Alabama

Will Anderson Jr. Ranks Five Best Alabama Teams of All Time

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

Will Anderson Jr. Ranks Five Best Alabama Teams of All Time

It’s indisputable that Alabama football’s history is as enriching as any college football program in the country.

Over 400 players selected in the NFL Draft, 86 consensus All-Americans, 30 SEC Championships, 18 National Championships and four Heisman Trophy winners are just a few of the Crimson Tide’s accolades.

Former Crimson Tide and current Houston Texans standout edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was asked on Tuesday to rank the five best Alabama teams of all time. The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year was one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the program as in 2021 AND 2022, he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy recipient and was a Unanimous All-American.

Nevertheless, the five teams all come in the years with Nick Saban, who retired on Jan. 10 after 16 years with the Tide, as the head coach. The seven-time national champion (six with Alabama), was Anderson’s coach during the edge rusher’s tenure in Tuscaloosa, so most of the Alabama history that Anderson knows about starts in 2007.

Here’s Anderson’s top five Alabama teams of all time:

Record: 14-1
Result: Won CFP National Championship over Clemson
Points per game: 35.1
Points allowed per game: 15.1
Players drafted: Ryan Kelly, Reggie Ragland, Derrick Henry, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Cyrus Jones, Kenyan Drake

Record: 11-2
Result: Won Citrus Bowl over Michigan
Points per game: 47.2
Points allowed per game: 18.6
Players drafted: Tua Tagovailoa, Jedrick Wills Jr., Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Xavier McKinney, Trevon Diggs, Raekwon Davis, Terrell Lewis, Anfernee Jennings

Record: 13-0
Result: Won CFP National Championship over Ohio State
Points per game: 48.5
Points allowed per game: 19.4
Players drafted: Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Surtain II, DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones, Alex Leatherwood, Najee Harris, Landon Dickerson, Christian Barmore, Deonte Brown, Thomas Fletcher

Record: 14-1
Result: Lost CFP National Championship to Clemson
Points per game: 45.6
Points allowed per game: 18.1
Players drafted: Quinnen Williams, Jonah Williams, Josh Jacobs, Irv Smith Jr., Damien Harris, Christian Miller, Deionte Thompson, Ross Pierschbacher, Mack Wilson, Isaiah Buggs

There wasn’t a quote or video regarding Anderson’s list, as the Texans social media team only posted the years that he ranked. The post states that Anderson chose the 2008-09 team for the fifth and final spot on his list, but he may have mistaken it for the 2009-10 undefeated national champion team. It’s fairly safe to infer that this was the case as 2009-10 was Saban’s first title at Alabama compared to 2008-09’s 12-2 season that ended in a loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

Record: 14-0
Result: Won BCS National Championship over Texas
Points per game: 32.1
Points allowed per game: 11.7
Players drafted: Rolando McClain, Kareem Jackson, Javier Arenas, Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson, Marquis Johnson, Brandon Deaderick

Source link

Alabama

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Published

7 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Alabama names first state AI officer to coordinate agency efforts

Alabama AI officer Aaron Wright began work Monday April 27 as the state’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, a newly created position housed within the Alabama Office of Information Technology.

Wright, who has more than 25 years of experience in health care and state government technology, most recently served as AOIT’s director of application development. He also led the Data Management and Ownership working group within the governor’s Generative AI Task Force.

Wright said in a statement that AI adoption across state agencies has already been underway through informal coordination, and the new role is designed to build on that foundation.

“AI is no longer a future technology; it is here now,” Wright said. “It has become integrated into existing tool sets, and people are using AI tools and platforms throughout their day to enhance and streamline their work.”

He described the position as collaborative rather than regulatory.

“The CAIO position is not intended to be a gatekeeper or a blocker of innovation for Alabama’s agencies,” Wright said, calling it “an advocate, a facilitator, and, when needed, a voice of caution” as agencies adopt AI tools.

Secretary of Information Technology Daniel Urquhart said Wright’s background “positions Alabama to thoughtfully and effectively harness artificial intelligence in ways that can improve outcomes for our agencies and the people we serve.”

Wright said his first priority is creating a shared environment for agencies to compare notes on AI adoption, and that early projects include an AI chatbot for the OIT website.

