Alabama

What we saw from Bandits, defensive line at Alabama football practice

Published

5 months ago

August 7, 2024

What we saw from Bandits, defensive line at Alabama football practice

Consistency has been the word of Alabama football’s preseason camp. If you ask coach Kalen DeBoer, nobody embodied it better early than the defensive line.

“I think that position group has been the most consistent,” DeBoer said Sunday. “I like where they’re at.”

He saw it defend the run well and put pressure on the quarterback consistently.

“They’re just around, making the quarterback back there have to move around and make some plays,” DeBoer said.

AL.com wanted to go take a look at what DeBoer was talking about. So, at the latest media practice viewing, we watched the defensive line for about 25 minutes of individual position drills. Here’s what we saw on Tuesday.

Alabama football practice observations: Defensive line

Watching some positions go through drills can provide an indication of the pecking order. That was only somewhat the case with the defensive line. Veterans who figure to be leaders in the rotation such as Tim Keenan III and Jah-Marien Latham often took their reps early in drills. But there really didn’t seem to be an exact order. It changed from one drill to the next.
Speaking of Keenan, it’s clear he’s a leader at the position. He frequently went first through drills. And there’s a reason for it. He explained after practice: “It’s easy to fuss at a guy if he doesn’t know,” Keenan said. “But if you (are) fussing at him and I went first, I always like to lead by example, especially if a guy doesn’t know. Yeah you can have a motor and go and everything but you have to have the right technique, you have to know the right information, you have to have the right steps and what not. Me being the older guy, just stepping up and being that example.”
Keenan was a starter on the defensive line in 2023 and he figures to be one again this season at defensive tackle. Here’s what Freddie Roach, the defensive line coach, said about Keenan: “He’s been remarkable. Ever since last year. The kid comes to work, he tries to lead. He does what he’s asking other people to do. He’s one of the best guys we’ve got on this team as well.”
Keenan had a nice rep on one of the last drills reporters saw; he swatted down a dummy like he was rushing the passer, and one coach yelled an emphatic “yes!” as Keenan completed the drill.

LT Overton and Latham seemed to give Roach a few reps he liked; In a drill where two teammates locked up and one pushed the other back then ripped through, Roach said “good reps.”
Overton and Latham are two of the top options at Bandit, a new term in defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s defense. It’s essentially a hybrid defensive lineman/edge rusher.
Keon Keeley is another Bandit option on the roster. The coaching staff moved him from outside linebacker to Bandit in the spring because “as you see what Keon is developing into and may develop into at the next level, that’s more of a better fit for him,” Wommack said Tuesday.
It’s been a process for Keeley to move to Bandit. That process could be seen through the individual drills. Several moments throughout the viewing period, Roach took a moment to instruct and coach up Keeley on technique.
Roach on Keeley: “Like I told him, ‘You just focus on what it’s going to take you to be successful, alright?’ And at that point it’s his eyes, his hand placement, his footwork, ‘What do I have on assignments?’ And that’s every guy in the room, not just Keon.”
It’s clear the potential is there for Keeley, the former five-star recruit in the 2023 class. He was the No. 2 prospect in the entire class, per the 247Sports Composite. Roach will just need to continue helping Keeley develop and become more comfortable in his new position.
Roach is a teacher, plain and simple. He’s constantly instructing and providing feedback. He brings serious energy to his coaching.
Roach looks like he could still play, even though it’s been almost 20 years since he was a four-year letterman at linebacker at Alabama.
“Pad level!” became a frequent refrain for Roach as he demanded his players stay low out of their stances.

It wasn’t easy for the big men to stay low with it almost 90 degrees at only about 9:30 a.m., but Roach harped on it nonetheless.
Nearby, training staff members stood at the ready with water bottles, cold towels and more. Several linemen took full advantage, grabbing the towels in the black cart filled with ice water.
Roach: “Look, I know it’s hot, they’re tired, and I get it. But the habits you create throughout the week is what’s going to come up on Saturdays when you play.”
It’s clear there’s good experienced depth on the defensive line. There will likely be a handful of “or” starters in the rotation with the likes of Latham, Overton, Keenan, Jehiem Oatis, Tim Smith and James Smith some of the top contenders for playing time.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

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Alabama

Portion of Alabama 59 in Baldwin County closed following two-vehicle crash

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

Portion of Alabama 59 in Baldwin County closed following two-vehicle crash

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) – A two-vehicle crash on Alabama 59 near Baldwin County 34 has closed down the road, according to law enforcement.

