Alabama Rewind: A look back at the top stories this week
Every Sunday BamaInsider takes a look back at some of the top Alabama recruiting and team features this week.
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Happy 2/26 everyone!
Alabama expected to hire Liberty ILB coach Robert Bala to same role
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama has found its next inside linebackers coach. On Saturday morning, Pete Thamel of ESPN broke the news that the Crimson Tide were zeroing in on Liberty inside linebackers coach Robert Bala for the same role.
That hire is expected to become official soon.
Bala wasn’t Liberty’s inside linebackers coach long either. He spent the 2022 season as a defensive analyst with the Flames after four seasons at Southern Utah. From 2018-19, he was the cornerbacks coach, but then in 2020, he was elevated to defensive coordinator while also coaching the safeties. In 2021, he continued his role as the defensive play-caller, but moved over to the inside linebackers.
Click HERE to join the discussion on the Tide’s new assistant coach.
Austin Armstrong, who was hired by Alabama as the inside linebackers coach in January, accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of Florida earlier this week. Read HERE for more on Armstrong’s short stint in Tuscaloosa.
Off-season warrior: Jaheim Oatis continues body transformation, how it helps him
Alabama gets to 25 wins after second-half comeback over Arkansas + OT win at South Carolina
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama men’s basketball team moved to 25-4 (15-1 SEC) on Saturday afternoon after an 86-83 win over Arkansas (19-10, 8-8 SEC) in Coleman Coliseum. It wasn’t an easy victory, as the Crimson Tide were down by nine points, but they found a way to come back and had even established their own 12-point lead at one time. CLICK HERE to read more about the Tide’s victory against the Razorbacks
Greg Byrne details Brandon Miller’s emotional state, remorse amid controversy
Columbia, S.C. — The Alabama men’s basketball team moved to 24-4 (14-1 SEC) on Wednesday night after a thrilling 78-76 overtime win against South Carolina (10-18, 3-12 SEC). Considering the Crimson Tide were 17.5-point favorites coming in, some will call the performance a disappointment. Others will see it as the team once again overcoming obstacles on the road. CLICK HERE to read more on Alabama’s win!
Clint Lamb and Jimmy Stein provide Alabama spring roster breakdown
BamaInsider team expert Jimmy Stein continues to roll out his top Alabama football players entering spring practice.
BamaInsider team reporter Clint Lamb resumes his breakdowns by position of ‘What we learned in 2022, what the future holds’
Looking for NFL draft coverage? We have it for you!
Will former Alabama football star DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans select Bryce Young? Clint Lamb believes so!
2. Houston Texans – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
I wouldn’t completely rule out A) the Bears trading Justin Fields and taking a quarterback at No. 1 or B) a team trading up with them in order to take Young. Like I said though, we’re not doing trades in this mock, so Young falls to the Texans at No. 2. Some fans may not agree, but I don’t hate the landing spot either.
I wish the team could find a way to mend things with wide receiver Brandin Cooks, but even if they don’t John Metchie III and Nico Collins are a good start to providing Young with capable weapons. It’ll be important to target either an interior offensive lineman or another weapon with the upcoming No. 12 pick though.
Young’s going to need a lot more help.
2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Predicting picks 1-16
2023 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Alabama player projections (Feb. 24)
Reacting to Alabama players taken in latest CBS Sports mock draft
Recruiting coverage:
Top recruits schedule official, unofficial visits to Alabama
Jerrick Gibson, the nation’s No. 1 running back has scheduled four official visits: Georgia (June 2), Alabama (June 9), Tennessee (June 16) and Texas (June 24).
Alabama: “They’ve been recruiting me pretty hard,” Gibson told On3 Sports National Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons. Just been staying in contact, my first visit there will be an OV to see how it is. They have a long history of running backs, putting them in the league and using their running backs in the backfield, slot, giving their backs the ball in all types of ways. And that’s what the NFL values the most — someone who can do everything.”
Weston Davis, Top 100 offensive lineman from United High School in Beaumont, Texas, will take an official visit to Alabama on June 16-18. Davis spoke in-depth with BamaInsider reporter Joseph Hastings earlier this week regarding his interest in the Crimson Tide. Click HERE to read the interview.
Demello Jones, athlete from Swainsboro High School in Georgia, has scheduled an official visit to Alabama on June 9-11. He is also scheduled to visit Georgia on June 2-4. Jones details his high interest in both schools- HERE
Related news: Peach State OL Daniel Calhoun sets official visit to Alabama
Alabama will host its third Junior Day on March 4. View the early list of top targets who are scheduled to attend the event- JUNIOR DAY ROSTER!
