Alabama

Jumbo Package: SEC Media Days schedule, questions for Alabama football

Published

3 months ago

July 14, 2025

Jumbo Package: SEC Media Days schedule, questions for Alabama football

Happy Monday, everyone. With 47 days to kickoff, Creg Stephenson looks back at a 47 yard field goal to upset Tennessee back in 1990.

Rarely has an Alabama football victory been more unlikely than on Oct. 20, 1990.
On that day at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., the Crimson Tide scored a 9-6 win over previously unbeaten Tennessee behind Philip Doyle’s 47-yard field goal as time expired. Alabama entered the game at 2-3 under first-year coach Gene Stallings, and had lost several of its top offensive weapons to injury early in the season.
“The only ones who thought we had a chance to win that football game were in our locker room,” Stallings told reporters afterward, and he was probably close to correct.

Alabama updated its roster with new heights and weights, and two offensive linemen notably went in opposite directions.

No. 71 – IOL Kam Dewberry (6-4, 332) -13
This weight loss had to happen. Dewberry played a little too heavy (335) at Texas A&M, and then reported to Alabama weighing 345 pounds. Now he sits down at 332, which should help his functionality and conditioning. He’s in a heated battle with Geno VanDeMark to take over for Tyler Booker at left guard, but I’d say he’s the favorite right now.
No. 74 – OT Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 366) +6
Easily the most discouraging development in the latest roster update. I wouldn’t say it was unexpected when you consider that Proctor was limited all throughout the spring and wasn’t able to do much, but he was still too heavy at 369 last year before dropping to 360 in the spring. The hope (for me, at least) was to see him get down in the 350-355 range at least. Instead, he’s heading in the opposite direction. Maybe that’ll change before Week 1.

Here’s hoping that Kadyn will be in shape and ready to reach his ceiling in year three. As Stephenson notes, much is expected of him.

3. Who is the SEC’s best offensive lineman?
Answer: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
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Proctor is technically on his second stint in Tuscaloosa following a brief transfer back home to Iowa during the winter of 2023-24, but he showed last season why he was so highly touted coming out of high school. He’s physical and aggressive, and uses his long arms and mammoth frame to swallow up opposing pass-rushers.

SEC Media Days kick off this week. The first head coach to take the podium will be Lane Kiffin just after lunch, which should start things off in amusing fashion. Per usual, Alabama’s session will be on Wednesday.

Wednesday, July 16
8-11:50 a.m.
Alabama (Kalen DeBoer, Tim Keenan III, Deontae Lawson, Kadyn Proctor)
Mississippi State (Jeff Lebby, Blake Shapen, Isaac Smith, Brenen Thompson)
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Noon-3:45 p.m.
Florida (Billy Napier, Caleb Banks, Jake Slaughter, DJ Lagway)
Oklahoma (Brent Venables, John Mateer, Robert Spears-Jennings, R Mason Thomas)

Kalen DeBoer will of course get plenty of questions about the quarterback battle, but the lines of scrimmage and getting back to the standard that Alabama fans have become spoiled to will also be on the table.

It’s not a big leap to think the defense can take an even bigger step forward in 2025. But the pass rush lacked at times in 2024. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack often had to get creative to dial up pressure in his first season running the defense. Alabama finished with 25 sacks, nowhere near the top 10 in college football. Boise State tallied the most with 55. Sacks aren’t everything, but it’s still a stat worth improving for Alabama.
LT Overton figures to be the top pass rusher. He was a season ago. Overton taking the next step in his game (and getting sacks) could go a long way in improving the pass rush. But Alabama will need someone to pair with him so offenses can’t focus on blocking only Overton.
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Qua Russaw has the potential to be that guy opposite Overton creating havoc for offenses. Or perhaps, someone else can step up.

Can Kalen DeBoer get Tide in the CFP?
The first-year results under Kalen DeBoer weren’t unexpected, but it was still a disappointment for the Tide faithful. The losses to Oklahoma and Michigan near the end of the season were salt in the wound. Alabama is more talented this season than last. Though many will pay attention to the perceived quarterback battle between Ty Simpson and Austin Mack, the big-picture question is what matters: What happens if DeBoer misses the playoff with one of the nation’s more talented rosters?

This next excerpt is just for your amusement.

