What Nate Oats said about Aden Holloway facing his former team, Auburn

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama guard Aden Holloway will face his former team when the No. 1 Auburn Tigers travel to Coleman Coliseum on Saturday for a battle between top two teams.

It’s not normal for players to switch sides in the Iron Bowl rivalry, regardless of the sport, and even ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis, an Alabama alum, had a tough time recalling a more high-profile player who changed allegiances during their college careers.

Speaking to reporters before the pregame show airs from Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Feb. 15, Davis remembered a few football players, but they paled in comparison to Holloway’s move.

“There have been some guys who have crossed over, but no one with the profile that Aden had coming out of high school and then getting off to the start that the got off to at Auburn,” Davis said. “But I think Bruce (Pearl) has handled that in very classy fashion in the way he’s talked about. I think Aden’s been classy in the way he’s handled it. 

“And the fact of the matter is, probably from a stylistic standpoint, this system fits him really, really well. … He made a change, and it’s worked out well for everybody.”

Holloway was the nation’s No. 18 recruit and the second-best combo guard in the 2023 class, and the former McDonald’s All-American committed to play for Bruce Pearl and the Tigers.

Holloway played in 35 games for Auburn as a true freshman in 2024-25 and made 26 starts for the Tigers. The Charlotte, North Carolina native 7.3 points and 2.7 assists while shooting 31.8 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from three-point range a season ago.

He entered the transfer portal after his freshman year at Auburn and elected to stay in the state and commit to Nate Oats and Alabama. Holloway has come off the bench in every game.

Holloway enters the matchup with his former team averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range. In 11 games against SEC foes this season, Holloway shot 26-of-52 (50 percent) from beyond the arc. He has scored in double figures in nine league games, including 22 points against Vanderbilt.

As he gets set to play his former team, Oats expects Hollway to have the right mindset.

“He obviously is familiar with their system, their team,” Oats said. “He had some really good games here. He’s a year older here. He’s gotten comfortable in our system. He’s playing well in it. It’ll be a big game for him, but he’s pretty relaxed. He doesn’t turn the ball over much. 

“I don’t anticipate him doing anything crazy. He’ll be ready to play. He’s been ready to play most of our games all year.”

A lot of eyes will be on Holloway on Saturday (3 p.m. CT on ESPN). But as Davis brought up, it won’t be quite as welcoming when Alabama plays at Auburn in less than a month.

“I think it’ll be a much bigger deal on March 8 than tomorrow,” Davis said. “When he goes back and plays in Neville Arena, he’s gonna hear it. And that’s part of the rivalry.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!