For the second straight yr, Alabama tied an NFL Draft file. Whereas the Crimson Tide didn’t match final season’s six first-round choices, Evan Neal and Jameson Williams each heard their names known as Thursday night time. That prolonged Alabama’s streak to 14 straight years with a first-round decide, matching Miami’s file set from 1995 by 2008.
After being projected because the No. 1 general decide earlier this yr, Neal ended up at No. 7 to the New York Giants, whereas Williams went to the Detriot Lions 5 picks later. These two choices have been upstaged by a blockbuster commerce that ought to arrange Jalen Hurts for achievement subsequent season.
Right here’s a breakdown of how Thursday night time went from an Alabama perspective.
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Hurts will get one other big-time goal
Hurts could have one of many NFL’s high receiving corps at his disposal subsequent season. The largest storyline Thursday night time got here because the Philadelphia Eagles traded for A.J. Brown, buying the star receiver from the Tennessee Titans for the 18th and a hundred and first general picks.
Throughout his three seasons within the NFL, Brown has recorded 185 receptions for two,995 yards and 24 touchdowns. The previous Ole Miss standout was within the remaining yr of his rookie contract and can signal a four-year, $100 million cope with the Eagles.
Final yr, Philadelphia paired Hurts with former Alabama teammate DeVonta Smith, drafting the Heisman Trophy winner with the tenth decide of the draft. Smith didn’t disappoint, recording 64 receptions for 916 yards and 5 touchdowns throughout his rookie season.
Hurts is getting into his third yr with the Eagles after being chosen as a second-round decide in 2020. Throughout his first full season because the beginning quarterback final yr, he accomplished 61.3% of his passes for 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns with 9 interceptions whereas including 784 yards and 10 extra scores on the bottom. He’ll be anticipated to enhance these passing numbers this season after being supplied with what needs to be one of many league’s high receiving tandems.
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Neal suffers a slight slide
Following reviews that some groups have been nervous about potential points along with his hip and knee earlier this week, Neal slid out of the highest 5 picks, falling to the Giants at No. 7 general. The Alabama lineman was the second deal with to return off the board, following N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu, who went one decide earlier to the Carolina Panthers.
Schoen also said the plan is to play Neal at right tackle as 2020 first-round decide Andrew Thomas is at present manning the left deal with place for the Giants. Neal has current expertise on the proper deal with place, taking part in there throughout Alabama’s title-winning season in 2020.
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Apply reps in New York can be attention-grabbing
Earlier than selecting Neal, the Giants chosen Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 general decide. That figures to make for a couple of attention-grabbing rookie conversations transferring ahead.
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Thibodeaux made headlines in January when he defined his resolution to choose Oregon over Alabama within the 2019 class. The five-star defender went on to incorrectly use the phrase “stigmatism” when making an attempt to check with the destructive notion of schooling at Alabama. That wasn’t all. Thibodeaux additionally spoke about previous reps in opposition to Neal throughout their recruiting days, stating that he received the higher of the five-star lineman.
“After I’m seeing the O-line D-line battles, Nolan Smith and Evan Neal, these are the identical battles we had at The Opening,” Thibodeaux mentioned in January. “And personally, I used to be killing them. I’m simply speaking details. You possibly can look this up. I don’t make this up.”
Video highlights of these camps present a special story. Nonetheless, the 2 will now get the chance to settle the rating on the sphere in New York. It looks as if they’re already planning to placed on a present.
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Williams goes behind former Ohio State teammates
Williams noticed his former Ohio State vast receiver teammates Garrett Wilson and Chis Olave come off the board earlier than him on the No. 10 and No. 11 picks respectively. Nonetheless, the Alabama receiver didn’t have to attend too lengthy after that as Detroit traded again into the primary spherical to pick out him at No. 12 general.
After taking Michigan edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson No. 2 general, the Lions gave the thirty second, thirty fourth and 66th picks to the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 12 decide and the No. 46 decide.
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“I see myself being an enormous a part of this offense,” Williams informed reporters through MLive following the choice. “Clearly, they took an opportunity on me, they’ve religion that we are able to do massive issues. I’m simply right here to indicate my playmaking capacity and we are able to change issues round, for certain.”
After transferring to Alabama from Ohio State final summer time, Williams completed as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, main the Crimson Tide with 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns by the air. The speedster may need been the primary vast receiver off the board had he not suffered an ACL harm through the nationwide championship sport in January.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Williams can be cleared to run full velocity by July. Williams has beforehand said that he’s aiming to be able to return to the sphere for coaching camp. The Lions may additionally elect to play issues secure and place him on the physically-unable-to-perform checklist earlier than bringing him again after Week 6 of the season.
At any time when Williams will get on the sphere, he ought to kind a gifted younger receiving duo with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who recorded 90 receptions for 912 yards and 5 touchdowns throughout his rookie season final yr.
Alabama men’s basketball doesn’t need or want Mark Sears to fill the role he did in 2023-24.
Sears doesn’t need to be the player averaging 21.5 points and 33.6 minutes per game for this version of the Crimson Tide to succeed at a high level. And frankly, it’s going to be a challenge for him to do that again, as it already has been. Teams are too aware of him.
“First thing is, he’s got to understand it’s going to be a lot different than any other college year for him because he’s preseason player of the year, people are going to design their defense to stop him,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “He may play a game where he has an unbelievably great game and only scores five points but he moves the ball around and attracts so much attention that it makes it easier for his teammates.”
Sears’ role on this new roster has moved to center stage after he scored no points and didn’t play as much in a win over Illinois last week. He played 13 minutes in the first half then eight minutes in the second. Sears finished 0-for-5 and 0-for-4 from deep. Yet No. 8 Alabama won 100-87 at Legacy Arena in the CM Newton Classic.