4. Georgia: Alabama
The last coach Georgia fans ever wanted to see on the other sideline is doing television. Nick Saban was 5-1 against Kirby Smart, but even with Saban in his first year of retirement last season, Alabama still beat Georgia in a wild 41-34 game in Tuscaloosa the final weekend of September. Georgia has lost nine of the past 10 games in the series and hasn’t beaten Alabama in the regular season since 2007, Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, when the Mark Richt-coached Bulldogs won 26-23 in overtime. Georgia has vaulted to elite status under Smart, but a second straight loss to DeBoer — especially with this year’s game being played in Athens — wouldn’t sit well with anybody in Athens. — Chris Low

Vanderbilt is listed as Alabama’s. Let’s hope the men are ready for that one.

Last, Deion Sanders made some waves talking about the modern “uniform.”

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes wants NFL-style uniform violation fines brought to the college football world. He is particularly bothered by players who wear their pants too short.
“Let’s do something about the uniforms,” Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I’m a football guy — I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that’s cool?”
Sanders, who is entering his third year at Colorado, said that officials could enforce the violations by throwing flags at players who don’t wear knee pads. However, he would prefer if players were straight up fined.

Thoughts?

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.

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Alabama

Small coastal Alabama town elects first Black woman mayor

Published

6 days ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Small coastal Alabama town elects first Black woman mayor

Prichard, a small town north of Mobile struggling with a water and sewage crisis, ousted its mayor from office Tuesday night.

Carletta Davis, a community activist, won the runoff for mayor of Prichard. Davis received 2,191 votes, and incumbent Mayor Jimmie Gardner received 714.

Davis is the first Black woman elected to the office, according to Prichard City Councilmember Stephani Johnson-Norwood. Prichard is 88.7% Black.

After Tuesday’s elections, four out of five members of Prichard’s city council are women, in an overhaul of the town’s leadership.

Davis leads We Matter Eight Mile, a community action group. She has been active in Prichard’s numerous water and sewer difficulties.

The town’s water and sewer utility has been under control of a receiver for the last two years after it defaulted on a $56 million loan from a bank.

The utility loses 60% of the water it purchases, and millions of gallons of raw sewage spills in the town every year.

Issues with water and sewage service, along with concerns about crime, dominated this year’s elections.

Nine provisional ballots have not been counted, but they will not be a decisive factor in the race. The town came under fire for its handling of provisional ballots during the August 23 general election.

Issues in last election

Davis ran against incumbent Jimmie Gardner and Lorenzo Martin, a former city councilman, in the general election in August.

Davis and Gardner advanced to the runoff, with Davis receiving the most votes. However, Gardner led Martin by just a few votes, 635 to 631 to get into the runoff, according to WKRG.

Davis received 951 votes in the general election.

However, between 13 and 23 provisional ballots cast in the August 23 race were not counted. Martin filed a challenge in Mobile County Circuit Court, asking for those ballots to be counted.

A provisional ballot is one cast by a voter whose eligibility cannot be proven on election day.

The provisional ballots in question were left behind at a senior center and delivered to the Mobile County Board of Registrars more than 24 hours after the election. The Mobile County Board of Registrars discounted 13 provisional ballots.

Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Michael Youngpeter dismissed Martin’s claim, in part because of a “failure to file security for the necessary costs.” Martin paid a $10,000 bond as part of his challenge.

“A qualified elector must not be punished, if you will, with blatant misconduct enabled by a public official cognizant of all applicable laws related to fair elections,” Martin’s motion to reconsider Youngpeter’s dismissal says. “This surely is unconstitutional.”

The ACLU of Alabama issued a scathing report earlier this month, highlighting issues with elections around the state, including Prichard. In their report, the civil rights group said provisional ballots were not available at polling places, and poll workers wrote “provisional” on standard ballots.

The Prichard City Clerk’s staff was not available throughout election day August 23, the ACLU said, despite concerns about ballot access.

City Council races

Prichard city councilmembers Annie Williams, in District One, and Johnson-Norwood, in District Two, were reelected without opposition.

In District Three, Traci Hale defeated Mario Yow, Sr., 326 votes to 168 votes.
In District Four, leader of voting advocacy group Teresa Fox-Bettis defeated incumbent George McCall, Jr., 316 votes to 193 votes.
In District Five, Roy Smith II defeated Anthony Barry, 304 votes to 283 votes. Smith will be the lone man on the city council.

