When Nick Saban shockingly announced his retirement from coaching Alabama last January, a pair of the Crimson Tide’s top recruits in the Class of 2024 weren’t sure what their future held in store for them.

Star freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, unlike many other top recruits ahead of their first year, had yet to settle into the school’s campus in January. In an interview with FOX Sports’ Keyshawn Johnson on Johnson’s podcast “All Facts, No Brakes,” Williams admitted that Saban’s retirement initially threw a wrench into his future, leaving him uncertain on what he wanted to do. 

“It, like, shattered my whole recruiting process, because I’m born and raised from Alabama,” Williams said. “I’m just like, ‘Man, what am I gonna do now?’”

Williams decommitted from Alabama just hours after Saban’s retirement, opening up his recruitment again. As Williams contemplated his future at Alabama, fellow five-star recruit and Alabama native defensive back Jaylen Mbakwe had just moved onto campus for spring ball when Saban announced his retirement. His first day of team meetings was the day Saban retired. 

But as fellow Class of 2024 recruit Julian Sayin and standout safety Caleb Downs, among others, announced their intentions to hit the transfer portal after Saban’s retirement (both former five-star recruits are now at Ohio State), it didn’t take long for Mbawke to reaffirm his commitment to Alabama after the school hired Kalen DeBoer. 

“A lot that went into it, but I didn’t want to make a decision just off emotions,” Mbakwe told Keyshawn Johnson on “All Facts, No Brakes. “Once we got DeBoer, we had the first team meeting, I felt like that was a great place for me to stay in and be at. So it was just a good fit.”

That decision helped Williams reconsider committing to Alabama, sharing that he spoke with Mbakwe about DeBoer.

“I remember us talking [immediately after Saban retired],” Williams said. “I mean, we talked about it, and we were just — I ain’t gonna lie — we were just nervous. The minutes turned into hours. The hours felt like days. Everything just felt like it was taking forever. So, I remember whenever Coach DeBoer, was one of the contenders for it, man, like, looking up his record. We was like, ‘Oh, he was just at Washington. We was like, ’72-12. No, 102-12?’ We’re looking at [his head coaching] record like, ‘Let’s do it.’”

So, just two weeks after decommitting from Alabama, Williams opted to commit to Alabama again, especially once he saw the success Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan had in DeBoer’s offense at Washington in 2023. All three were drafted to the NFL in the spring, with Odunze going to the Chicago Bears at No. 9 overall.

“My high school coach knew Coach DeBoer a little bit. He was like, ‘Just give him a chance.’” Williams said. “And then I talked to Coach DeBoer, I was like, ‘Oh, we good.’ The offense fit perfectly for a receiver. So I was just like, it ain’t no reason for me to leave.”

DeBoer’s ability to keep Williams and Mbakwe committed to Alabama has helped the Crimson Tide immensely in the first season of the post-Saban era. The 17-year-old Williams has put up one of the more memorable freshman seasons in recent memory, recording 37 receptions for 731 yards and two touchdowns. Mbakwe has 14 total tackles and an interception. 

And while the two freshmen are trying to help the program into a new era from under the shadow of Saban, they certainly aren’t feeling the weight of the expectations he brought to the program over his historic stretch. 

“There’s still no pressure,” Williams said. “It’s a privilege. No pressure.”

“No pressure, man,” Mbakwe added. “You know, we’ve been doing this since we was ‘yea’ high. I don’t think there’s no pressure. I just feel like you just got to be yourself, man. You know, you go in with a mentality that you had since you’ve been playing ball. So, I feel like if you go in with that same mentality, you’ll fear us in any type of way.”

Of course, Williams and Mbakwe are just two of the pieces for an Alabama team that’s 7-2 and looks destined to make the College Football Playoff. The two freshmen credited older teammates for helping them acclimate quickly. Williams pointed to quarterback Jalen Milroe as one of them, saying he “took me under his wing and we dove into the playbook.” Milroe, who has suddenly become a Heisman candidate again after his four-touchdown performance against LSU, has also helped set the standard for players at Alabama, according to Williams. 

“He’d be at the facility at 4:30 in the morning,” Williams said. “Like I’m telling you, every time I get to the facility, I think I beat him. It’s like he just stayed the night there.”

Mbakwe also made sure to credit the head coach for quickly establishing a positive culture in Tuscaloosa, too. 

“He’s just a cool guy, down to earth,” Mbakwe said of DeBoer. “He loves all his players equally, like you can go to his office and talk to him anytime and that’s what I most love about him.”

While their teammate is a Heisman candidate, Milroe is still a long-shot for the award with Colorado’s Travis Hunter among others ahead of him in the race. The two-way superstar became the betting favorite to win the Heisman after Week 11 as he’s excelled at wide receiver and cornerback this season. 

Shedeur Sanders connects with Travis Hunter on an ELECTRIC 24-yard TD to help Colorado extend lead over Texas Tech

Mbakwe remarked that it’s “impressive to see” what Hunter’s done this season, but the Alabama freshman feels he’s a better cornerback than the two-way dynamo.

“I’m just that type of person, like I feel like I’m better than anybody,” Mbakwe said. 

On top of potentially winning the Heisman, Hunter might win both the Biletnikoff (college football’s best wide receiver) and Thorpe (best defensive back) Awards this season. Hunter has 69 receptions for 856 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Williams said he checks out Hunter’s games when he gets the chance. However, as impressive as he might find Hunter, Williams doesn’t want him winning the Biletnikoff on his watch.

“I can’t let him do that. I can’t let him do that,” Williams said. “I feel like I’m the best receiver in the country, especially whenever my team put me in an opportunity, they do a great job of giving me an opportunity to showcase that. But in the open field, I don’t feel like nobody can tackle me.”

