TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WAFF) – The University of Alabama’s president announced on Wednesday night that one of the college’s students was one of 15 people killed in the New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day.

In a statement provided by UA President Stuart R. Bell, the student was identified as Kareem Badawi.

I learned today that Kareem Badawi, one of our students at The University of Alabama, was killed in the terrorist attack in New Orleans. I grieve alongside family and friends of Kareem in their heartbreaking loss.

Officials say the Office of Student Care and Well Being is available at (205)348-2461 or bamacares@ua.edu.

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Nick Saban is no longer the head football coach at Alabama after retiring a year ago.

But that doesn’t mean the first-year ESPN College GameDay analyst doesn’t have some regrets, especially when it comes to the Crimson Tide’s in-state recruiting of Oregon receiver Tez Johnson, or lack thereof.

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Following a GameDay segment on Johnson, an under-recruited senior from Pinson, Ala., the former Alabama coach hilariously questioned how the 2020 Tide coaching staff failed to recruit the budding NFL prospect.

“What I’m sitting here thinking about is Tez Johnson is from Birmingham, 45 minutes away from Alabama, and we didn’t recruit the guy,” Saban said to laughs from the GameDay crew. “Who was recruiting Birmingham? And I should’ve fired their ass!”

Rece Davis, GameDay host and an Alabama alum himself, pointed out Johnson originally signed with in-state Troy, much to Saban’s chagrin.

“He went to Troy first, and we didn’t recruit when he left there either!” Saban answered.

Johnson was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class out of Pinson Valley (Pinson, Ala.) High, which is located roughly 75 miles and an hour and 15 minute drive East on I-20 from the Alabama football complex. Pinson signed with Troy out of high school and eventually transferred to Oregon in late December 2022, following his adopted brother and former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix to Eugene.

While Nix entered the NFL after the 2023 season, Johnson remained in Eugene for his senior year and has been the go-to receiver for Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, leading Oregon with 78 catches for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Suffice it to say, that sort of production would have been welcomed in Tuscaloosa this season, where true freshman Ryan Williams led the Tide in receiving with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Oregon Ducks have been without star wide receiver Tez Johnson for the last two games as he’s battled injury. So, when he posted to social media a picture of himself and the words “He’s back,” it got Ducks fans excited.

At his press conference on Wednesday, head coach Dan Lanning was pressed about Johnson’s status. However, he insisted that he doesn’t talk about injured players. So, everyone would have to wait and see if he made his way onto the field on Saturday.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna talk about injuries,” Lanning said. “You guys will see them on the field when they’re ready to go.”

The long wait is over folks as Paul Finebaum has finally waved the white flag regarding his Alabama support. The longtime ESPN and SEC host stumped for the Crimson Tide to get into the College Football Playoff this season.

Especially when Alabama was left out, Finebaum screamed from the rooftops. But with 2025 finally upon us, Finebaum decided to make a resolution. He surrendered!

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If you’ve fought the war for or against one of the most notable figures in college football media, we salute you folks.

“I led the Alabama parade to get them into the playoffs,” Finebaum said on Get Up. “You know that I stood on every building, especially on this show, and on the first day of the new year, I’m surrendering. I am waving the white flag.”

Some of the takes from Finebaum were admirable, when it came to Alabama. Heck, he took shots at the CFP committee upon the final rankings release.

“They’re being spun non-stop, even though they say they’re not,” Finebaum said of the committee in early December. “There’s all kinds of tributaries that go into that room and all kinds of people that represent other people, and I also think they thought about one more thing that was even more important than the hangover.

“They thought about if they give this to Alabama, yeah the hue and cry nationally is going to be how come Alabama got in, poor SMU. And on top of that, they would have almost been issuing a Supreme Court edict rendering these conference championship games null and void. And the commissioners really can’t afford that, even the Southeastern Conference commissioner who lost out today. And I think that’s what this was really all about.”

But after Alabama’s disappointing performance against Michigan, the white flag came out and he finally bowed down to a defeat. It’s okay “Pawl,” we all can’t win them all.