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Jumbo Package: Kalen DeBoer and Alabama jump into spring practice

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Jumbo Package: Kalen DeBoer and Alabama jump into spring practice


With spring practice kicking off, there is some actual news and quotes starting to seep out into the mediasphere. First up, we got an interview from coach DeBoer:

Speaking to reporters after he came off the practice field in Tuscaloosa Monday, DeBoer was asked what the winner of the competition will show him.

“It’s got to be a guy who can deliver the ball, command the huddle, command everything we do with the team,” DeBoer said. “That presence, that belief and confidence in your signal caller. It starts with a lot of that — just the belief. The belief comes because you’re making the throws and you’re getting the ball in a fashion where they can go make their plays and reap the rewards of all the work they’ve put in.”

This is pretty similar to what Nick Saban always said in QB battle years – essentially, confidence is king. The guy who can make the throws, be confident he’ll make those throws, and his teammates have that same confidence in him will be the guy.

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And hey, AL.com even got us a couple of clips of the three QBs tossing the ball.

Alabama football fans are more concerned about depth at offensive tackle. When Kadyn Proctor returns, there will still be doubts about the right tackle slot. Even if Wilkin Formby is an improved player from last season and locks down the right tackle starting role, depth is a legitimate worry. On Monday Kalen DeBoer stated that redshirt sophomore Olaus Alinen and 5-star freshman, Michael Carroll would also work at multiple positions this spring, including tackle.

I think Michael Carroll could very well win the starting RT job just as well as he could win a guard job. He’s the kind of freshman that I don’t expect will be kept off the field. I’m also pretty interested in Alinen playing tackle, as he does have the body type, but we’ve seen so little of him so far.

DeBoer also gave us an injury run down, and this list may have been what contributed to his declaration of a “modified” A-Day this year.

The Tide also added one more offensive tackle as a transfer walk-on:

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Offensive tackle Jayden Hobson was included on the Crimson Tide’s roster update shared by the school’s NIL collective, Yea Alabama, on Sunday. Hobson spent the 2024 season at South Alabama after beginning his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He did not see the field at either of his stops, redshirting in 2023. He will be a walk-on for the Crimson Tide.

After transferring to South Alabama in 2024, Hobson didn’t contribute to the Jaguars last year. He left the team in fall camp “with intentions to drop out of school and enter the workforce,” according to AL.com. But now, he will provide Alabama with needed depth.

A Tuscaloosa, Alabama native, Hobson committed to Mississippi State over South Miss, West Virginia and others after his senior season at Hillcrest High School. A 3-star recruit in the 2023 class, Hobson was rated as the 61st-best player in Alabama and the No. 103 offensive tackle, per the On3 Industry rankings. Before playing for coach Jamie Mitchell at Hillcrest in 2022, Hobson previously attended Paul W. Bryant High School, located in Tuscaloosa.

After playing for Mississippi State and then transferring to South Alabama, Hobson does at least have SEC-level practice field experience, and will be a good player to have rounding out the scout teams.

Out For Spring:

Alex Asparuhov, kicker/punter

David Bird, long-snapper

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Bubba Hampton, receiver

Fatutoa Henry, defensive line

Domani Jackson, defensive back

Deontae Lawson, linebacker

Danny Lewis Jr., tight end

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Keon Sabb, defensive back

Limited For Spring:

Justin Jefferson, linebacker

Kadyn Proctor, offensive line

James Smith, defensive line

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This one is a pretty big list, but in a lot of cases, it gives some younger players a chance to shine. I’m very interested to see if freshman TE Marshall Pritchett can take advantage of Danny Lewis being out, and to see who steps up as the 3rd cornerback behind Domani Jackson.

Finally, DeBoer also talked a little about new OC, Ryan Grubb in a recent interview:

“It’s funny; I haven’t spent much time with him. We’ve been so busy. He’s trying to dive into getting the offense and the staff and getting to know the players. I’m busy doing things, too, with the team and a lot of engagements and meetings and so forth. I think this is Year 13 or 14. I’ve lost track now. But going back to 2007 when our first year was together. There’s been a break or two in between. But it’s someone I really trust. We see the game similarly.

“We’ve talked through — because we’ve been in the staff room together for so many years — the things that we value, what it takes to win, what it takes to be a great offense, how that all meshes and comes together. He’s going to put his stamp on it. I think the coaching staff this last year, led by Nick Sheridan as the OC, did a great job really in the transition. It’s hard being a first-year team, first-year coordinator, staff, coming together and putting it all in place and learning your personnel. They did a good job setting the stage, and I know Ryan is going to do an amazing job here taking it and continuing to move it forward. But yeah, he’s off and running.”

With a full year under him, a roster committed to him, and his original intended coaching staff, all signs point to DeBoer seeing legitimate improvement in year 2. Let’s hope that winds up being the case!

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Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp

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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.

Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s kids camp and their learning more than just theater here.(WSFA)

“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.”

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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.

Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's kids camp and their learning more...
Kids take center stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s kids camp and their learning more than just theater here.(WSFA)

“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.

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Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.



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Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to $507K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations

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Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to 7K 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.

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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.

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Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.



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