Alabama

Tony's takes: Were receivers a problem for Alabama last season?

Published

10 months ago

May 4, 2025

Tony's takes: Were receivers a problem for Alabama last season?

We reached the point of the year where news is hard to come by. Both the basketball and football transfer windows have slammed shut, and barring a couple of roster additions by Nate Oats, most of Alabama’s offseason business has been handled.

Oats and Kalen DeBoer are both on the docket for next week’s Regions Tradition Pro-Am. Outside of that, you’ll need to tune into podcasts and radio appearances if you want to hear from the two head coaches over the next few weeks.

Most of those interviews won’t produce many needle-moving items. Still, every now and then, a coach might say something that makes my ears perk up.

That was the case this past week when DeBoer subtly noted some discontent with the way his receiver room performed last season.

First came a Monday interview with Seattle radio station 93.3 KJR, when the head coach was asked his thoughts on why quarterback Jalen Milroe struggled as a passer late last season.

DeBoer said there are areas of Milroe’s game that need improvement, but he also noted a few things that could “justify” the quarterback’s poor performance down the stretch. One of those was a receiving corps that “had just a couple of receivers who were consistent week in and week out for him.”

I didn’t think much of that comment until later in the week when DeBoer brought up the unit during an interview with CBS Sports podcaster Josh Pate. During the interview, Pate asked DeBoer which area of his team he felt was in line for the most improvement this fall. Without hesitation, the first position groups to come out of the head coach’s mouth were receiver and defensive back.

Secondary was a given. Alabama had to replace all but one of its starting defensive backs from the year before and was forced to throw true freshman Zabien Brown into the first-team fire at the cornerback position.

But the receivers? There weren’t many fingers pointed in their direction when it came to questioning why Alabama missed out on last season’s College Football Playoff. Instead, most people faulted Milroe for a pedestrian passing offense that ranked 56th nationally, mustering up just 236.4 yards per game through the air.

I’ll be the first to admit, I was one of them.

But was I wrong to place the bulk of the blame on Milroe? It’s something DeBoer’s comments made me take a second look at this week.

Before I begin, this column isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card for Milroe. He didn’t do himself many favors with his accuracy and decision-making last season. And he’s got a long way to go before he’s ready to lead an offense at the next level. But maybe he shouldn’t be the only one shouldering the blame.

According to Pro Football Focus, Alabama ranked seventh in the SEC with a 75.9 receiving grade. As one might expect, Ole Miss led the way with an 85.9 rating. The Rebels were followed by LSU (78.5), Arkansas (78.4) and Texas (78.0). All four of those programs had a pass catcher selected by the end of Day 2 in this year’s NFL Draft.

But Alabama was also behind the likes of Florida (76.8) and Vanderbilt (76.0). That’s not a good look, especially considering the talent DeBoer produced at wide receiver during his two seasons at Washington.

The PFF grading system rewards receivers for creating big plays through consistently beating coverages and winning contested catches. It also punishes them for things such as drops and poor route running. Like any judged scale, it’s subjective. But there’s also a few areas where the stats speak for themselves.

According to PFF, Alabama recorded 19 drops over 337 pass attempts last season. That’s a drop rate of 5.63%, which tied with Mississippi State for fifth-worst in the conference.

Despite leading the Tide with 865 yards and eight touchdowns through the air, Ryan Williams was the team’s guiltiest culprit when it came to drops. According to PFF, the five-star freshman let seven balls slip through his hands. That’s the most by an Alabama player since John Metchie III tallied eight drops in 2021.

Germie Bernard led Alabama with a 79.2 receiving grade last season. That marked the first time since 2016 that the Tide didn’t have at least one player record an 80.0 rating or above. To be fair, Jahmyr Gibbs was the only Alabama player to reach the mark in 2022, while fellow running back Josh Jacobs was the only Tide player to do so in 2017.

Still, maybe DeBoer has a point when it comes to last season’s receiving production.

Once again, Milroe isn’t off the hook here. As one unnamed AFC executive said before the draft, “He’s got a fastball that’s not very accurate. He doesn’t know when to take it off the ball.” A little more touch would certainly have gone a long way when it came to Alabama’s ability to pull in passes.

So what did this exercise show me?

While the numbers were pretty damning at times, they offer up plenty of optimism for the coming season. Whether you blame Milroe or his receivers for last season’s lack of production, the Tide should fare better through the air this fall.

Alabama’s three options behind center are all pass-first quarterbacks. While they might lack Milroe’s playmaking abilities in some areas, they should all be better at distributing the ball accurately in the short and intermediate games.

That should allow the Tide’s receivers to take a step forward as well.

Now that Williams has found his footing at the college level, he should have an easier time finding his grip on the ball in Year 2. The Tide also returns Bernard’s steady hands while bringing in a potential breakout star in Miami transfer Isaiah Horton. Add in reliable slot options such as Cole Adams and freshman Lotzeir Brooks, and the receiver position seems like one of Alabama’s strengths.

How’s that for good news heading into the summer?

Another turn of the calendar means a new cocktail for a cause from our friends at Sessions Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. This month’s drink is called the Trailblazer and supports the Junior League of Tuscaloosa, an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact.

The cocktail consists of vodka, orange liqueur, grenadine and lime juice. It is also available in a non-alcoholic version. Stop by, support the cause and tell them I sent you!

Cheers!

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Alabama

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28

Published

9 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28

Labaron Philon’s No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 SEC) hit the road to match up with Ja’Kobi Gillespie and the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers (20-8, 10-5 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET.

We have more details below, including how to watch this matchup on ESPN.

