Alabama
NFL Draft prospect Evan Neal relying on his tape over combine, pro day
There was a time when Evan Neal stated he would, if not pig out, definitely give in to temptation. That meant devouring not one, however two of his favourite quick meals cravings: a Chick-Fil-A spicy meal combo.
“Can’t do this today,’’ Neal stated late final month at his Alabama Professional Day exercise.
“Nowadays’’ are spent coaching and getting ready for the NFL draft. Neal will hear his identify referred to as early on the night time of April 28, not lengthy after the primary spherical begins. For all Nick Saban has completed at Alabama, sending top-shelf prospects into the NFL with assembly-line precision, none of his Crimson Tide gamers has ever been the No. 1 choice.
“Wherever I get drafted, I’ll be extraordinarily blissful,’’ Neal stated. “What prospect wouldn’t wish to go No. 1? That will be a dream come true for positive.
“It could imply all the pieces. There are an entire lot of Alabama gamers who have been worthy of being drafted in that spot. For it to be me could be actually particular. Make the entire state of Alabama proud, the college for positive.’’
The Jaguars personal the No. 1 choose and they aren’t anticipated to go together with Neal, however you by no means know. Heck, Neal won’t be the primary offensive lineman to listen to his identify, as Ickey Ekwonu from North Carolina State could possibly be first off the board.
There’s little doubt Neal or Ekwonu is not going to get previous the Giants at No. 5. They’re completely different prospects although. Ekwonu may become an All-Professional guard, and he delighted the media throng on the scouting mix in early March together with his partaking persona. Neal was extra businesslike and his physique is way completely different from the burly Ekwonu. Neal is 6-foot-7 ¹/₂ and 337 kilos. He really seems to be svelte in shorts and a T-shirt. Along with his lengthy body and longer arms, Neal is already an completed move protector.
There aren’t any questions on Neal’s NFL readiness as a right away starter at left or proper sort out. The one concern from scouts is whether or not he’ll settle for being excellent on the expense of working to be nice. The upside potential in Neal, his ceiling, won’t be as excessive as a staff wishes out of a top-five draft choose.
There’s not rather more Neal might have completed as a school participant. He was a three-year starter at left guard, proper sort out and left sort out. He served as a move protector for Mac Jones and Bryce Younger and received two SEC championships and one School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship.
Neal did a lot, in actual fact, that he didn’t see the necessity to do rather more. He didn’t take part in any drills on the mix, and through his Professional Day on March 30, Neal took half in positional drills however didn’t run the 40-yard sprint or line up for the broad leap.
“That’s what you go to varsity for, to place it on tape,” Neal stated. “The NFL goes to observe it, and that’s what they choose you primarily based on. The tape.”
The tape is darn good.
“His dimension and athletic means has put him ready the place I feel he has a really shiny future,” Saban stated. “He did a terrific job for us, whether or not he performed guard or sort out. I’m positive that range will assist him as a professional participant as nicely.”
As match and sculpted as he seems to be heading into the draft, NFL groups know Neal has performed at a a lot heavier weight — 350 kilos — and that’s, if not a fear, definitely a consider figuring out Neal’s long-term sturdiness. He by no means missed a sport at Alabama.
“I’ve at all times simply been a giant man,’’ Neal stated. “I by no means checked out myself as having a weight drawback. I felt comfy taking part in in any respect of these weights, however I undoubtedly really feel extra comfy on the weight I’m at now.’’
Neal stated he consumes 3,500 to 4,000 energy a day, consuming more healthy than he has prior to now.
“Lean meats like rotisserie rooster and rice and steak,” Neal stated. “I’m allergic to seafood, so I can’t eat fish or something like that, which is a bummer. So I eat turkey. Issues like that. A variety of beans. Protein.”
Protecting his giant body balanced is an ongoing course of. Neal stated together with his move blocking and likewise his run blocking “at occasions my base will are likely to tighten up on me and I’ll elevate up and get excessive and that can are likely to make me fall off blocks or get thrown.’’
These are correctable approach tweaks. He’s thought-about to be a franchise offensive sort out and can get chosen very excessive within the first spherical. Not first, most definitely, however quickly thereafter.
Very cold temperatures greeted Alabamians on Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service said temperatures overnight bottomed out in the low 20s in parts of the state and even were at the freezing mark in south Alabama.
