Latest news with #post-NickSaban
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama football reportedly names Ty Simpson 2025 starting quarterback
Alabama football has its next starting quarterback. The Crimson Tide on Monday, Aug. 11, reportedly named Ty Simpson their starting quarterback for their season opener against Florida State, according the Tuscaloosa News' Colin Gay, part of the USA TODAY Network, who was first to report the news. The team was informed of the decision. Simpson, a redshirt junior, has waited his turn as a backup for Alabama, and the former five-star recruit will finally get his shot to lead the offense. He beat out freshman five-star recruit Keelon Russell and redshirt sophomore Austin Mack, who followed coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington via transfer portal. REQUIRED READING: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer faces big questions, expectations in post-Nick Saban era 'It's not how I drew it up for sure,' Simpson told The Tuscaloosa News in January. 'I think anybody could tell you that. But it's God's plan and I think, ultimately, it will make me a better player." Simpson has completed 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions across three seasons in a reserve role. He has rushed for 130 yards with three touchdowns over the past two seasons, however. Simpson will also operate under a new offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb this season, as Grubb joined the Crimson Tide in the offseason after serving as the Seattle Seahawks play caller. Grubb was DeBoer's offensive coordinator in 2023 when Washington, one of the best offenses in college football that season, made the national championship game. The Martin, Tennessee, native was the No. 26 overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. He was also the No. 3 quarterback nationally and No. 2 player in Tennessee.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Updated look at SEC recruiting rankings after official visit season
The 2026 recruiting cycle has just over five months to go until the early signing period in December. Most classes will be finalized in the next month or two as prospects look to make their decisions prior to their senior seasons. but that doesn't mean there won't be movement. College football has faced more parity over the last few years as name, image, and likeness and the transfer portal distribute the talent across the board. Despite the changes in college football, the SEC still has some of the best recruiting schools in the country. And while the transfer portal has become a quick fix to fill holes are find significant upgrades in talent, coaches still put a heavy emphasis on high school recruiting. As things stand on July 7, here's how the SEC stacks up in team recruiting rankings, taking an average of their standing according to 247Sports, Rivals, and On3. 1. Georgia Bulldogs Total Commitments: 27 Top Rated Player: Jared Curtis, 5-Star Quarterback Kirby Smart may not want to play the name, image, and likeness game that's run rampant through college recruiting, but that hasn't slowed down the top coach in college football. He's on track for another top five class after the Bulldogs SEC title win in 2024. 2. Texas A&M Aggies Total Commitments: 24 Top Rated Player: Tristian Givens, 5-Star ATH Recruiting has rarely been the problem for the Texas A&M Aggies but Mike Elko is having a great 2026 cycle. Of the 24 players pledged to the Aggies, 20 of them are blue-chip prospects, the most in the SEC. 3. Alabama Crimson Tide Total Commitments: 19 Top Rated Player: Xavier Griffin, 5-Star EDGE Kalen DeBoer is off to a fantastic July, picking up a pair of five-star commitments after earning a pledge from their highest-rated player in the class on June 29, edge Xavier Griffin. Any recruiting concerns in the post-Nick Saban era should be put to bed as DeBoer has the most five-stars committed in the conference. 4. LSU Tigers Total Commitments: 14 Top Rated Player: Tristen Keys, 5-Star Wide Receiver Brian Kelly has a top 10 recruiting class right now, headlined by a five-star commitment on both sides of the ball. If the Tigers have the season that many think possible, they could be in line for a great fall on the recruiting trail as well. 5. Texas Longhorns Total Commitments: 17 Top Rated Player: Dia Bell, 5-Star Quarterback Texas may have missed out on five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, but the pivot to John Turntine might work out better in the long run. 6. Tennessee Volunteers Total Commitments: 17 Top Rated Player: Faizon Brandon, 5-Star Quarterback The Nico Iamaleava drama from the spring may have been a setback for this season but it hasn't put a damper on Tennessee's recruiting efforts in the 2026 class. With five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon and five-star offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda leading the way, the Volunteers are on pace for another strong recruiting class. 