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Alabama Crimson Tide

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The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide take on an FCS opponent, the Mercer Bears (9-1), at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

If you are in the market for Crimson Tide vs. Bears tickets, information is available below.

Alabama vs. Mercer game info

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Alabama Crimson Tide schedule

• Week 1: Aug. 31 vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 63-0 win
• Week 2: Sept. 7 vs. South Florida Bulls, 42-16 win
• Week 3: Sept. 14 at Wisconsin Badgers, 42-10 win
• Week 5: Sept. 28 vs. Georgia Bulldogs, 41-34 win
• Week 6: Oct. 5 at Vanderbilt Commodores, 40-35 loss
• Week 7: Oct. 12 vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, 27-25 win
• Week 8: Oct. 19 at Tennessee Volunteers, 24-17 loss
• Week 9: Oct. 26 vs. Missouri Tigers, 34-0 win
• Week 11: Nov. 9 at LSU Tigers, 42-13 win
• Week 12: Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. ET vs. Mercer Bears
• Week 13: Nov. 23 at Oklahoma Sooners
• Week 14: Nov. 30 vs. Auburn Tigers

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Alabama Crimson Tide stats

• From an offensive standpoint, Alabama ranks 34th in the FBS with 430.4 yards per game. Meanwhile, its defense ranks 43rd in total defense (338.3 yards allowed per contest).
• The Crimson Tide have been finding success on both offense and defense, ranking 13th-best in scoring offense (38.1 points per game) and 14th-best in scoring defense (18 points allowed per game).
• Alabama is putting up 238 passing yards per game on offense (57th in the FBS), and ranks 38th on defense with 198.3 passing yards allowed per game.
• From an offensive standpoint, the Crimson Tide rank 31st in the FBS with 192.4 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, they rank 57th in rushing yards allowed per contest (140).

Mercer Bears schedule

• Week 1: Aug. 29 vs. Presbyterian Blue Hose, 63-10 win
• Week 2: Sept. 7 at Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 31-2 win
• Week 3: Sept. 14 at Chattanooga Mocs, 10-3 win
• Week 4: Sept. 21 vs. The Citadel Bulldogs, 38-21 win
• Week 5: Sept. 28 at Wofford Terriers, 22-3 win
• Week 7: Oct. 12 vs. Princeton Tigers, 34-7 win
• Week 8: Oct. 19 at Samford Bulldogs, 55-35 loss
• Week 9: Oct. 26 vs. Western Carolina Catamounts, 44-34 win
• Week 10: Nov. 2 vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers, 37-31 win
• Week 11: Nov. 9 at VMI Keydets, 34-0 win
• Week 12: Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. ET at Alabama Crimson Tide
• Week 13: Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. ET vs. Furman Paladins

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Mercer Bears stats

• Mercer has been keeping opposing offenses in check on defense, allowing just 296.5 total yards per game (11th-best). Offensively, it ranks 26th by racking up 409.7 total yards per game.
• The Bears have been productive on both offense and defense this season, ranking 16th-best in points per game (34.8) and eighth-best in points allowed per game (16.6).
• With 233.2 passing yards per game on offense, Mercer ranks 33rd in the FCS. On defense, it ranks 97th, allowing 239.1 passing yards per contest.
• The Bears rank 30th in the FCS with 176.5 rushing yards per game, but they’ve been carried by their defense, which ranks best by allowing just 57.4 rushing yards per contest.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The No. 2 Alabama basketball team survived an early season scare on Monday night as the Crimson Tide defeated the McNeese State Cowboys 72-64 to stay unbeaten through the season’s first three games.

Alabama endured an over nine-minute field goal drought in the second half but was able to scrape together just enough offense to hang on for the win. Who shouldered the load offensively for the Crimson Tide in the middle of their second half struggles? Graduate guard Latrell Wrightsell.

Wrightsell scored a season-high 15 points along with two rebounds and two assists as his season continues to warm up. The veteran guard missed significant portions of the offseason with injury and started the season a bit slow, making just two of his first 13 three-point attempts in his first two games. His shooting stroke looked to have returned on Monday as he made five-of-nine from beyond the arc, including four in the second half to ensure an Alabama victory.

“Yeah, I mean, this is what we expected him to be,” Nate Oats said. “He’s another one that missed the exhibitions with an injury so he’s just now getting back into his rhythm. The one-for-nine that’s not him, last game. Some of those were good shots he just missed. Some of them, you know, you’ve got to get a feel for what’s a good shot, what’s not. Some of that’s hard to do if you’re not practicing like he was out a month. So I thought he had a lot better feel. Honestly, I thought he turned down some I wish he would have taken. As well as he was shooting it tonight there were three or four he should have shot, I thought. If he would have taken three or four more and get 12 or 13 threes up, that’d be great, because he’s one of the best shooters in the country in my opinion.”

Wrightsell’s 12 second-half points paced the Crimson Tide in the second half, doubling forward Grant Nelson’s six points as the Alabama offense struggled in the second frame. His third three-point make of the second half extended the Crimson Tide’s lead to 21 before Alabama went ice-cold.

McNeese State was able to cut Alabama’s lead down to six at 60-54 as the underdogs rallied, but it was Wrightsell again, making his fourth three-point shot of the second half that re-extended the lead to nine with just over five minutes to play, stopping the drought and propelling Alabama to victory.

“I mean, I just work out every day,” Wrightsell said on his last make .”I didn’t even realize that, but I’m just thankful for my teammates finding me when I’m open, trusting my shot and just getting to shoot when I’m ready.”

The Crimson Tide enters a challenging stretch of non-conference action beginning on Friday against Purdue. Wrightsell returning to form as one of the nation’s most dangerous shooters will go a long way towards helping Alabama navigate the nation’s most difficult non-conference schedule.