Here were the lowest temperatures between midnight and 6 a.m. Sunday from around Alabama from the National Weather Service:
* Alexander City: 30 degrees
* Anniston: 23 degrees
* Auburn: 28 degrees
* Birmingham: 24 degrees
* Decatur: 25 degrees
* Demopolis: 25 degrees
* Dothan: 30 degrees
* Evergreen: 28 degrees
* Eufaula: 28 degrees
* Gadsden: 21 degrees
* Haleyville: 22 degrees
* Huntsville: 26 degrees
* Mobile: 31 degrees
* Montgomery: 25 degrees
* Muscle Shoals: 24 degrees
* Ozark: 29 degrees
* Prattville: 25 degrees
* Sylacauga: 24 degrees
* Talladega: 22 degrees
* Troy: 26 degrees
* Tuscaloosa: 25 degrees
Temperatures today will be a few degrees higher than on Saturday. Highs will range from the low to mid-40s in south Alabama to the 50s in central Alabama, to the mid-50s in south Alabama (today’s forecast is at the top of this post).
Tonight will be chilly again, but not as cold as last night. Here are the forecast low temperatures from Sunday night into Monday morning:
Tonight’s low temperatures won’t be quite as cold as last night.NWS
Gradual warming is expected to continue this week, with the next chances for rain arriving on Wednesday, Christmas Day. The weather service isn’t expecting a lot of rain, and no severe weather is anticipated.
High temperatures on Christmas Day will be warmer, with 60s expected across a wide area and possibly some 70s near the coast. Here are the expected Christmas Day temperatures:
It will be warmer across much of Alabama on Christmas Day. Above is the forecast for Wednesday.NWS
The warming trend looks to hold past Christmas. Here is the six- to 10-day temperature outlook, and it shows a high probability of above-average temperatures for Alabama through the end of December:
Alabama has a high probability of experiencing above-average temperatures from Dec. 27- Dec. 31.Climate Prediction Center
Alabama
Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline
Seth McLaughlin wasn’t able to play against Tennessee on Saturday night.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t celebrate his team’s dominating 42-17 win the way he used to when he suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide as an undergraduate student.
The cigar he had with him was not random or a prop. It was part of a tradition he learned in Tuscaloosa.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) December 22, 2024
As the legend has it, in 1961 one of Bear Bryant’s trainers lit up a stogie following a Tide win which had ended a five-game slide to the Volunteers. This created a tradition maintained over the next two decades – which eventually spread to the opposite sideline.
The Volunteers have been participating in the victory cigar tradition since the early 1980s. It has spread from the sideline into the stands and tailgates. Earlier this season, the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide in Knoxville, creating a plume of smoke above Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee students light up cigars after an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. © Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
So it was appropriate that McLaughlin, now with the Buckeyes following his Rimington Award-winning season in Columbus found a way to pay homage to his first alma mater while celebrating with his second one.
Former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin is smoking a cigar on the Ohio State sideline as time expires and the Buckeyes beat Tennessee.
— Sidelines – Bama (@SSN_Alabama) December 22, 2024
Ohio State plays Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Alabama
Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green to transfer to Alabama football. What it means for Crimson Tide
An all-conference linebacker is joining Alabama football for the 2025 season.
Nikhai Hill-Green, a former Michigan and Charlotte linebacker who was second-team All-Big 12 at Colorado in 2024, told On3 he would transfer to the Crimson Tide for his final season of eligibility.
Hill-Green is the seventh player to join Alabama ahead of 2025 along with Cal long snapper David Bird, Colorado School of Mines punter Blake Doud, Florida defensive lineman Kelby Collins, Utah cornerback Cameron Calhoun, Texas A&M offensive lineman Kam Dewberry and Miami wide receiver Isaiah Horton.
Hill-Green is the third transfer commitment Saturday along with Horton and Dewberry.
What Alabama football gets in Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green
Hill-Green is coming off his most productive collegiate season yet.
The former four-star linebacker out of Baltimore was the Buffaloes’ second-leading tackler with 82, adding 11.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, four pass deflections and two interceptions.
Hill-Green had a 13-tackle performance against Kansas State. He also had back-to-back games against Texas Tech and Utah where he had an interception.
Hill-Green improved upon his productive 2023 season at Charlotte where he had 73 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, two sacks and three pass deflections.
Hill-Green originally signed with Michigan in the 2020 class and played two seasons with the Wolverines.
Alabama football depth chart: Where does Nikhai Hill-Green fit?
Alabama’s linebacker room is about to get a lot younger.
The Crimson Tide added four linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class: Ohio four-star Justin Hill, Georgia four-star Darrell Johnson, Georgia four-star Luke Metz and California four-star Abduall Sanders Jr.
It’s a room currently in a bit of a transition period, one that will not have Que Robinson and Justin Jefferson in 2025 while Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson are both NFL draft eligible.
Depending on the status of Campbell and Lawson, Alabama could be looking to fill two linebacker spots next to Wolf Qua Russaw. And other than the four freshmen, Alabama’s room does not have many options with players expected to return such as Justin Okoronkwo, Jeremiah Alexander and Cayden Jones.
Hill-Green is a plug-and-play starter, likely at the Mike, one that gives Alabama a chance to develop younger members of the room instead of throwing them into the fire as freshmen.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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