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2024 Alabama Fall Football Preview: Finding a “Wolf” to get after the QB

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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

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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.

NCAA Football: Rose Bowl-Notre Dame vs Alabama

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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.

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#19 Keanu Koht – RS Jr. 6’4”, 242 lb.

NCAA Football: UL Monroe at Alabama

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Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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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

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#30 Cayden Jones – Fr.

6’4”, 210 lb. four star from Asheville, NC



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Alabama

Tennessee vs Alabama Baseball – Vols Look to Continue SEC Tournament Dominance

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Tennessee vs Alabama Baseball – Vols Look to Continue SEC Tournament Dominance


The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to continue their SEC tournament dominance against Alabama.

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to continue their recent dominance in the SEC tournament as they have won two of the last three conference titles. Last season, after losing their first game of the tournament, they proceeded to go on a win streak and win the SEC title en route to a national title.

This year, they kick the tournament off against the Alabama Crimson Tide. A team the Volunteers played during the regular season and proceeded to win the series despite playing on the road. However, the Volunteers are currently searching for momentum as they have lost five straight conference series and six of their last seven.

Alabama won their first round game against the Missouri Tigers by a final score of 4-1. Missouri finished the season dead last in the conference. The Crimson Tide are also 1-5 in their last six conference series, so both programs are searching to pick up some steam heading into postseason play.

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Wednesday’s game is set to start at 1 PM CT and will be streamed on SEC Network for fans who want to watch the contest.

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Alabama Baseball: Quartet Of Players Honored

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Alabama Baseball: Quartet Of Players Honored


The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team had four players recognized as All-SEC performers by the conference office on Monday afternoon. Kade Snell, Carson Ozmer, Riley Quick, and Justin LeBron were the award winners. Snell and Ozmer were 1st team All-SEC selections, while Quick and LeBron were named to the second team. LeBron was also named to the all defensive team for the second year in a row. The last outfielder Alabama outfielder to be named to the 1st team was all time hit leader Taylor Dugas in 2012. Quick is the first Alabama starting pitcher to be named All-SEC since Austin Hyatt made the 1st team in 2009. The duo of Snell and Ozmer are the first two Alabama players to be on the 1st team since Dugas and shortstop Josh Rutledge in 2010.

Kade Snell- 1st team All-SEC outfielder. Snell led the team with a .374 batting average, good for second in the conference. The 5th year senior from Wicksburg, AL also led the team in hits with 74, and in on base percentage with a .471 mark. Snell added 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 119 total bases with a .601 slugging percentage, while drawing 35 walks, scoring 45 runs, and only striking out 16 times in 198 at bats. Snell served as the team captain this season.

Carson Ozmer-1st team All-SEC relief pitcher. The graduate student from Lantana, Texas transferred to Alabama prior to the 2025 season after graduating from Penn. Ozmer set an Alabama school record with saves in a season with 16 in his only year in Tuscaloosa. Ozmer led the team with 27 appearances and pitched 36.1 inning with a 4-1 record and a 2.97 ERA. The sidewinder struck out 47 batters and walked 10.

Riley Quick-2nd team All-SEC starting pitcher. The redshirt sophomore from Trussville, AL pitched in only one game in 2024 before tearing his UCL in his third inning of the year. After Tommy John surgery, Quick recovered in record time and was able to pitch in the opening series of the year. The big (6’6” 250 pound) fireballer started 13 games in the regular season and forged a record of 8-2 with a 3.54 ERA over 56 innings. Quick struck out 64 and allowed only three home runs. Major League scouts have Quick high on their list for this summers draft- expect Quick to be a mid 1st round pick.

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Justin LeBron- 2nd team All-SEC shortstop, 1st team All Defensive team. Hailing from Miramar, FL, LeBron was a first team All-SEC selection last year as well as being named to the All Defensive team. LeBron became the first player in program history be selected twice on the All Defensive team. The sophomore was second on the team in batting average at .313, led the team in runs with 58, doubles with 17, home runs with 18, RBI with 69, total bases with 141, slugging percentage at .650, and stolen bases with 16 in 17 attempts. The 69 runs batted in led the SEC. LeBron was second to Snell in hits with 68, and also had 31 walks, nine hit by pitches, and four sacrifice fly’s, while manning the shortstop position at an elite level.