7. Florida Gators Total Commitments: 15 Top Rated Player: C.J. Bronaugh, 4-Star Cornerback The end of the season run for Billy Napier and the Gators has helped Florida to be in a good spot at this point in the recruiting cycle. Florida has a chance to make even more noise this year against one of the tougher schedules in college football. 8. Arkansas Razorbacks Total Commitments: 26 Top Rated Player: Bryce Gilmore, 4-Star Offensive Tackle This may be the last hurrah for Sam Pittman as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks but he's got a huge class coming to Fayetteville in 2026 headlined by a trio of blue-chip prospects. 9 (tied). Oklahoma Sooners Total Commitments: 14 Top Rated Player: Bowe Bentley, 4-Star Quarterback The Oklahoma Sooners have several big-time prospects they're hoping to land over the next couple of months in four-star prospects Jake Kreul, Davian Groce, and Jordan Clay. Oklahoma is also in a favorable position for three-star talents like Tyler Ruxer and Braxton Lindsey. 9 (tied). Ole Miss Rebels Total Commitments: 12 Top Rated Player: Damarius Yates, 4-Star Running Back Ole Miss had a good year and was a play away from the College Football Playoff but Lane Kiffin hasn't turned that into success on the recruiting trail yet. 11. Mississippi State Bulldogs Total Commitments: 25 Top Rated Player: Jaiden Taylor, 3-Star Athlete Jeff Lebby and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are going for quantity as they look to find some diamonds in their class that can help elevate a program that's become arguably the worst in the SEC. There were some positive signs in the second half of last season. If he can build on that the Bulldogs may not be long for the basement. 12. South Carolina Gamecocks Total Commitments: 10 Top Rated Player: J'Zavien Currence, 4-Star Cornerback It may be a small class for South Carolina and head coach Shane Beamer but they have a 70% blue-chip ratio at this point. If Beamer can put together another strong class, he'll have the Gamecocks as contenders for a long time. 13. Vanderbilt Commodores Total Commitments: 16 Top Rated Player: Keeyshawn Tabuteau, Jr, 3-Star Wide Receiver Clark Lea found success on the field in 2024 and has found some success in recruiting as well. Last year, they brought it just 13 players in the 2025 recruiting class. Lea's already put together a bigger class for 2026 with five months until the early signing period. 14. Kentucky Wildcats Total Commitments: 14 Top Rated Player: Messiah Tilson, 4-star Safety Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats earned a big win, pulling Dallas Dickerson from Oklahoma and flipping Denairius Gray from Auburn. 15. Missouri Tigers Total Commitments: 10 Top Rated Player: Keenan Harris, Jr., 3-star linebacker Eli Drinkwitz has done a nice job in the transfer portal and earned some big wins on the recruiting trail, but Missouri isn't reaping the rewards of another 10-win season on the recruiting trail. 16. Auburn Tigers Total Commitments: 7 Top Rated Player: Hezekiah Harris, 4-Star Defensive End Back in March, Auburn had a top-five class in the SEC team rankings. They've gone through a rough patch, losing players to other SEC squads in the process. Hugh Freeze is in a critical year for the Tigers. 2026 SEC Team Recruiting Rankings *As of July 7, 2025 Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports names Alabama safety as player whose NFL Draft stock could soar in 2025
USA TODAY Sports names Alabama safety as player whose NFL Draft stock could soar in 2025 The Alabama Crimson Tide are returning some big names on both sides of the ball in 2025 as Kalen DeBoer enters his second season as head coach. Alabama's offense will feature standout players from a year ago such as star receiver (and video game cover athlete) Ryan Williams and fellow wideout Germie Bernard. Jam Miller returns at tailback after rushing for 668 yards (4.3 AVG) and seven touchdowns in a somewhat crowded backfield with Justice Haynes, who transferred to Georgia Tech. On defense, linebacker Deontae Lawson and defensive lineman LT Overton were named to the recent Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. Safeties Keon Sabb and Brey Hubbard also return, as does cornerback Domani Jackson. USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday named 10 NFL Draft prospects whose stock could be poised to rise during the 2025 college football season. Sabb made the list as a potential first-round pick at defensive back. USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz said: "After helping Michigan win a national championship in 2023, Sabb took on a new challenge last year by going to Tuscaloosa to help the Crimson Tide navigate the post-Nick Saban era. He made a strong early impression, recording two interceptions in his first game for Alabama and notching 39 total tackles before being lost for the season to a