Happy Gump Day, everyone. Alabama basketball has a late one tonight against Mississippi State, and they may be without their star playmaker.
During a press conference hours before the report was released by the SEC, Alabama coach Nate Oats never explicitly stated Philon’s status, but consistently mentioned his health and that the sophomore was working towards 100%.
Oats also never mentioned what injury Philon was dealing with. However, he has had a nagging thigh-groin injury throughout the 2025-26
season.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Philon was listed as questionable on the initial report.
He will undoubtedly push to give it a go, but something to watch nonetheless.
Jalil Bethea has been impressing Nate Oats in practice.
“He’s been getting better. His effort has been elite. I think he’s playing super hard defensively. He’s an athlete,” Oats said of Bethea. “He’s got to stay a little more locked into the scouting report so he’s not making the mistakes on the defensive end, like scouting team playing mistakes, if you will, and just continuing to make great reads on offense.
Regardless of his setbacks, including a foot injury sustained in the offseason, Bethea is a “great teammate” according to Oats, and his attitude makes him want to “play him more.”
For whatever reason, Jalil just hasn’t played very well when he’s been on the court. He certainly hasn’t looked like a McDonald’s All-American. Hopefully he’ll be able to figure it out.
Ohio State’s AD wants to see the Alabama game played.
Bjork all but dared Alabama to live up to its end of the bargain and play the games, as scheduled.
As Bjork tells it, the Buckeyes have no intention of ducking Alabama. Your move, Tide.
“We expect (the two-game series) to be played,” Bjork said in a recent interview with the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network. “We should never be afraid to play anybody. We’re Ohio State. People probably should be afraid to play us, right?”
That’s straight from the Buckeyes boss, that anyone and everyone “should be afraid” to play Ohio State. Now, it’s left to Alabama to answer: Is it afraid to play Ohio State?
With Georgia State added, someone has to go. The 2028 game is in Tuscaloosa and would be a cash cow, so perhaps it gets played after all.
Last, the NFL Combine starts tomorrow. Alabama will have 12 players showcasing themselves for front offices, but one will have the most attention.
Depending on the NFL mock draft at which you look, some think he’s a first-round pick and some don’t. It seems to be undisputed he’s the No. 2 quarterback behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is all but likely to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. That means for any other team who wants a quarterback, Simpson is the next-best option.
Does that mean he’s a first-round pick, though? Maybe. Maybe not. There’s no rule multiple quarterbacks have to be selected in the first round.
But with a good workout and throwing session in Indianapolis, Simpson could leave no doubt he belongs.
Several recent Alabama QB prospects have decided to wait until Alabama’s pro day to work out, but Ty has chosen to throw at the Combine on Saturday. Hopefully he shows out.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
