Happy Monday, everyone. Nate Oats’ squad opened SEC play in resounding fashion, whipping Kentucky in front of a raucous Coleman Coliseum crowd. Per usual, Nate was not shy in the postgame presser.
“Kentucky’s
not what everybody was hoping over there that they would be this year, but they still have a lot of talent,” Oats said. “I think they’re going to win some games. They had some injuries, and they’re getting their chemistry back together. Lucky for us, fortunate for us that they don’t have that many games under their belt with everybody available, and I don’t think their chemistry’s quite where they want it right now.”
Oats later added that Kentucky “doesn’t move the ball great” and cited its low assist rate in some of its losses against top teams in non-conference play.
Give him credit, he calls it like he sees it. The most encouraging thing to come out of that game was the play of Noah Willamson, who has been much maligned thus far.
“I obviously had a really slow start to the year, but we’ve still got a lot of games to go for a national championship,” Williamson said.
Holloway said that when the Williamson they know in practice arrives, it makes the “whole energy of the team shift.” Allen chimed in on how proud the team was of Williamson, especially for the work he has put in over the last two weeks.
Williamson doesn’t grab every rebound − certainly not at the volume he did to win Patriot League Player of the Year honors in his final season at Bucknell. However, his towering stature and positioning relieve pressure from his teammates, freeing Alabama’s guards and wings so that they can crash the glass.
For the fan base, patience wore thin. Folks seemed to give up on Williamson, labeling him the biggest whiff of the Oats era.
Oats never did, though.
Williamson was forced into extended action because Taylor Bol Bowen was out with an ankle injury and Aidan Sherell tweaked a knee in the first half of the game. Oats said that Sherrell’s injury isn’t considered serious and he hopes to have him available on Wednesday. They will need all hands on deck as they travel to face unbeaten and 11th-ranked Vanderbilt, in their dungeon that has been a house of horrors for the Tide.
The Alabama women followed suit with their own blowout victory on Sunday.
The Crimson Tide’s (15-1, 1-1 SEC) Ta’Mia Scott (16) and Essence Cody (15) combined for 31 of Alabama’s 77 total points as Diana Collins added 10 to round out the team’s double-digit scorers in the 29-point victory.
Defensively, Alabama outrebounded Arkansas 48-37 and added nine steals. Alancia Ramsey grabbed a game-high seven rebounds, while Naomi Jones and Karly Weathers each collected six.
Arkansas (11-6, 0-2 SEC) was led by Taleyah Jones (9) and Bonnie Deas (9) who combined for 18 points.
The ladies checked in at 24th in last week’s coaches’ poll. They then opened SEC play by suffering their first loss of the season, a 26 point whipping at perennial powerhouse and 3rd-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, but then bounced back to trounce the Hogs.
As you well know, the football transfer portal is in full swing. Longtime NDSU assistant Randy Hedberg made waves over the weekend with this nugget.
We’ll ignore Randy’s subject/verb disagreement and focus on that astounding number. It is important to note that many of those players may have been told that playing time isn’t likely for next season, but that still seems like too much player movement for a sport that requires cohesiveness.
But, bringing in 22 transfers has obviously worked for Indiana this season.
Alabama is going to need to shop at a few positions. Linebacker and defensive line will need reinforcements, and the wide receiver room is very thin after most of the depth peaced out. But, no position group will go further to determine whether Alabama is able to contend next season than the offensive line.
Alabama is still waiting on answers from left tackle Kadyn Proctor, a likely 2026 NFL first-round draft pick, and center Parker Brailsford. But the Crimson Tide has one hole to fill at left guard left vacant by Kam Dewberry and Geno VanDeMark, which could be potentially filled by a player like William Sanders.
Michael Carroll is now the only set starter standing after Wilkin Formby announced Sunday, Jan. 4 he would enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Left tackle is a big question mark. Jackson Lloyd could be an answer, but — with 41 snaps as a true freshman per Pro Football Focus — he doesn’t have ample experience. Portal help may be needed at the top of the depth chart and to fill out the rest of the room after the losses of Joseph Ionata and Olaus Alinen to the transfer portal.
Brailsford returning for one more ride would be wonderful, but Alabama is going to be looking for multiple players here. Wilkin Formby’s decision to leave was somewhat surprising, but it seems that Alabama saw him as a guard while he wanted to play tackle.
Ty Simpson’s draft decision is getting the most buzz, which is the nature of the quarterback position. There were some unconfirmed rumblings that Ty might even consider staying in school and hitting the portal, but Nick Kelly finds that unlikely.
The most likely outcomes at this juncture are that Simpson either stays at Alabama or declares for the NFL Draft. The door is open for both. Would he receive significant interest if he entered the transfer portal? Yes, but that seems to be the least likely outcome of the three at this point in time.
Our understanding of the situation is this – any plans of coming out for the draft hinge on there being a high probability of Simpson being a first-round pick.
At this moment, a decision is expected by the end of the week.
Yhonzae Pierre is another with a draft decision to make.
Yhonzae Pierre gave Alabama’s defense something it hadn’t had in years: a formidable pass rusher.
His 14.5 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks were the most by a Crimson Tide defender since Dallas Turner in 2023. And Pierre did so with 616 snaps, per PFF.
Pierre gives Alabama stability in the pass rush. And with a full offseason to prepare to be that sack machine out wide, who knows what Pierre could bring to the Alabama defense in 2026.
He would be another huge piece for next season, but obviously want him to do whatever is best for him.
Last, Curt Cignetti had glowing things to say about his time with Nick Saban, as most do.
“I think everybody learned a lot from Nick,” Cignetti said. “He was a great mentor, very organized, detailed; had a plan for everything. Managed lead, how to stop complacency, game day, recruiting, recruiting evaluation, player evaluation. I mean, he had it all. And if you were serious about your career and wanted to be a head coach one day, you took great notes or great mental notes.
“So I felt like after one year with Coach Saban, that I had learned more about how to run a program than I maybe did the previous 27 as an assistant coach, and stayed with him for three more years. So there’s a lot of disciples out there doing well, and that’s why he’s the greatest of all time.”
Watching a semifinals chock full of head coaches who have worked under him has to be satisfying. What a legacy.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
