff have done in working with the personnel. That will continue to evolve as the season goes along. You have guys who continue to improve, especially younger guys who are taking those next steps. They’ll make those big steps, and you’ll incorporate them. There might be a package at some point that they’re incorporated in, and all the sudden it’s something where they’re a regular player, and maybe even a starter.”
Translation: an offseason of incremental change will keep right on incrementing into the fall. And those who struggle to adjust, by November, might find their snap counts slipping away to those who adjust best.
Alabama had the heaviest offensive line in the SEC last year by more than 20 pounds per man, well-suited for a power running game. The DeBoer system calls on offensive linemen for much more pulling and releasing into space than the Rees system did, not exactly the forte one could expect of Alabama’s bullish 350-pounders. This is why team captain and left guard Tyler Booker dropped more than 20 pounds in the offseason. It’s why center Parker Brailsford’s transfer from Washington was a big win for the lineup. And it’s no doubt part of why the battle waged between Wilkin Formby and Elijah Pritchett for the right tackle role will bleed into the season.
At quarterback, Jalen Milroe burned defenses last year with a heavy dose of deep shots in the passing game on the way to an SEC title. Along with that came a tendency to hold the ball too long, which made for a sour mix with the offensive line’s struggles in pass protection. DeBoer’s system, with drafted-first-round quarterback Michael Penix, placed more emphasis on getting the ball out quickly and taking the cheaper, safer profits of the short passing game. That’ll be one of Milroe’s biggest adjustments, one he’s no doubt invested much of the offseason in making.
Tight ends will likely be a bigger part of the UA offense as well; more involved in pre-snap motion, more involved in perimeter blocking, more involved in the passing attack.
But a carbon copy of Washington’s offense against WKU? Don’t expect it.
That could take a year or more. But moving further in that direction will only take weeks.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams
Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday set an execution date for death row inmate Jeremy Williams, who was convicted in the 2021 kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in Phenix City.
Williams is scheduled to be executed by the state’s three-drug lethal injection during a 30-hour window beginning at 12 a.m. August 13 and ending at 6 a.m. August 14. The execution date comes after the Alabama Supreme Court granted a request from Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office on June 16, authorizing the state to carry out the sentence.
In a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Lovelace, Ivey said the Supreme Court’s June 16 order serves as the official death warrant for Williams.
“By law, I am required to specify the time frame for carrying out the sentence of death,” Ivey said. “Accordingly, I hereby order that Jeremy Lee Williams’s sentence of death be carried out within a time frame beginning on August 13, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. and ending on August 14, 2026, at 6:00 a.m.”
Ivey noted that she retains the authority to commute the sentence before the execution takes place.
Williams, 34, was convicted in April 2024 on four counts of capital murder stemming from Holland’s death. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a rape, capital murder during first-degree sodomy and capital murder of a child younger than 14.
Authorities said Holland disappeared from her family’s home in Phenix City on December 13, 2021. Her body was discovered two days later inside an abandoned house less than a mile away. An autopsy determined that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
In addition to the death sentence, Williams received several other prison terms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and for knowingly producing recordings depicting the sexual abuse of a child. He also received another life sentence for a separate sexual abuse conviction, along with a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to commit human trafficking and a 10-year sentence for abuse of a corpse.
Unlike most death row inmates, Williams sought to speed up the execution process. During a hearing, he told the court that he accepted responsibility for his actions and wanted the sentence carried out.
In 2025, Williams dismissed his attorneys and informed the court that he wished to waive any remaining appeals and proceed with his execution. Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson determined that Williams was competent to make that decision and allowed him to forgo further legal challenges.
Under Alabama law, capital convictions automatically receive appellate review. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals subsequently affirmed Williams’ conviction and death sentence in March.
After that review concluded, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office petitioned the Alabama Supreme Court in May to authorize an execution date. The court granted the request earlier this week, clearing the way for Ivey to schedule the execution.
If carried out as scheduled, Williams’ execution would occur nearly five years after Holland’s death and a little more than two years after he was sentenced to death.
Williams’ execution would be Alabama’s first by lethal injection since April 2025. The state’s three most recent executions were carried out using nitrogen hypoxia, which Alabama began using in 2024.
Alabama
Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”
They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.
“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”
Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.
“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”
It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.
Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
Alabama
Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to $507K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations
Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.
-
Detroit, MI6 minutes agoTop 10 ‘Hour Detroit’ Covers, As Voted By Readers
-
San Francisco, CA18 minutes agoInjured SFPD officer released from hospital after line-of-duty shooting
-
Dallas, TX20 minutes ago25,000 free Dallas teen passes available June 29 for museums, zoo and more
-
Miami, FL25 minutes ago3 wildfires burn over 20,000 acres in Miami-Dade ahead of long-awaited rain
-
Boston, MA33 minutes agoBoston is opening outdoor drinking areas during the World Cup. Here’s how it works.
-
Denver, CO36 minutes agoClaimed by Christ, Free in Him: Archbishop Golka Celebrates First Juneteenth Mass in Denver
-
Seattle, WA41 minutes ago‘Seattle News Weekly’: FIFA World Cup 2026 at Seattle Stadium
-
San Diego, CA48 minutes agoIt’s NASCAR weekend in Coronado. Here’s what San Diegans need to know.