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Alabama got strong play from its other guards: Labaron Philon, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Aden Holloway. Philon scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied nine assists. Wrightsell Jr. also scored 16 but had two rebounds and four assists. Then Holloway scored 18 and made 3 of 4 from deep.
Alabama didn’t have that much talent or depth in its backcourt a season ago. Especially when Wrightsell missed time with injuries. So Sears had to be the guy almost all the time and play a bunch of minutes for the Crimson Tide to play at a high level.
Now he doesn’t have to do as much, even though he’s capable.
“I think one, he’s got to quit pressing,” Oats said. “He’s not going to average as many points this year as he did last year. We knew that coming in. People are going to focus on him. We’ve got more talent around him. It just is what it is. He’s got to do it takes to help us win games.”
Sometimes, Oats said, that will be moving the ball and getting assists. Other games, he will be a decoy, attracting attention away so others can get open looks. And then there will be nights where teams let Sears score a bunch and prevent others from having an impact.
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“He’s just got to get comfortable with the new role and get comfortable with doing whatever it takes to win and understanding that there’s going to be games he’s just not going to score that many,” Oats said. “We’ve got to do a decent job screening for him to get him open. Give him enough space to get downhill. Keep him playing aggressive without being overly aggressive to where he’s trying to score on multiple opponents. He’s got to stay aggressive and make the right reads when they bring multiple defenders to him.”
Next up, No. 9 Alabama (4-1) will play in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, starting with a game against No. 6 Houston on Tuesday (7 p.m. CT, TBS). Then the Crimson Tide will face Rutgers on Wednesday (9 p.m. CT, TBS).
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
60 minutes remain for Auburn football to continue their season. With a win, the Tigers become bowl eligible. Despite losing too many times late in games, the 2024 Tigers would qualify for a bowl with a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
When the team looked dead in the water after blowing a 21-0 lead, they managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat with a stunning quadruple-overtime thriller of a victory versus Texas A&M on Saturday.
After losing four-consecutive games that appeared to sink this season, the team has won three of their last four. Now, they stand toe-to-toe with Alabama with more than actual pride on the line and a shot to keep playing.
The Right Time
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Auburn heads into the Iron Bowl on a hot streak, while their opponent limps in. Alabama, watching their playoff hopes fade away, will struggle to summon up the required passion to play in a game. Even one as big a the Iron Bowl. Some feel like this game is just one in a disappointing season.
No SEC championship, no playoff game. Moreover, a quarterback that struggled versus Oklahoma. The Tide looks tired and unmotivated. Yet, without hyperbole, with everything that went sideways for the Crimson Tide, this actually benefits Auburn greatly.
Truthfully, the Tigers need to win this game far more than the team from Tuscaloosa. A win for Auburn would in a sense, save a lost season. A win for Alabama would be a consolation prize after a series of missed goals.
Temporary Absolution
For Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, a victory would serve several purposes outside of the obvious gaining of bowl eligibility. Freeze has not distinguished himself during his two seasons on The Plains.
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From throwing his team under a fleet of buses, to questionable dedication to one quarterback, people mostly wanted Freeze out of Auburn, or at the very least to stop seeing the same mistakes game after game.
However, the late-season surge quieted the complaints, at least for the moment. Combined with a stellar recruiting class, Freeze bought himself time and grace. Now, with an Iron Bowl win, he could actually endear himself to the fanbase.
If sunshine is the greatest antiseptic, an Iron Bowl win curries favor with a fanbase and administration that desperately wants to see a return to greatness.
Most importantly, a win on Saturday could lead Freeze back down the road to respectability. You still hear the jokes about his career and issues in Oxford. While they still exist, success, right or wrong, clouds memories.
Overview
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The 2024 Iron Bowl stands alone as a potential watershed moment in the rebuilding of Auburn football. Besides being the rivalry game in the South, this year’s version resonates deeper for Auburn. After the Harsin era of futility and defeat, hope existed for Hugh Freeze.
After a disappointing year to this point, the team can exorcise the demons of recent failures. Fans, alums, and pundits want to believe the turning of the proverbial corner will lead to further success. Enduring heartbreaking losses hardens players and coaches as a whole.
In contrast, winning brings confidence. Heading into this game, an upbeat Auburn team could emerge victorious in the biggest game of the last year.
The next 60 minutes will decide how people will remember the 2024 Auburn football team.
Following upset losses to unranked opponents, Alabama and Mississippi both fell out of the top 10 in the AP Top 25 poll when the latest rankings were released on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Miami and SMU moved into the top 10 with Oregon remaining at No. 1 in the rankings for the sixth consecutive week.
In a dramatic week of college football, Arizona State moved up seven places to No. 14 following an upset win over Brigham Young on Saturday, making the Sun Devils the top-ranked Big 12 team in the poll.
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Ohio State, Texas and Penn State, all of whom won on Saturday, occupy the next three spots behind the Ducks, who are now the only undefeated team in the AP Top 25 poll.
Indiana’s 38-15 defeat against Ohio State – its first loss of the season – sees the Hoosiers drop five places but still cling on to a top-10 position, while Alabama and Mississippi were the two biggest fallers with both dropping six spots.
The Crimson Tide is now ranked No. 13 following a shock 24-3 loss to Oklahoma. According to ESPN, it was Alabama’s lowest point tally in a game since 2004 and the first time that the team has been held to under 10 points since 2011.
Ole Miss also dropped out of the Top 10 with a stunning defeat to an unranked opponent, going down 24-17 against Florida to leave the team with slim chances of making the playoffs.
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