Hunter Beaugez has been a physical therapist specialist for the past eight years.

His partners, including brother Taylor Rosson, own and operate ServePro restoration services from the Greater New Orleans region and into Texas and Tennessee.

On paper, they might seem to be the unlikeliest pairing to open a new hamburger concept in Mobile. But Beaugez said he’s excited about the opportunity after Smalls Sliders signed its latest multi-unit deal – what the Atlanta-based company calls a “four-Can agreement” – with the entrepreneurial team.

“Smalls Sliders is trying to enhance an old concept by making sliders bigger and more creative,” said Beaugez of New Orleans. “It’s a very innovative way of what they are trying to accomplish and plan to implement over the next year or so.”

The first Smalls Sliders will open sometime next year likely in Mobile. From there, Beaugez said there will be a new Smalls Sliders eatery opening up per year. The exact locations, he said, have not been determined.

Similar announcements have been ongoing all year in Alabama. The chain announced earlier this year that as many as five locations will open in and around Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Auburn. They also plan to target real estate in Leeds, Trussville, Gardendale, Gadsden, Huntsville, Decatur and Florence.

The company, founded in 2019 by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux creator Brandon Landry, expects to have about 350 total agreements signed by the end of this year. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is among the chain’s earliest investors.

Beaugez said in Mobile, his team is in the “early phases” of scouting sites though a Smalls Sliders press release said the sites could be in Foley, Daphne, Tillman’s Corner and Orange Beach.

Beaugez said once a site is picked out, the chain’s prefabricated modular structures – which look akin to a shipping container – will be “dropped” and construction will begin.

“It’s a unique and interesting design,” Beaugez said. “Instead of locations, we say we’re ‘dropping a new can.’ (The company) makes a whole big thing of it when they ‘drop the can.’ And once the can is dropped, it takes eight to 10 weeks before the doors open. So once that can is dropped, it’s about hitting the ground running.”

The first Mobile area franchise, Beaugez said, will open in late spring 2025.

“It depends on the real estate, location and what we can do,” Beaugez said.

He said he had been wanting to partner with Smalls Sliders for the past year as well as with his brother whose team – which includes Will Love and Jim Metteauer – oversee ServePro sites in several states.

“We met with the executive team, and everything seems to be a home run,” said Beaugez. “It’s like they have a dream team going on over there. I have all the faith in our team and in them to make sure we put together an exceptional service and products.”

Don Crocker, chief development officer at Smalls Sliders, praised the Mobile area team. Beaguez, himself, said he plans to move to the Mobile area to run the eateries.

“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group to our expanding Smalls Squad,” Crocker said in a statement. “Alabama has already shown tremendous enthusiasm for our brand, and we are confident that this ownership team will maintain our high standards of excellence as we enter new communities.”

Crocker added, “The demand for our premium cheeseburger sliders is growing, and experienced operators like Hunter, Taylor, Will and Jim are crucial to our continued expansion success.”

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama football is right around the corner, and the Crimson Tide held its first fall scrimmage inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday morning. The scrimmage was not open to the media, but Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer shared what he saw from his quarterbacks.

“I thought the plays that are there and you need to make that throw, I think they’re doing that at a higher level, not just today, but throughout camp getting better at it,” DeBoer said. “And a lot of that’s trust in your guys around you that they’re going to be where you anticipate them being, especially in those moments when you get a little bit of pressure, you get a little bit of a rush around you and just managing it.”

Unlike last season, there is no drama or mystery heading into the season about who will be the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Redshirt junior Jalen Milroe will be the starter for Alabama in the opening game this season. Milroe started 13 of 14 games last season, throwing for 2,834 yards and running for another 531 with 35 combined touchdowns.

Milroe has been taking all the first-team reps in fall camp with redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson backing him up. During media viewing periods at practice, Washington transfer Austin Mack has been the third-string quarterback with redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan behind him.

Overall, DeBoer was pleased with the quarterbacks’ performance, but there was one area that he specified where he wants to see improvement.

“I still think there’s a time or two where we could throw the ball away, and I’m not just talking about Jalen. I’m talking about all of them, it’s across the board,” DeBoer said. “Just to keep us out of those situations where it turns into a third-and-extra long or something like that. That’s just here and there, that’s not something that’s happening a lot. But it’s one of those that just kills a drive. And when you get 11 or 12 a game, every one of them’s important.”

Alabama finished 129th out of 133 FBS teams last season in sack allowed. Some of those sacks were because of poor protection from the offensive line or bad snaps, but many were also the result of holding onto the ball for too long. Those plays disrupted drives and often caused the offense to stall out.

“Those are great learning moments, and we had a lot of those opportunities again today where we just get rid of the football, live to see another down,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got a lot of plays that can get us first downs as long as it’s reasonable.”

Former Alabama safety DeMarcco Hellams started his way from seventh-round draft choice to a spot on the Atlanta Falcons’ regular-season roster with his performance in his first pro game one year ago.

But this year in the Falcons’ preseason opener, Hellams was carted off the field with a leg injury on the Atlanta defense’s second play on the field against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night.

The Falcons training staff ran on the field to attend to Hellams and placed an air cast on the safety’s left leg before he was carted to the locker room.

Hellams led Alabama in tackles in the 2022 season, but he didn’t get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft until the 224th selection.

On Aug. 11, 2023, during the first series of his first preseason game with Atlanta, Hellams got his first tackle when he brought down Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft at the Falcons 15-yard line. On the next snap, Hellams got his second tackle on a rushing attempt by running back Myles Gaskins. And on the next snap, Hellams intercepted Miami quarterback Mike White in the end zone. Hellams returned the interception 15 yards to the Atlanta 13.

Hellams made the Falcons’ regular-season roster. In Atlanta’s first 10 games, he got on the field for 64 defensive snaps and 144 special-teams plays. After the Falcons’ Week 11 bye, Hellams played 305 defensive snaps and started four times at safety in Atlanta’s next six games. He missed the final contest of a season with a concussion.

Hellams’ increase in playing time meant less playing time for Richie Grant, a 2021 second-round pick who started every game in 2022 and 15 in 2023. Both players returned this year to compete to start with Jessie Bates III at the back of the Falcons’ defense.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.