Happy Gump Day, everyone. Aden Holloway was granted pretrial intervention, and thus won’t be convicted of any felonies.
Holloway was ordered to pay $150 per month, complete 50 hours of community service and attend any classes or educational courses required. He will also be subjected to random drug and alcohol screenings, as well as an exit interview upon completion of the program.
Additionally, Holloway had to provide a letter of apology for his actions.
When Holloway’s Tuscaloosa residence was searched
by the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force in March, agents found 2.1 pounds of marijuana, as well as unlabeled promethazine. Holloway was arrested and March 16 and released on bond the same day.
This isn’t surprising for a first time, non-violent marijuana charge. Now we wait to see if Aden is able to make it back onto the team, which seems much more likely now. As part of the deal, he was required to pen an apology letter.
“I realize that marijuana is illegal in the state of Alabama and it was entirely wrong of me to have it in my possession. I also realize the severity of this offense and that extremely grateful to grow through it. This was definitely an eye opening experience for me and I’ve learned a very valuable lesson that bad choices come with bad consequences,” Holloway wrote.
Holloway’s status with the Alabama men’s basketball team is undetermined at this time. He was suspended from campus and team activities following his arrest on March 16 after West Alabama Narcotics Task Force agents found 2.1 pounds of marijuana, as well as an unlabeled bag of promethazine, in the search.
“I stand before you fully committed to moving forward in a positive light and sharing this important lesson to those who come behind. I am a good student, competitive athlete, and a good citizen who has never been in any kind of trouble before. I truly appreciate this chance to keep my record clean, and continue down the path God intended for me,” Holloway continued.
On to football, where Lotzeir Brooks has a chance for a breakout year.
Brooks also made an impact in the return game. He returned 25 kicks for 283 yards ads a freshman.
With two of the Crimson Tide’s three starting receivers out of the way entering the 2026 season, it’s likely that Brooks slides into one of those roles. He was with the starting offense at A-Day.
Brooks’ speed will continue to make him a dangerous threat for Alabama. He remains undersized, but has shown a knack for getting open that could see him blossom into a true superstar for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore.
Alabama will be using new tech to keep players from overheating in the oppressive Tuscaloosa summer.
Fortenberry invented HeatSense, a fitness tracker that measures athletes’ individual core body temperature with the “goal of proactively managing heat strain.” In August, Alabama will be Heat Sense’s first customer.
“They are all in,” Fortenberry told The Tuscaloosa News. “They very much want their player health to be at the top of the list.”
With a background in technology, Fortenberry came up with the idea of HeatSense as a fan, watching her three kids play youth sports in from the stands. She became sick, feeling dizzy and nauseous and coming to the conclusion that the pads and turf were hotter for athletes on the field.
Stewie Mandel has Alabama 19th headed into the summer.
19. Alabama (Previous: No. 20)
Familiar faces: WRs Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, LB Yhonzae Pierre, CB Zabien Brown, S Bray Hubbard, S Keon Sabb
Impact newcomers: LT Jackson Lloyd (RFr.), RT Jayvin James (Mississippi State), DE Devan Thompkins (USC), DTs Terrance Green (Oregon) and Kedrick Bingley-Jones (Mississippi State)Kalen DeBoer’s new contract says his job is safe, but Bama is no sure thing to reach the CFP. The offense will be highly inexperienced, starting at QB with Austin Mack or redshirt freshman Keelon Russell. Losing NC State transfer WR Noah Rogers to a spring game injury stung. But the Tide aren’t lacking for talent and will still be a factor in the SEC.
Alabama has a few names on ESPN’s list of top newcomers, with EJ Crowell ranking the highest.
Need: Alabama rushed for 1,562 yards last season but lost Jam Miller, who accounted for roughly a third of that production. The Crimson Tide return Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and AK Dear, but also added the five-star Crowell. After reclassifying and enrolling early, Crowell sat out some time during spring practice because of injury, but Kalen DeBoer was optimistic about the talent he can bring if he quickly adjusts to the college level and masters the offense.
Value: Crowell brings an impressive combination of size and speed at 5-11 and 221 pounds, along with strong track speed from high school. Between the tackles, he shows the vision to identify running lanes and the burst to accelerate through the hole. Crowell also runs with the toughness to break through arm tackles. He dominated at the high school level with big-play ability and has the physical tools to become a high-impact back.
Last, Colin Gay decided to do something different and write about the quarterbacks.
Mack has one season of eligibility remaining after 2026, and Russell has three. Alabama added two quarterbacks in 2026 in Nebraska four-star Jett Thomalla and Hawaii three-star Tayden Evan-Kaawa. And the Crimson Tide has two quarterbacks committed in 2027 in Louisiana five-star Elijah Haven and Alabaster four-star Trent Seaborn.
“To me, what you’d love to have is a guy who can come in and he can feel comfortable when his time comes,” DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News in May.
DeBoer doesn’t want rentals as Alabama’s quarterback. He wants to develop talent. The 2026 season will be a good indicator if it works.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
