Alabama had the chance to respond and tie the game after Tennessee's three-run fifth inning. Bailey Dowling followed it up with a ball crushed off the left field wall, but it bounced so hard that Giles was thrown out at third for the first out of the inning. Lauren Esman followed it up with another single up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out for Alabama's eight and nine-hole hitters.
"That first weekend felt a little touch and go, but since then Kalen DeBoer has done just about everything right as he tries to replace the greatest of all time. Nick Saban left DeBoer a pretty spectacular roster, and DeBoer added to it with some of his favorite former Washington players. Initially losing players to the transfer portal Caleb Downs (to the Ohio State Buckeyes), Isaiah Bond (to the Texas Longhorns) and Kadyn Proctor (to the Iowa Hawkeyes… temporarily), there was fear that a mass exodus would follow.
They signal the end of the NCAA's bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishment for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization lifted restrictions on endorsement deals backed by so-called name, image and likeness money. Analysts and experts have attempted to project how the Crimson Tide’s 2024 season will transpire.
Following Nick Saban’s retirement, Blackshire joined fellow former Crimson Tide players Isaiah Bond and Amari Niblack in transferring to Texas to play for former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Jonathan Allen is one of Washington's longest-tenured players has seen a lot of change and experienced a lot of losing. The team has been known as three different names, he has played in just one playoff game and he's on his fourth coach. Smith seemed in line to receive a bigger role in 2023 before injuries forced him to miss most of the season. Now, with significant shakeup at defensive back, Smith could have an opportunity to start at the Husky defensive back spot, which is essentially the nickel defensive back in Wommack's defense. Having long waited for an opportunity like this one, Smith is in a good spot to have a breakout season if he wins the starting job.
If it stands, it will usher in the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments. That means there are several unknown or relatively unproven commodities. And a new coaching staff can mean new uses for players who might not have seen as big of a role in a different system.
The dual-threat also ran for an additional 531 yards and 12 touchdowns, while leading the Crimson Tide to a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Manning Passing Academy is owned and operated by Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli Manning. The football family created this camp due to the concern that even the "most basic fundamental skills of throwing and catching a football were lacking during a youngster’s developmental years (grades 8-12)," the official camp website wrote. There are plenty of fans, experts and analysts who doubt Alabama and believe that the absence of Saban will result in the Tide’s dynasty to come to a crashing halt. "We're going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and Bolabiru livescore look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they're actually released and put in front of a court," said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs' attorney in Fontenot.
The Tide coaching staff didn’t just suffer losses from the transfer portal, a handful of immediate starters for the program transferred in, as well as some young, talented players who could contribute in the next few seasons. Following the news that legendary head coach Nick Saban would be retiring as the leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, several players decided it was time to move on from Tuscaloosa—one of the notable being offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. Alabama Crimson Tide football is under new leadership, as Kalen DeBoer takes over as the program’s head coach following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. One of the biggest concerns regarding DeBoer was his recruiting abilities. Those have since been alleviated to a certain degree after the impressive offseason he’s had on the recruiting trail and the transfer portal.
A difficult schedule that features challenging games at home and on the road could leave Alabama with either an impressive resumé or an ugly record after November. Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter. He was a starter during the 2023 season after transferring from Maryland, but he wasn't used much in the passing game. Even with the elite receivers that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had at Washington to whom he could throw in 2023, former Washington tight end Jack Westover still managed to catch 46 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns in DeBoer's offense. "He's been a guy that's been waiting for this opportunity," DeBoer said Tuesday.