“Residents should see government services that are simpler, faster and more reliable,” Wright said, including “shorter wait times, more intuitive digital experiences, and better access to information when and where they need it.”

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].

Source link

Alabama

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Published

19 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms

Alabama faces a summer of intense heat, high humidity, and occasional strong storms, with El Niño influencing shifts across the Southeast weather pattern.

While conditions will vary across the state, AccuWeather forecasters expect heat to dominate statewide. At the same time, storm and flooding risks will be concentrated in specific parts of Alabama as the season progresses.

Here’s what Alabama residents can expect for summer 2026.

Heat and Humidity to dominate Alabama summer 2026

Heat is expected to be the defining feature of the season, with much of Alabama likely to see near- or above-normal temperatures.

Even when highs are typical for late June or July, humidity will push “feels-like” temperatures significantly higher, especially in central and southern Alabama.

That means:

More frequent 90-degree days.
Oppressive humidity across the state.
Warm overnight lows that offer little relief.

As a result, energy demand is also expected to rise as residents rely heavily on air conditioning during extended hot stretches.

Alabama summer storms 2026

Unlike some summers with almost daily thunderstorms, 2026 is expected to feature more distinct periods of storm activity, rather than storms developing continuously throughout the season. These storm-active windows will vary by region in the state.

Storm timing breaks down like this:

Upper to central Alabama: Peak thunderstorm activity in June and July.
Southern Alabama: July into August becomes the more active window.

Derecho Risk focused in northern Alabama

One of the more significant severe weather concerns this summer is the potential for derecho events across northern Alabama.

AccuWeather forecasters are highlighting a moderate risk zone in the upper part of the state, where fast-moving lines of thunderstorms could organize during peak summer instability.

These systems are rare but capable of producing widespread damage when they form.

Will there be drought relief in Alabama?

Flooding risks this summer are not widespread, but they are highly localized in two areas that will need close attention during heavy events.

The main flood-prone zones are the upper western and lower eastern corners of the state. Elsewhere, flooding risk stays within the norm for summer storms.

Bottom line: Don’t expect too much relief this summer.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

Source link

Alabama

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 3 Alabama Softball vs. No. 21 South Carolina

Alabama has a quick turnaround to flush its first SEC series loss of the season at Tennessee as the No. 3 Crimson Tide prepares to face No. 21 South Carolina in the regular-season finale at Rhoads Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.

All three games between Alabama and South Carolina will be streaming only on SEC Network+.

Last year, the Gamecocks took two of three games from the Tide in the regular season series in Columbia under first year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, and then beat Alabama in the SEC tournament.

This year, Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC) is still fighting for a chance at the regular season conference title two games behind Oklahoma with three games to go. At a minimum, the Tide wants to secure a double-bye in the SEC tournament and as high a seed in the NCAA tournament as possible.

“We need to do our job this year, at home especially, going into the SEC tournament and possible seedings for the NCAA,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. “This is a big weekend for both of us. I know she’d probably say the same thing. But this is huge for us.”

The Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back conference series wins over Missouri and Texas A&M while Alabama is coming in off its first conference series loss. Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s series.

How to watch: Alabama vs. South Carolina

Who: No. 21 South Carolina (30-22, 7-14 SEC) at No. 3 Alabama (44-6, 16-5 SEC)

When: Thursday, April 30 – 6 p.m. CT
Friday, May 1 – 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 2- 1 p.m. CT

Where: Rhoads Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: SEC Network+

Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network on Catfish 100.1 FM in Tuscaloosa (or online) with Tom Canterbury on the call.

Series history: Alabama leads, 33-10
In Tuscaloosa: 19-2 | In Columbia: 14-7 | At Neutral Sites: 0-1

Last meeting: South Carolina eliminated Alabama from the SEC tournament in Athens, Georgia last season with a 6-2 victory over the Crimson Tide. Alabama scored two runs in the first inning, including a leadoff home run by Audrey Vandagriff, before the Gamecocks reeled off six unanswered.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide lost to Tennessee, 4-1, in the series finale on Monday. Alabama was on the verge of being shut out for the second straight game before a pinch hit home run by Mari Hubbard in the seventh inning.

Last time out, South Carolina: The Gamecocks run ruled South Carolina State, 9-1, in six innings on Tuesday night for their final non-conference game in the regular season.