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Alabama

Badgers snap counts vs. Alabama in Week 3: Defense

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2025

Press Room

Badgers snap counts vs. Alabama in Week 3: Defense

The Wisconsin Badgers had a rough day at the office on Saturday, losing 38-14 to the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, falling to 2-1 on the season.

Here are the defensive snap counts from the Week 3 loss to Alabama.

Brandon Lane – Snap Count: [27]

Jay’Viar Suggs – Snap Count: [26]

Ben Barten – Snap Count: [24]

Parker Petersen – Snap Count: [22]

Dillan Johnson – Snap Count: [5]

Mason Reiger – Snap Count: [43]

Sebastian Cheeks – Snap Count: [37]

Darryl Peterson – Snap Count: [25]

Tyreese Fearbry – Snap Count: [11]

Aaron Witt – Snap Count: [7]

Christian Alliegro – Snap Count: [52]

Tackett Curtis – Snap Count: [48]

Cooper Catalano – Snap Count: [6]

Mason Posa – Snap Count: [3]

Ricardo Hallman – Snap Count: [55]

Geimere Latimer – Snap Count: [48]

Omillio Agard – Snap Count: [28]

D’Yoni Hill – Snap Count: [27]

Austin Brown – Snap Count: [48]

Preston Zachman – Snap Count: [38]

Matt Jung – Snap Count: [25]

Wisconsin cut down its rotation across the board on Saturday, as you saw fewer overall reserves get snaps, but some of the top reserves got more reps than in previous weeks.

Along the defensive line, the rotation cut down to just five players, with Brandon Lane, Jay’Viar Suggs, Ben Barten, and Parker Petersen being the clear top group.

At linebacker, it was almost exclusively Christian Alliegro and Tackett Curtis, while true freshmen Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa got a few snaps at the end of the game.

At cornerback, it was just the top four players getting reps. Omillio Agard and D’Yoni Hill had an even split of the 55 defensive snaps. Ricardo Hallman played the whole game, and nickelback Geimere Latimer saw 48 of the 55 defensive snaps.

At safety, Wisconsin cut down its rotation. Matt Jung has emerged as the clear No. 3 safety, and he saw his biggest snap share yet. As a result, Matthew Traynor did not play at all on Sunday at safety, while Preston Zachman saw a few of his snaps taken away.

We’ll see how the Badgers shift when they start conference play next week against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium.

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Alabama

Ty Simpson delivers again as No. 19 Alabama handles Wisconsin for the 2nd straight year, 38-14

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2025

Press Room

Ty Simpson delivers again as No. 19 Alabama handles Wisconsin for the 2nd straight year, 38-14

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ty Simpson threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns, including two to returning star Ryan Williams, and No. 19 Alabama overpowered Wisconsin for the second consecutive year, 38-14 on Saturday.

Simpson completed 24 of 29 passes, with two of his misses being drops by Williams and freshman Lotzier Brooks. Williams finished with five receptions for 165 yards after missing last week’s game because of a concussion.

Simpson, who was equally solid last week against Louisiana-Monroe, joined Mac Jones (2020) as the only quarterbacks in school history to complete at least 80% of his passes and throw three TDs in consecutive games.

The Byrant-Denny Stadium crowd erupted as Williams took a screen pass and went 75 yards on the first play of the second half. It gave Williams his first 100-yard game since facing Georgia last September.

Bray Hubbard’s two interceptions led an Alabama (2-1) defense that held Wisconsin to 209 yards. The Crimson Tide notched four sacks.

Danny O’Neil, subbing for injured Wisconsin starter Billy Edwards, completed 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards. His 41-yard TD pass to Jayden Ballard was one of the few highlights for the Badgers (2-1). Vinny Anthony II also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score.

Key injuries

Alabama defensive end LT Overton left the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return. He walked to the locker room without assistance.

Alabama defensive back Bray Hubbard (18) celebrates an interception against Wisconsin during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Credit: AP/Vasha Hunt

Poll implications

The Crimson Tide are expected to continue to climb in next week’s AP Top 25 college football poll.

The takeaway

Wisconsin: The injury-riddled Badgers couldn’t find a rhythm on either side of the ball and have dropped consecutive games to Alabama by a combined score of 80-24. Getting healthy, particularly at QB and along the O-line, is critical before conference play.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide have outscored their last two opponents by a combined score of 111-14, potentially turning a corner after losing the opening at Florida State.