Prepare for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s college hoops action.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: How to watch on TV or live stream

Game day: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Game time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena
TV Channel: ESPN
Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Tennessee vs. Alabama stats and trends

Tennessee ranks 78th in the nation with 80.5 points per game so far this year. At the other end, it ranks 62nd with 69.1 points allowed per contest.
The Volunteers are thriving when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (39.9 per game) and second-best in rebounds allowed (25.9 per contest).
So far this season, Tennessee ranks 30th in college basketball in assists, averaging 17.1 per game.
With 11.8 turnovers per game, the Volunteers are 257th in the country. They force 10.7 turnovers per contest, which ranks 224th in college basketball.
This season, Tennessee is making 6.9 threes per game (271st-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34.7% (139th-ranked) from three-point land.
With a 30.2% three-point percentage allowed this season, the Volunteers are 22nd-best in the country. They rank 182nd in college basketball by giving up 7.8 three-pointers per contest.
Tennessee has taken 67.3% two-pointers and 32.7% three-pointers this year. Of the team’s buckets, 75.8% are two-pointers and 24.2% are three-pointers.

Tennessee vs. Alabama Odds and Spread

Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-4.5)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-222), Alabama (+179)
Total: 164.5 points

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 4:11 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.

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Alabama

Alabama ‘Fully Aware’ of Losing Streak to Tennessee Ahead of Road Rematch

Published

21 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Alabama ‘Fully Aware’ of Losing Streak to Tennessee Ahead of Road Rematch

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Losing to a rival almost always hurts more than falling to another opponent during the regular season. Years of hatred, unforgettable moments and tradition boiled up into one game, and the delivery is nowhere to be found for one team.

No. 17 Alabama has won seven straight games and is eyeing an eighth on Saturday on the road against No. 22 Tennessee. This is the second time that Crimson Tide will face the Volunteers, as Alabama lost in Tuscaloosa in January.

The loss a month ago to head coach Rick Barnes and company brought UA’s losing streak against Tennessee to five games. It’s the first time that the Tide has dropped this many games to the Vols since 1968-72 — a streak that came two years before Alabama head coach Nate Oats was born (Oct. 13, 1974). It’s why Oats is not treating Tennessee as a faceless opponent or like any other team the Tide has faced.

“Every year we’ve been here they’ve caused us issues,” Oats said during Friday’s press conference. “Our players, are fully aware that we’ve lost five in a row. They’re fully aware of what happened out there last year. I’ve taken ownership for my share of what happened up there last year.

“We’re fully aware that they beat us at home. We haven’t lost very many home games in conference, period, really since we’ve been here, and they handed us one this year.”

After falling to Florida on Feb. 1, Alabama moved down to the ninth spot in the conference standings, and the college basketball world started to question whether or not the Crimson Tide would be a threat in the postseason.

But a switch flipped after that loss, and the current winning streak has Alabama tied for the No. 2 spot in the SEC standings. Everything seems to be trending in the Tide’s direction, as there are only three games remaining on the schedule.

Oats is in his sixth year as Alabama’s head coach. Following the retirement of former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl during the offseason, Oats became the second-longest tenured coach for one team in the conference. The coach in front of him: Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who has held his position since the 2015-16 season.

Both Alabama and Tennessee have finished conference play in the top-4 of the standings since the 2022-23 season. The Crimson Tide was the regular-season and SEC Tournament champions in both the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, while the Vols won the 2022 SEC Tournament and were the conference’s regular-season champions in 2023-24.

“So our guys know, but at the same time, we’ve got a lot of respect for how they play and what they do. We’ve got to come in with a healthy amount of respect for them, but we got to try to win this game.

“There’s a lot riding on this game. What happens in Arkansas-Florida, you’re either going to be all alone in second place if we could get a win, or you’re going to be one game out first. If you take a loss, now you’re in danger of losing a top-4 seed. They’ll be tied with us if we take a loss.”

“So there’s a lot riding on the SEC standings in this game here. They know that. They know what our struggles against Tennessee have Been as well.”

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Alabama

Selmont seeks incorporation to become independent Alabama city

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Selmont seeks incorporation to become independent Alabama city

SELMONT, Ala. (WSFA) – An unincorporated community in Dallas County is seeking to establish itself as an independent city, hoping to gain control over local government services and community priorities that have long been managed at the county level.

Selmont, located across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma, is home to approximately 2,700 registered voters and carries a significant place in civil rights history.

The community was the site of a pivotal moment during the Bloody Sunday march in 1965, when roughly 600 civil rights marchers were tear-gassed by Alabama state troopers, including 13-year-old Mae Richmond.

“People ask us ‘Were we afraid?’ No. We were not afraid. We were not afraid, first of all, even as a 13-year-old child, we knew that we were doing what God was permitting us to do,” Richmond, a 60-plus year resident of Selmont, said of the historic event.

As an unincorporated community, Selmont lacks its own municipal government. Residents must contact the Dallas County Commissioner for public works services. It’s a situation that community leaders say limits responsiveness to local needs.

Erice Williams, a community activist leading the incorporation effort, said the change would fundamentally alter how the community operates.

“It would give us decision power and allow us to get funding that we can allocate to our own community that we can make our own priorities be clear and resolved at the same time,” Williams said.

Williams also highlighted the strain on current county services. “Connel Towns (county commissioner) is the only person we have to call, and the resources and time that he would have to serve our community is very limited,” he said.

Operation Selmont, the group spearheading the incorporation effort, is currently gathering signatures on a petition to present to the local probate judge. The organization needs approximately 500 signatures to move forward with the incorporation process and has already collected 40 percent of its goal.

The next meeting for Operation Selmont is scheduled for March 6 at 6 p.m.

For longtime residents like Richmond, incorporation represents an opportunity to ensure Selmont’s future and maintain its identity for generations to come.

“That we will be able to teach and train our children to give them the strength that our foreparents had that they will be able to stand up for justice and for equality,” Richmond said of her hopes for the community’s future.

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