Ole Miss LB commit Jordan Lockhart is returning to Tuscaloosa for Junior Day. This will mark Lockhart’s third trip to Alabama since last summer. Lockhart previews the upcoming visit-HERE
Eddrick Houston, five-star EDGE from Buford High School in Georgia, will return to Alabama on April 4. Houston talks about his interest in the Crimson Tide- HERE
Julian Lewis, 2026 quarterback from Carrolton High School in Georgia, has his sights set on on March 30 return trip to Tuscaloosa. Click HERE for more on the potential No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class.
Don’t Miss:
Recent 4-star safety offer aiming to visit Alabama in March
2024 DL De’Andre Cook discusses Alabama interest
Michigan DB commit talks recent Alabama offer, eyeing spring visit
2024 DL Charleston Collins plans to visit Alabama this spring
States that Alabama has recruited the best in over the past five years
For five straight recruiting cycles, Alabama’s football program has signed either the No. 1 or No. 2 class in the country. In the 2023 cycle, the Crimson Tide signed the top-ranked group as they landed signatures from a handful of five-stars, with 11 of their 26 high school signees being top-100 prospects.
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Deion Sanders violations
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Pat Coogan
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- 3New
Top 25 QBs in CFB
Looking ahead to 2025 season
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2025 Heisman Odds
The early front-runners are in
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Bill Belichick signs
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A key reason to Nick Saban and his program’s success is their ability to poach players from other states. Whether that be in the surrounding states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, or as far out as the West Coast, or in their own backyard, Alabama’s recruiting prowess knows no limits.
In the story below, BamaInsider highlights the five states that Alabama has had the most success in over the past five recruiting classes. Transfers were not taken into account in this piece, while junior college players only count for the states that they’re from, not the ones they played JuCo at.
Also, players from IMG Academy did not factor into an individual state’s total; IMG will be talked about in its own section.
In-state wars: Top recruiting battles to watch between Alabama and Auburn
1. Alabama — 33 players signed
To no one’s surprise, the state that the Crimson Tide have signed the most prospects from is none other than Alabama itself.
What is interesting, however, is analyzing the percentage of in-state recruits in each of Bama’s classes over the previous five years.
In the 2023 cycle, 29 percent of the Tide’s 28-man class were from Alabama. That group of eight is headlined by five-stars James Smith and Qua Russaw, as well as Florence (Ala.) corner Jahlil Hurley and hometown prospect Wilkin Formby.
That percentage is higher than it was in 2022, when 24 percent of Bama’s 25-man class were in-state players. Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson EDGE Jeremiah Alexander was the highest-rated prospect in the class (No. 15 overall), which also featured sought-after athlete Emmanuel Henderson and talented wideout Kobe Prentice.
2022 was also an improvement over 2021 when it came to in-state recruiting.
In 2021, five of the Tide’s 27 signees (19 percent) were from Alabama. Those prospects are Anquin Barnes, Deontae Lawson, Ga’Quincy McKinstry, Ian Jackson, and Tim Keenan.
In the 2019 and 2020 cycles, Alabama signed 14 total in-state prospects. In 2019, the percentage of in-state recruits in their class was 22 percent (six signed), while that number drastically increased a year later to 32 percent (eight signed).
Some noteworthy signees from these classes were DJ Dale, Javion Cohen, Malachi Moore, Roydell Williams, and Will Reichard.
2024 Outlook? Alabama is off to a hot start when it comes to in-state recruiting in the 2024 cycle.
The program already holds commitments from five-star Jaylen Mbakwe, wideout Perry Thompson, and Mobile (Ala.) product Sterling Dixon. Per On3’s 2024 rankings, all three are top-65 overall junior prospects, with Mbakwe being No. 6, Thompson being No. 57, and Dixon being No. 61.
The Crimson Tide also remain in pursuit of other Alabama-based recruits in this cycle, with one of them being Demarcus Riddick. Riddick committed to Georgia in November, but collected an offer from Bama last month and is eyeing a visit to Tuscaloosa this spring.
CLICK HERE for the complete in-depth breakdown
Under Armour All-America camp in ATL
BamaInsider has provided several updates from the STACKED Under Armour Next Camp series in Atlanta. Alabama commits Sterling Dixon and Ryan Williams (2025) competed in the event. Follow the coverage on the Talk of Champions for more information including the latest on several top targets.
How solid are Dixon and Williams with their commitment?
Peach State QB has return visit set for Alabama
Top-5 overall player in 2025 attending A-Day?
+ much more!
Recruiting Territories revealed for new assistants:
Must-Read: Top 100 Alabama commit Sterling Dixon talks coaching staff changes, new position
On3 NIL Valuations for Alabama’s 2024 commitments
The latest offers:
- Kellen Lindstrom, four-star EDGE from Glendale HS in Springfield, Missouri (Highlights)
- Cai Bates, three-star wide receiver from Edgewater HS in Orlando (Highlights)
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