The Tide will open SEC Tournament play tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 9:30 a.m. CT against the Missouri Tigers. Bama looks to add to their resume and earn a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The top 16 will all host regionals.

Roll Tide

Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!



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New Alabama commercial airport: What to know before May 21 opening

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New Alabama commercial airport: What to know before May 21 opening


Jesse Fosnaugh began his tenure as the director of the Gulf Shores International Airport on Dec. 30.

Since then, he’s administered the forthcoming opening of a new commercial air service from a new two-gate airport in Gulf Shores. It’s the first time Gulf Shores will have commercial air service in the city’s history. It’s also the first time Allegiant Air will provide service from an airport in Alabama.

Fosnaugh provides the details of the new airport, the inaugural flight and what people can expect:

Is everything ready for the opening on Wednesday? Is the construction officially completed, or will there be last-minute punch-list items that are needed to be completed? Everything will be ready for our first flight on May 21, 2025, on Allegiant. The first flight departs around 5:15 p.m. to Knoxville. The terminal is completed and tenants are currently outfitting their work areas, furniture is getting installed, and final placement of signs and other wayfinding is underway.

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How many total employees are lined up to greet passengers on Wednesday? How many new TSA agents in Gulf Shores? How many new general employees and those in the new tower who will be handling commercial flights? While I cannot divulge specific TSA or FAA staffing numbers, between ticket agents, law enforcement, fire department, baggage handlers, TSA, rental car and airport operations staff, we expect nearly 50 employees to greet the flight on May 21.

How many people will Allegiant employ at the airport? Allegiant will be represented by a third-party business contractor, Trego-Dugan, to perform aircraft ground handling and ticketing functions. They expect around 20 people to be part of the operation here in Gulf Shores.

What other public resources will be present at the airport – i.e., will there be Gulf Shores police and fire rescue with a full-time presence? The airport will have multiple agencies involved in the day-to-day operations. Aircraft Rescue Firefighting and Airport Law Enforcement responsibilities will be fulfilled by Gulf Shores Fire Department and Gulf Shores Police Department. The Public Works Department of the city of Gulf Shores also provides all landscaping and groundskeeping for the airport. It takes a village.

Back in late December, some of the beach rentals said they had concerns about transportation options from the airport to the beach condos and rentals. Do those concerns still exist? If not, how have they been resolved when it comes to getting visitors from the airport to the beach rentals (non-hotels)? There will be a plethora of ground transportation options available once you arrive into the terminal. We have arrangements with multiple shuttle and ground transportation providers including Surfside Shuttle, Robin’s Rides, and Beach Express Taxi. We also have arrangements with Uber (and) Lyft to service the airport. Rental Cars will also be available with Enterprise and Alamo. Our visitors and residents alike are going to have a seamless experience getting in and out of the airport.

An overwhelming number of vacationers to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach visit the area via automobile. What is the goal for the new airport when it comes to bringing visitors to the area – (is there a percentage or a number that is being targeted in a particular time frame?) We fully expect to have 60,000 passengers in 2025. About 80% of these passengers will be visitors and 20% will be residents flying out. Our goal is to be the premiere gateway to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Foley. Our airport team will be an extension of the hospitality that our visitors and residents have come to expect. Using our airport will be easier than ever. A true world-class experience.

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Allegiant Air launched nonstop service to Austin, Texas, from Cleveland last week — one of 11 destinations the airline will serve from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. (Courtesy Allegiant Air) ORG XMIT: CLE1702221144147483 ORG XMIT: CLE1702271040163226 ORG XMIT: CLE1705110349292152 ORG XMIT: CLE1708290310483568 The Plain DealerThe Plain Dealer

What time is the flight on May 21 to McGhee Tyson Airport? The flight arrives at 1:14 p.m. and departs at 5:15 p.m.

Is it a full flight? If so, how many passengers? We do not have confirmed numbers but the flight looks well-booked in both directions when we look to buy tickets online it looks to be about 65 people booked as of today for the first flight from Knoxville on 5/21.

What time should passengers show up for this inaugural flight? 3 hours prior

Any inaugural events planned at the airport on the 21st? We will have an invite-only ribbon cutting ceremony from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

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Will there be any inaugural swag given out at the airport – first flight keychains, or baggage tags or anything interesting like that? We’ll have a variety of exclusive swag for the inaugural event for our guests and passengers.



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