lower-extremity injury. The 6-1, 205-pounder blends puts together impressive size and coverage skills to allow him to clamp down on tight ends and patrol underneath in zone coverage. With his strong tackling allowing him to also be a force in the box, he should be coveted for his ability to handle a few key tasks, even if he doesn't fit the mold of a typical single-high safety. If he's able to stay healthy, expect his buzz to build." Sabb started Alabama's first seven games last year before his season-ending injury in the Tennessee game on Oct. 19. In the Tide's season-opening 62-0 shutout of Western Kentucky, he returned a TJ Finley interception 23 yards to set up Alabama's first touchdown of the year. Sabb struck again on WKU's next drive, picking off another Finley pass and returning it 64 yards to set up another score. Two weeks later, he had six tackles and two pass breakups in Alabama's 42-10 rout of Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. Alabama will open the 2025 season in Tallahassee against Florida State on Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama Duo Expected to be Among the Best in College Football
The Alabama Crimson Tide will enter the second year of the post-Nick Saban era. Despite a disappointing 2024 season, expectations in Tuscaloosa remain championship or bust, even with a changing of the guard at quarterback. CBS Sports and 247Sports have released their top five quarterback-wide receiver duos heading into the 2025 college football season, and Alabama's pairing of Ty Simpson and Ryan Williams cracked the list. According to Brad Crawford via the 247Sports Ultimate CFB Show, Simpson and Williams were slotted at No. 5 overall. © Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Simpson and Williams have high expectations in 2025, albeit being the former's first season as a full-time starter. Simpson, a five-star recruit in the 2021 class, never transferred despite throwing just 50 passes in three years. He will now get his opportunity to finally start after the departure of dual-threat passer Jalen Milroe. Advertisement Meanwhile, Williams will enter the 2025 campaign with much more experience despite his sophomore status. He registered 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran four times for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Like Simpson, he is a former five-star recruit. Simpson and Williams have never started a game together. Still, their pedigree indicates that they can hit the ground running during the team's season opener against the Florida State Seminoles. Ahead of Alabama's tandem are some elite pairings. Leading the charge is Arizona State's offensive tandem of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson following a College Football Playoff berth. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Barion Brown, Texas' Arch Manning and Ryan Wingo, and Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith with Ohio State round out the top five duos by Crawford. The Tide are coming off a disappointing 9–4 campaign, their worst season since 2007. Kalen DeBoer's second year as head coach will be pivotal, and much of it will hinge on the chemistry between Simpson and Williams. If the duo lives up to the hype, Alabama could return to the College Football Playoff after a one-year hiatus. Related: Key Details Revealed for Alabama's Week 1 Game at Florida State
Fox News
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Adam B. Coleman On The Crisis Of Fatherhood in America & Alabama AD Greg Byrne Addresses The Nate Oates Rumors
Story #1: Are the rumors swirling around Alabama Men's Basketball Head Coach Nate Oates departure true? What is going to happen to college athletics under new legislation that will change the rules on scholarships and roster construction? A conversation with the University of Alabama Athletic Director, Greg Byrne. Plus, previewing the new documentary series , The Tides That Bind , on the first Alabama Football season in the post-Nick Saban era, fully available now on FOX Nation. Story #2: Author Adam B. Coleman joins to discuss his new book, T he Children We Left Behind: How Western Culture Rationalizes Family Separation & Ignores The Pain Of Child Neglect. Adam shares his experiences growing up with an absent father, the negative impact that a lack of fathers has on society, and much more. Story #3: Quick Takes: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances for former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and many more. But why do former officials even get to keep their security clearances in the first place? Plus, the New York Yankees invented what seems to be the legal 'Torpedo Bat.' Will the rest of the league follow? Tell Will what you thought about this podcast by emailing WillCainShow@ Subscribe to The Will Cain Show on YouTube here: Watch The Will Cain Show! Follow Will on Twitter: @WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
