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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Roll Tide.



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SEC Championship injury updates: Alabama vs. Georgia Friday availability report revealed

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SEC Championship injury updates: Alabama vs. Georgia Friday availability report revealed


It’s the night before the SEC Championship in Atlanta, with us once again set to see a matchup of Alabama vs. Georgia. And now, ahead of kickoff tomorrow afternoon in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the final availability report of the season is out from the Southeastern Conference for both the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs.

The SEC posts injury reports three days out from league games, including this as the conference title game. An initial one is released on Wednesdays, with updates to it coming on Thursday and Fridays.

Here is that final update to the report for Alabama and Georgia ahead of the SEC Championship. Both teams playing for a title as well as for their respective spots in the College Football Playoff:

Alabama

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Georgia

Alabama made one addition to their designations from Wednesday to Thursday, with Collins now being officially labeled out as well, with two-thirds of their names on the report from last night being already unavailable for the game, for the Tide. Four then remained questionable for ‘Bama, with all of those being among the key names offensively for them like Miller, Cuevas, and Dewberry.

Georgia then also made one addition to their designations, with Branch, one of their top players in the secondary, added as questionable on Thursday to bring it to seven names for the Bulldogs. The other six, though, namely Young, Jones, Hall, and Bobo, were already labeled as out for UGA.



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SEC Championship game: Alabama vs. Georgia prediction, keys to game

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SEC Championship game: Alabama vs. Georgia prediction, keys to game


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  • SEC Championship: Alabama (10-2) vs. Georgia (11-1), 4 p.m., Saturday; TV: ABC

Georgia vs. Alabama in Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Not bad.

The big storyline entering Saturday’s game is whether Alabama is in the College Football Playoff regardless of outcome. Alabama is ninth in the latest CFP rankings and previous history says losing in conference title games may not come with a penalty by the committee. However, Alabama would likely fall out of the at-large mix with a lopsided loss.

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Alabama won the first meeting 24-21 back in September, the first of four wins in a row against ranked SEC opponents. But the Tide scuffled through November while Georgia answered the bell with wins against Texas and Georgia Tech.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game and who we think will win:

SEC Championship game: Alabama vs Georgia

  • Records: Alabama (10-2), Georgia (11-1)
  • Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m., ABC
  • Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

SEC Championship game predictions

  • Georgia 31, Alabama 24: Did Alabama peak too soon? The Crimson Tide got on a roll that started with their win at Georgia in September, but they didn’t look their best in a November loss to Oklahoma and a clunky Iron Bowl win at Auburn. Much like the first matchup, this rematch could come down to the quarterbacks. Ty Simpson won the battle in Round 1. I’ll take Gunner Stockton in the sequel, with an assist from Georgia’s improving defense. — Blake Toppmeyer
  • Georgia 23, Alabama 16: If it doesn’t happen now for Kirby Smart and Georgia, if the Dawgs don’t finally, and forcefully eliminate the Alabama problem against a Tide team running on fumes, then what? This isn’t the same elite Georgia of years past on either side of the ball, and the Dawgs could have lost three games this season. They also could be unbeaten, but for a strange fourth down decision/play call in September against You Know Who. The Georgia defense dictates this game. Matt Hayes
  • Georgia 28, Alabama 14: Alabama hasn’t looked like the best team in the SEC since October, if ever. The Tide were the better team in the matchup in Athens earlier this year. But there’s no way to look at the team that struggled against South Carolina and LSU, lost to Oklahoma and then barely beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl and think it has a real shot at stopping Georgia’s march back to the top the conference. Paul Myerberg

SEC Championship game betting odds

Odds via BetMGM, as of Dec. 5

  • Spread: Georgia (-2.5)
  • Over/under: 47.5
  • Moneyline: Georgia (-140)



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NFL Thursday night: Former Alabama ball-carrier matches Barry Sanders

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NFL Thursday night: Former Alabama ball-carrier matches Barry Sanders


Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns in a 44-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night to put his name beside Barry Sanders for a pair of NFL bests.

Sanders scored 47 touchdowns from 1989 through 1991 for the Lions — the most for any player in NFL history in his first three seasons and before his 24th birthday.

Gibbs lifted his touchdown total to 47 as he equaled Sanders for both bests. The former Alabama standout has four games remaining in his third NFL season, and his 24th birthday is on March 20.

Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run as Detroit took a 10-3 lead with 2:14 left in the first quarter, a 10-yard run with 7:17 to play as the Lions went ahead 37-27 and a 13-yard run with 2:19 remaining to set the final margin.

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Gibbs’ first touchdown also became part of a record-setting pair when Detroit running back David Montgomery broke away on a 35-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first half. Gibbs and Montgomery have scored in the same game 15 times, the most for a pair of running backs in the NFL’s Super Bowl era. They surpassed the 14 games of the Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston.

Gibbs finished with 43 yards on 12 rushing attempts. He also caught seven passes for 77 yards.

“He’s unique. He’s special,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Everybody knows what he can do in the run game, and really we couldn’t quite get him going the way we wanted to in the run game. But yet, he did find some paydirt on a couple of those. But the pass-game stuff, he continues to grow. The more we give him and the more we work with him in practice, we just continue to try to open his horizons and give him a little bit more, man, he just grows. He gets better and better, and then he gets in the game and the routes get crisper and crisper.

“He just keeps going, man. There’s just not a cap on this dude yet. And there again, he works his tail off. He’s freaking smart. He’s instinctive. He’s a team guy. He’s something else, so the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just getting started now.”

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams runs after catching a pass during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit.(AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

In addition to Gibbs, 11 other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field on Thursday night at Ford Field in Detroit:

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  • Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Tyler Booker (Alabama) started at right guard for the Cowboys.
  • Cowboys cornerback Trikweze Bridges (Lanett) did not record any stats.
  • Brian Branch (Alabama) started at safety for the Lions. Branch made six tackles, registered one quarterback hit, broke up one pass and recovered one fumble. Branch recovered a fumble at the Detroit 47-yard line with 6:15 left in the first half, and the Lions turned the takeaway into a touchdown for a 17-6 lead. Branch left the game because of an ankle injury with 3:45 to play.
  • Lions wide receiver Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) gained 1 yard on his first NFL rushing attempt. Detroit elevated Cunningham from its practice squad to make him eligible to play, and he made his first appearance since playing in two games in the 2023 season.
  • Lions linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) is on the injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys tight end Rivaldo Fairweather (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys wide receiver Traeshon Holden (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Lions offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys linebacker Shemar James (Faith Academy) made one tackle on defense and three tackles on special teams.
  • George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Pickens had five receptions for 37 yards.
  • Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) started at defensive back for the Cowboys. Steward made three tackles.
  • Lions safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn) made one tackle on defense, broke up one pass and had one tackle on special teams. Playing without safety Kerby Joseph, Detroit lost safeties Thomas Harper and Brian Branch to injuries during the game, which put Thomas, usually a special-teams specialist, in the Lions secondary.
  • Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
  • Jameson Williams (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams equaled his career single-game high for receptions set on Sunday with seven, which gained 96 yards. He also gained 7 yards on a rushing attempt.
  • Quinnen Williams (Wenonah, Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Cowboys. Williams made four tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
  • Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) made three tackles, registered one quarterback hit and blocked one field-goal attempt.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

The Lions and Cowboys entered the game battling to stay in the NFC playoff race, with both teams outside the current seven-team field. Each team now has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule.

In its next game, Detroit (8-5) plays the Los Angeles Rams at 3:25 p.m. CST Dec. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Dallas (6-6-1) plays the Minnesota Vikings at 7:20 p.m. Dec. 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.



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