Jumbo Package: With A-Day approaching, Alabama football continues to be pummeled by injury

Happy Gump Day! For today is the day that Saban giveth.

Quick review of some late stuff:

It was a fairly tightly-scripted media viewing session yesterday for the beats, though we did get to see a bit more of the QBs versus air and very light coverage in timing drills:

Next drill, all four quarterbacks, including the walk-on, threw next to each other at the same time to different receivers running different routes downfield. The quarterbacks would switch spots to get a chance to make different throws. One of the early noticeable passes from this drill was from Simpson to Isaiah Horton, the Miami transfer. Simpson hit Horton on a pass about 20 yards along the left sideline. Simpson also threw a laser to Brooks about 10 yards on what looked to be a curl route. Once again, all of these passes were against air, not defenders.

During that drill, the last reporters got to see, Mack had one throw in which he targeted Rico Scott who was running toward the sideline but it looked like the pass didn’t have quite enough air. So Scott had to cut his route a little short it looked like to be able to make the catch. But Mack also had a beautiful throw to Horton on a deep pass a few minutes later along the left sideline.

One name that pops up repeatedly these last few weeks is Freshman Lotzeir Brooks. And, Russell has been flashing tremendous potential and an elite arm, even if not being consistent enough to unseat Simpson. Though Ty has the weakest arm of ‘Bama’s QB triad, he’s making the right plays reads and throws and seems to have a firm grip over the starting job.

As far as the rest of the media viewing session? There were more blackshirts on bikes than I think anyone is comfortable reading about. Yet…

Offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark and wide receiver Cole Adams spent the entirety of the observable sessions riding stationary bikes off to the side of the practice fields. As soon as reporters entered, WR Ryan Williams joined them, and remained for the rest of the observed time, after DeBoer said following the Tide’s second scrimmage that he’d be limited for the rest of spring due to minor injuries. All three of the bike riders appeared to be fully dressed in regular practice uniforms.

– Defensive lineman James Smith and linebacker Fatutoa Henry were spotted wearing black jerseys, signifying them as non-contact participants in practice.

– Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, who has been limited all spring, was also in black. However, he appeared to be working in during some of the drills involving contact.

Though, you probably shouldn’t read too much into that. With spring ball winding down, if you so much as have a hangnail, you’re getting the no-contact jersey. I termed it, in relation to Ryan Williams, “fearonitis” — you don’t blow ACLs running a flag route against a walk-on safety three days before A-Day.

Well, except tight end. Alabama is truly screwed there, as three walk-ons were practicing yesterday.

All of these injuries are uncharacteristic too, since Alabama had the fewest starts lost to injury last season in the SEC.

Yet, now we’re here genuinely wondering if a banged up ‘Bama can field enough bros for a spring game.

Tuscaloosa News really highlights the grisly losses:

Alabama has been ravaged by injuries this spring.

On offense, it starts with tight end. Josh Cuevas, Danny Lewis and Marshall Pritchett have each had their spring shortened with injuries. And with reinforcements not arriving until the summer in freshman Kaleb Edwards, the Crimson Tide is down to five tight ends, only one of whom is a scholarship option: Jay Lindsey.

On the offensive line, Alabama has been without starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor, leading to a mishmash of players: from freshman guard Michael Carroll and freshman tackle Jackson Lloyd, to guard-turned-tackle Olaus Alinen and Ball State transfer Arkel Anugwom, filling in the gaps.

Add a “couple of nicks” to wide receiver Ryan Williams that will likely keep him out Saturday, and you have an offense that is projected to look much different on A-Day than it is expected to look this fall.

On defense, it’s the same story.

With Alabama breaking in new skills players, 60% of a new offensive line, key pieces at Safety, special teams and more, this was probably not how KDB envisioned for Year One, trying to get off the mat after a practically unheard of four-loss campaign in 2024.

You can check out Potter’s videos and photos from practice right here:

The GOAT is aiming to add another award to a trophy case that is more stuffed than Lilly Phillips. Despite being in broadcast media for a scant 15 months, Saban was nominated for an Emmy. And I very much think he’ll win it too, with his insight, humor, and off-the-cuff wit that has rejuvenated a venerable ESPN College Gameday that had been flagging the past several years.

It’s fun and relevant again, and is once more Saturday morning appointment viewing. Nick Saban is why — and he has become a viral star.

It has only been 15 months since Nick Saban retired from Alabama and coaching football, but his second career as a commentator for ESPN could land him an award this spring.

Saban was announced Tuesday as one of five nominees for the 46th annual Sports Emmys under the category of “outstanding personality/emerging on-air talent.”

The other four nominees include former Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright, who has appeared on CBS Sports’ and TNT’s coverage of the NCAA tournament, as well as three former NFL players: Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman of Amazon Prime Video, and Jason Kelce of ESPN.

Oh, no! It’s been two whole seasons since an SEC team won the natty! (Seriously, that’s a real story CBS published).

The SEC is once again the king of the basketball world, but make no mistake, football is still the South’s one true king.

Florida’s march through the NCAA Tournament was magical. Its 12-game winning streak, which included the most second-half rallies in the last 10 years of March Madness and the 12-point comeback against Houston to win the national title, is the stuff of legend.

In the South, where college football is the No. 1 sport and spring football might be No. 2, the SEC’s dominance on the hardwood has placed more pressure on the conference to deliver on the football field, where it desperately needs to rebound after being shut out of the College Football Playoff the last two years.

College basketball was a nice distraction for the SEC, but soon, the buzz will fade.

I agree that it is aberrant. But I wouldn’t pull the handbrake just yet. Last season there were so many uncharacteristic injuries, a lot of transition at flagship programs, and an understandable step-back in play under center for many more. It was a rebuilding year across the conference — it was always going to be a rebuilding year for much of the conference.

And the simple fact is, the SEC’s issues last year were almost solely attributable to the usual brutal schedule, as well as QB play.

We even wrote about it, and brought receipts:

The Crimson Tide hoops team finished No. 6 in the final rankings, so of course, it’s time to talk about next year, as we find the Tide again entrenched among the nation’s elite in way-too-early polling:

No. 4. This ranking is based on the Crimson Tide returning five of the top 11 scorers – specifically Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Aden Holloway, Derrion Reed, Jarin Stevenson and Aidan Sherrell – from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Miami transferJalil Bethea, Florida State transfer Tayor Bol Bowen, Bucknell transfer Noah Williamson and four-star freshmen London Jemison, Davion Hannah and Amari Allen.

Top 25 from Parrish here.

Finally, this went viral a bit yesterday: Caitlin Clark torching the Iowa Men’s practice team for a 22-point run.

I had remarked last week that I believe so much of Clark’s crossover appeal is that — to the physiological extent possible — she hoops like a guy. She’s relentless, has a seemingly-unlimited range, makes excellent passes in traffic, and runs and defends as though her life depends on it. And her combination of skills and motor really exposes the half-effort you see on the court all too often.

There are two other reasons a loudmouth segment of WNBA fandom hates her, but 1. I doubt I could get away with saying them on this platform, and 2. I think players hate her the most because she shames them…even as she’s brought unprecedented viewership to the long-time ratings and financial bomb of a league that has only ever existed as a PR adjunct of the NBA.

She even dunks on geezers tossing grapes in a glass jar.

That’s it for now.

Have a great day, and Roll Tide