Alabama
Alabama WR Jermaine Burton taken by Bengals, picked 80th overall in NFL Draft
Jermaine Burton will be a Bengal. Cincinnati made Burton the 80th overall pick and the 16th selection of the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Burton was Alabama’s first skill position player selected. Two of his former teammates went earlier in the evening: Kool-Aid McKinstry (41st overall to New Orleans) and Chris Braswell (57th to Tampa Bay). Burton transferred to UA ahead of the 2022 season and was the Tide’s top receiving option. Now, he becomes a target in Joe Burrow’s offense.
He scored eight times in two seasons with Georgia, including a 57-yard touchdown in the 2021 Rose Bowl against Michigan. In 26 games with UA, Burton made 79 catches for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished his career with two Southeastern Conference championships and was a constant deep-ball threat.
Burton averaged more than 20 yards per touch and his big-play ability was never more apparent than last October at Texas A&M. He exploded for 197 yards and two touchdowns as Jalen Milroe developed. After a strong combine showing, Burton was the 12th pass-catcher selected.
“I really, really like this guy. The No. 1 thing he needs to do, and I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it, is do the right things all the time. He does the right things on the field. He knows the importance of what he has to do on the field. He wants to be a player that’s all he thinks about,” his former coach Nick Saban said on ESPN’s live broadcast analysis.
In 2022, Burton was part of a controversy when he and a fan scuffled during a field storming in Knoxville. (He was never punished by the team or the conference.) Burton is the first UA wide receiver to be selected since Jameson Williams and John Metchie went in the first- and second-rounds, respectively, in the 2022 draft.
Last month, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade, per ESPN. Needing a dynamic downfield threat, Cincinnati opted for another SEC standout.
Alabama 2024 NFL draft picks
Round 1
- 7. JC Latham, Tennessee Titans
- 17. Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings
- 24. Terrion Arnold, Detroit Lions
Round 2
- 41. Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans Saints
- 57. Chris Braswell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Round 3
- 80. Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati Bengals
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.
Alabama
Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Peanut Field Near Florida-Alabama Line : NorthEscambia.com
A single-engine plane made an emergency landing in an Alabama peanut field near the Florida state line on Friday afternoon.
The pilot and a student made the landing in the field after experiencing engine trouble, approximately 0.7 miles south-southwest of the runway at the Atmore Municipal Airport. There were no injuries.
The 2023 Diamond DA 40 NG plane belonging to Skywarrior Flight Training of Pensacola did not sustain any apparent damage.
For more photos, click here.
The incident occurred just north of Old Bratt Road, which is also known as State Line Road in Florida. The Florida-Alabama state line is generally considered to be along the middle of the roadway.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft begins Saturday, and Alabama Crimson Tide shortstop Justin Lebron has consistently been touted as one of the first 10-20 overall picks among analysts’ various mock drafts.
On Friday, CBS Sports released its final mock ahead of this weekend’s festivities in Philadelphia. Analyst Mike Axisa sees Lebron going to the Texas Rangers with the 16th overall selection.
Among college players, Lebron lands between Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick at No. 14 and one spot above Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian in CBS Sports’ final analysis.
Axisa said of the possible Rangers-Lebron fit:
“The Rangers have a thing for ‘famous’ prospects in the draft (think Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker), and Lebron is one of the most famous prospects available this summer. About 18 months ago, he was the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but some uneven performances (and Cholowsky’s breakout) cooled that talk. Lebron has some of the loudest tools in the draft class. We’re talking speed, power, athleticism, the works. Approach and plate discipline concerns have held him back, though.”
ESPN sees Alabama’s Justin Lebron among top 12 MLB draft picks
In the final MLB mock draft by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel on Friday, Lebron goes 12th overall to the Los Angeles Angels. LSU outfielder Derek Curiel is taken one pick above Lebron by the Washington Nationals in McDaniel’s draft forecast.
“With a new interim head of baseball operations in John Mozeliak, who is mostly hands-off with the draft, the belief is that the scouts will get to make this pick. That doesn’t mean all prep upside because that’s not really what the board is giving them, but I could see the Angels selecting a college hitter with less polish and more upside, such as Lebron, who is a nice value here.” –Kiley McDaniel, ESPN.com.
Could Justin Lebron be a top-10 pick in 2026 MLB draft?
For The Win, part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, unveiled its 2026 mock draft on Friday. Wajih AlBaroudi has Lebron going as high as No. 8 overall to the Athletics and said:
“Lebron is a dynamic athlete whose only glaring flaw is his patience at the plate. If he can clean that up, he’ll be a fixture atop the A’s lineup.”
Keith Law’s final mock draft for The Athletic (subscription required for full access) has Lebron taken with the 15th overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Justin Lebron career stats at Alabama
Lebron batted .313 with a .414 on base percentage, 45 home runs, 39 doubles and 158 RBIs in three seasons for the Crimson Tide. He stole 69 bases in his collegiate career. This past season, Lebron hit .277 with 16 homers and 13 doubles as Alabama won 42 games and reached the College World Series for the first time since 1999.
Where to watch the 2026 MLB draft: time, TV channel, streaming
The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft begins Saturday in Philadelphia. Per Major League Baseball, rounds 1-4 start at noon CT. The first 10 picks will be televised on NBC and will stream on Peacock. Picks 11-40 can be seen on MLB Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Rounds 5-20 begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CT and can be seen on MLB.com.
Follow us at @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
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