Authorities said the crash occurred at 8:23 pm.

Law enforcement is on scene investigating and there is no timetable on when it will be reopened.

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Alabama’s recent focus on defense pays off in blowout win over Kent State

Published

14 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Alabama’s recent focus on defense pays off in blowout win over Kent State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nate Oats started his postgame press conference explaining why Alabama would have a much better winter break after its 81-54 win over Kent State. According to Oats, a happy holiday hinged on the Tide’s defensive performance against the Golden Flashes.

“Much better defensive effort so it’ll be a lot better Christmas break for us,” Oats said with a smile at the podium. “We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota with [Fighting Hawks guard Treysen Eaglestaff].”

It was far from a perfect offensive display for the Tide against Kent State. Alabama’s lingering turnover issues reared its ugly head for a second straight and the Tide continued shooting poorly from 3-point range.

However, after defensive letdowns nearly sprang an upset in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Alabama got back to the basics over the next few days at practice. The team worked on defensive fundamentals rather than solely focusing on film study.

That extra emphasis paid off as Alabama equaled its lowest points allowed in a game this season with 54. Tide forward Grant Nelson swatted a shot attempt by Kent State’s leading scorer VonCameron Davis in the opening few minutes, which helped set the tone the rest of the way.

“I think that [block] and just really everyone loading in the gaps, helping each other out,” Nelson said of Alabama’s defensive performance. “I thought that was huge. I think we kept them to six points in the first three media timeouts, that was huge for us. We emphasized that like I said and just a lot of credit to our guys for carrying it over on the court.”

While Alabama didn’t shoot the ball well, it made sure Kent State’s shooting was even more ineffective. Alabama communicated well on switches and contested shots from beyond the arc. It honed in on Davis, who averages 14.9 points per game but was limited to under 10 points for just the second time this season. Davis scored nine on an inefficient 4 of 15 from the field and had a minus-31 box plus-minus rating.

Coming into the game, Oats also felt like Kent State guard Jalen Sullinger (9.7 points per game) could be a dangerous weapon against Alabama’s defense with the potential to do the same thing Eaglestaff did for North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks guard scored a career-high 40 points, single-handedly pulling them back into the game late.

After missing the mark severely on guarding Eaglestaff, the Tide understood the assignment when it came to Sullinger and locked down the Kent State senior.

“He ended up shooting 1 of 14 and didn’t score in the second half,” Oats said. “So I think we did a little bit of a better job being locked in to a perimeter guy. We held them to a pretty good field goal percentage, they only shot 28%. Traditionally, this has been one of the hardest playing teams — I was in the MAC for six years and they get all of the O Boards. We gave up too many second-chance points but I thought for the most part our first-shot defense was good.”

Alabama continued to play effective post-defense in spite of the offensive rebounds. The Tide finished with six blocks as a team. Center Clifford Omoruyi won the Hard Hat Award for the most blue collar points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Nelson had 14. Off the bench, Derrion Reid had a pair of steals while Mouhamed Dioubate chipped in with two blocks.

Following the win, Alabama jumped from No. 57 to No. 42 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. As the Tide looks to build on its defensive momentum, better play on offense will have to follow. Alabama’s defense is much improved from last season when it was at its best, but it won’t be able to win games on defense alone when league play tips off on Jan. 4.

“We struggled a little offensively, and we’re gonna have to figure some stuff out here before SEC play,” Oats said. “The turnovers have been really just way too many — 13 in the first half. We did the same thing two games in a row. We only had one the second half against North Dakota. We ended up with six in the second half here. So we’ve got to do a better job at turnovers. I don’t have an answer for the free throw problems, but the only way to fix that is get in the gym and work. The good thing for us is we don’t have any school for a few weeks here, so after they get back from Christmas break, we’ll be in the gym and putting some time in.”

Alabama will conclude non-conference play against Summit League side South Dakota State. The Tide and Jackrabbits will tip off at 2 p.m. CT Dec. 29 inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

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How cold did Alabama get last night? These cities had the lowest temperatures

Published

22 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

How cold did Alabama get last night? These cities had the lowest temperatures

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:

Wednesday highs — 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: