Jeff Lebby rumored to be a top candidate if Bob leaves...

Today is Pakaderm's Birthday. Everyone wish him a Happy Birthday.

JQ worked hard through his rehab and got back early. He had a few rough games to begin with, but this kid is playing some great ball now. lt is obvious that Oats trust him and wants him in the game at crunch time. His leadership has been very important as well.

We do not come back and win that ballgame last night without the great effort we got from JQ.

Jeremy Pruitt’s potential return to Alabama is very much in play as Nick Saban is interested in bringing him back to his staff in some capacity. According to sources, Pruitt is also interested in rejoining the Crimson Tide and was on Alabama’s campus this week.

Alabama has an opening at its defensive coordinator position after losing Pete Golding to Ole Miss earlier this month. However, hiring Pruitt to lead the defense could prove tricky due to the recruiting violations he is facing from his time as Tennesee’s head coach. In total, the NCAA alleged 18 Level 1 violations that have yet to be resolved.

Currently, Alabama is still waiting on the NCAA’s final verdict on Pruitt before moving forward with its search for a new defensive coordinator. Pruitt is Saban’s perceived top choice for the position. However, Alabama has other viable options with Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schuman leading the list of alternatives.

While Alabama’s preferred option is to bring Pruitt in as a defensive coordinator, it is still possible he could join the team in an off-the-field role if NCAA’s ruling becomes too much of an obstacle. Analysts will likely play a bigger role on college staffs this season as the NCAA is expected to pass a rule change that would allow them to work with players during practice without being a part of the team’s 10-man staff for games.

As Alabama waits for more clarity on Pruitt’s situation, it is currently prioritizing finding a replacement for offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who left to take the same job with the New England Patriots on Tuesday.

Alabama’s most publicized target for the job is Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. The Crimson Tide has expressed heavy interest in Lebby and is pitching him on the stability of Alabama’s program as well as Saban’s ability to move his coordinators on to head-coaching roles.

Oklahoma sources claim Lebby, an Oklahoma alumn, is reluctant to move on from the Sooners after just one season. The 39-year-old McGregor, Texas native is set to earn $1.9 million dollars next season and would easily command a salary well north of $2 million at Alabama.

While bringing in Lebby could be difficult at the moment, there is a belief that Alabama might be able to sway him due to recent turmoil on Oklahoma’s staff. According to a source close to Oklahoma’s program, head coach Brent Venables is on the hot seat and runs the risk of losing his job if the Sooners don’t show noticeable improvement on their 6-7 finish during his first season in charge last year.

Another name to monitor in Alabama’s offensive coordinator search is Greg Roman, who parted ways with the Baltimore Ravens last week after spending the last four seasons in charge of their offense. According to a source, the Atlantic City, New Jersey native, has shown preliminary interest in the Alabama job, and has made calls to asses the position as well as the Crimson Tide’s upcoming roster.

The Tide are set to host a slew of talent, here is the breakdown for who's set to attend.

From our intern, Will Miller

Opening Statement...

"The SEC is a tough league. (Mississippi State) had only one game in the SEC and we saw how tough it was. I gotta give credit to Mississippi State. They came in ready to play and they had a great plan. They improved more than we improved from the first time we played them. We didn't do a great job getting our guys ready to go. We didn’t do a good job attacking. We didn't start the game like we needed to but I give our guys a lot of credit. In the second half, they found a way to win in a tight game. We haven't had very many tight games, so it's not the worst. We had to figure out how to win a close game especially when you're down. I told her guys two years ago when we won the SEC championship, in the tournament semifinal we were down 15 to Tennessee you’ve got to win games when things aren't going your way. We shot 18% from three and couldn’t buy a bucket and still figured out how to be a pretty good team. I meant on the record doesn't say they're good, but I still think they're a good team. I think they're gonna upset some people. They play really hard. I mean shoot they had us down 10, I think they had us down 11 at one point. They are a quality team, but at this point, we’ll take the win.”

