Alabama football’s Malachi Moore won’t be suspended for outburst vs. Vanderbilt

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore will not receive a suspension for his late-game outburst against Vanderbilt and will start on Saturday against South Carolina, according to coach Kalen DeBoer. Moore’s actions included throwing his mouthpiece, appearing to refuse to be subbed out during the final moments of the game and subsequently kicking the ball, which resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Moore, a fifth-year senior and team captain, took to social media on Monday morning to issue a public apology:

On Monday, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s perspective was that the decision to try to substitute Moore was to give him an opportunity to calm down on the sidelines. But Wommack noted that it might not have been the right time to do that.

“He really does things to the level and the standard that we want them to,” Wommack said. “At that moment, he got a little bit emotional, so we were going to try to settle him down just a little bit. Sometimes, in those situations, it’s better to let them calm down at a later time. But again, I thought he’s handled things really well since that point and has taken the level of accountability that Coach DeBoer implemented. He’s done a really good job moving forward.”

The situation was described as being handled internally. DeBoer was effusive in his praise of Moore’s character on Monday. Moore was a stabilizing force in keeping Alabama’s roster together during the head coaching transition, which is largely why he, Jalen Milroe, Tyler Booker and Deontae Lawson were named permanent captains before the season began.

“What he did, he has gone above and beyond in taking ownership in it,” DeBoer said. “Immediately after the game to (Monday) morning, things that are all prompted by him but also part of just our conversations.

“The thing I want to make sure Bama fans know is that this guy has been rock solid and been a critical, critical piece — along with others; there are some others as well — of keeping this thing together since January. When a lot of guys chose to leave, this guy stood firm. This guy loves Alabama football. And yeah, there were some things that he regrets and wishes he probably didn’t do, yeah. But he’s owned up to it, and we’ve handled it internally and are still handling it internally.”

Oatis to enter portal

During Monday’s news conference, a report surfaced via ESPN that Jehiem Oatis plans to redshirt for the remainder of the season and enter the transfer portal. Oatis recorded two tackles and one pass deflection in four games this season and wasn’t credited with any snaps against Vanderbilt per Pro Football Focus. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

“Felt like it was going that way,” DeBoer said. “I think the thing you also have to understand is there’s other elements to this, right. There’s health elements. There’s life elements. I love these guys. They work hard. Jehiem’s choices and things — there’s reasons for that. He notified and has notified and continued to be in communication here with us. Kind of felt like it was maybe going that direction — not just today or yesterday or here in the last few days.

“We move forward with the guys that really are able to help us win and focus on our program. As we go through this, I don’t want to put finality to it, but you’re always going to want what’s best for all people, and Jehiem’s one of them.”

Oatis, a former four-star recruit, earned a significant role and All-SEC Freshman honors in his first season in 2022. He was projected for a breakout year in 2023, but injuries slowed his progress, and injuries continued to linger through spring practice and into the summer. Alabama’s defensive line rotation is fairly deep with six players earning significant snaps weekly (Tim Keenan, Tim Smith, Jah-Marien Latham, LT Overton, Damon Payne and James Smith), but Oatis is a notable loss due to his size, experience and production when fully healthy.

“I think for Jehiem, obviously, he’s been battling some injuries,” Wommack said. “Has not been able to perform or produce the way that any of us would like. But my focus is really on the players that are going to do everything they can to help us to win football games. So that’s really where my focus is right now.”

(Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)