Benny’s Breakdown: Alabama’s ninth-consecutive win was anything but pretty and yet somehow the team found a way to come out on top. With the team trailing by 10 at the half, hopes of the Crimson Tide being able to keep its perfect conference record intact were fading. However, a 17-11 scoring run over the last seven minutes of the game sealed the win for Alabama as it swept the season series against Mississippi State. While Oats and the rest of the Crimson Tide would have preferred another double-digit conference victory, learning how to win close games where at times it seems that nothing can go right, is huge for a team that has goals to go far in March.

On Jahvon Quinerly and Nick Pringle’s performances…

“(Quinerly) was huge. He can shoot so they really couldn't sag on him as much. They tried to switch and I think he's got some explosiveness to get to the paint and make things happen. He hit the one 3-pointer, he hit some drives going in and he made his free throws for the most part. I think he missed the one layup, was 5-of-6 at the line, had one assist and only one turnover. He led us in scoring tonight. We needed some scoring help. They did a great job on Miller and Sears. We needed someone to step up and score the ball and (Quinerly) has been able to score pretty well for us in the past. We needed him tonight. We needed everybody tonight. I thought (Nick) Pringle played well. Maybe he should have gotten a few more minutes, but scored seven points in eight minutes and went 3-for-3 at the line as a guy who has struggled in the past. He’s worked hard to correct his free throws and we needed every one of them tonight. A couple of guys that maybe hadn't played bigger roles but you needed them to. I thought Noah Gurley gave us big minutes late in the game and “close the game for us. Something about this team is we're deeper, we’ve got some depth, we can use it when we need to and we had some guys step up tonight.”

Benny’s Breakdown: Oats have raved over his team’s depth this season and it was on full display against Mississippi State. Alabama tallied 32 bench points compared to just 14 for the Bulldogs which arguably became the turning point in the game. Quinerly led the team in scoring for the first time this season and showed off what made him a fan favorite prior to his ACL injury — dazzling handles, clutch shooting and facilitating the offense. As for Pringle, he provided the spark Alabama needed to begin its resurgence in the game. With Charles Bediako picking up his third foul of the half, Oats turned to the 6-foot-9 junior who made his presence felt by scoring five points in 39 seconds. After Wednesday’s win, Oats can continue applauding his team’s depth which will be relied on more and more as the season wears on.”

On the team’s defensive intensity…

“Our energy got better. I mean we played harder. We got some steals and made some deflections. They’re a team that needs to score off of turnovers in Mississippi State. They had nine off of turnovers, we had 22. I think a lot of those came in the second half. I think it was a deal where our guys realize we’re down seven and I think we get down to 10 again in the second half like this isn't an easy game. We had to pick our energy up. Now it's disappointing that we had to pick it up. It should just be there from the beginning, but we picked it up and figured out a way to win. If you're going to win an SEC Championship, you've got to win some games where you don't play your best. We figured out a way to get a win and our defense in the second half is really what did it.”

Benny’s Breakdown: For a team that hangs its hard hat on being a tough defensive team and a high-flying offensive juggernaut, Alabama failed on both accounts, but more so on defense. Mississippi State couldn’t do wrong when it had the ball, shooting 56.7% from the floor in the first half. Oats stressed the importance of slowing down Tolu Smith during his Tuesday press conference, but less than 24 hours later the Mississippi State center recorded 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in nine minutes of playing time. Smith probably would have scored more had he not picked up two quick fouls which forced him to come out of the game. Alabama was able to shore up its defensive miscues in the second half as Mississippi State went 9-for-26 from the field and more importantly, held Smith to just five points.

On how the team is handling being the No. 2 ranked team in the country…

“Based on tonight it didn't look good. It’s the worst game we’ve played in a while so I personally thought we'd been handling it pretty well coming up tonight. We've also had a lot on our plates the last week and a half. I thought we did well at Vandy, we did pretty good Missouri, maybe some of that's catching up I don't know. But I don't think this is a group that's going to let too much of that get to their head. To me, listening to them talk, talking to them one-on-one, I think they all understand there's plenty of room to get better and we’ve got to get better. I don't know what the deal was tonight. Based on tonight's play, it looks like we're not handling it well, but I honestly don't think that's the case within the group. I think we'll bounce back. Hopefully, we can learn off of a win. A mature group can come in after a win and learn just as much as they can after a loss. We didn't play as well as we need to. Hopefully, we learn the lessons we need to after a win and get a little bit better on Saturday.”

Benny’s Breakdown: It’s odd to think that 11 days ago, news broke of Darius Miles’ arrest and being charged with capital murder. Since that day, Alabama has played in three games and its first one at home since the incident. While the team is 3-0 and continues to rise up the rankings, losing a teammate is unimaginable. Alabama continues to show resiliency, but even with a tough performance on Wednesday, Oats stressed the need for more consistency from his group going forward. The schedule isn’t going to be any easier as the team looks ahead to its last 11 games as road trips to Auburn and Tennessee will be key in Alabama securing another SEC regular season title.

This weekend is shaping up to be pretty loaded in terms of players with name recognition and prospects in classes '25 and '26 that could be named to know in coming classes. The Alabama staff has been hard on the road finishing the next group of Crimson Tide players; this weekend can go a long way in determining which players the staff decides to pursue.

We're breaking down some players as we confirm they will be on campus. Just remember this list is not official until they get on campus, but if they are on here, they have confirmed in various ways that give us the confidence to add them here.

2024

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Noland has taken several visits this off-season after helping led Langston Hughes and an undefeated season. Alabama continues to have conversations with 2024 quarterbacks outside of Julian Sayin.

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Gipson was one of the best players on a loaded Lancaster (Tex.) HS roster. Gipson has the flexibility and physicality to play multiple roles in the secondary on the next level.

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Calhoun has always considered Alabama a top school. With Georgia seemingly gaining some momentum after last season, it is huge to get Calhoun on campus early on.

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Collins is one of the longest tenured 2024 commits, the staff love his toughness in the trenches.

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A long, lengthy DB that can cause problems due his size and instincts. It seems like Alabama is spending more time in Cali this cycle.

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JoJo is teammates of Air Noland. Stone has been committed to LSU since last season but that hasn't stopped him from promoting other programs on social media. Additionally, Stone is a player that Sterling Dixon has mentioned wanting on multiple occasions and now he's on campus.

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Seaton has tremendous upside but even more importantly plays with the right mindset at an ideal size for either guard/tackle long term.

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Myles Graham has been one of the more highlighted recruits the past few months. Graham was a huge pickup for the Florida Gators at the time but that hasn't stopped Alabama from remaining in contact. This visit could go a long way down the road.

2025

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2026

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More on the way soon.

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For the first time since Jan. 14, Alabama players fielded questions from reporters.

Noah Gurley and Nimari Burnett spoke about the Darius Miles situation and how it has brought the team closer together.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks," Gurley said.

You have to believe that they are working on getting things cleared for him to be the DC. If it was Schumann, it’d be done wouldn’t it? I don’t even follow this guy on Twitter but I’ve seen his tweets randomly and he tweets some info at times. It’s seemed to be fairly accurate. He said today that they are working on getting Pruitt cleared. I’m hoping he’s right. I’d post the tweet if I could find it. Anybody seen anything?

Beat Arkansas in Fayetteville. It’s our 3rd road win in conference play, and solidifies our chance at a top 4 SEC finish and a double bye in the conference tournament. We have a tough one coming up next against South Carolina, but our next 6 games after that are against teams below us in the standings. We now own the head to head tiebreaker against both Ole Miss and Arkansas, who are our closest competitors for that coveted 4th spot in the conference.

I talked to someone today that is as far from the know as possible, he is the third cousin of the janitor that cleans the restroom at the IHop who is a friend of the telephone repairman that talked to the cable install that just worked on the link at the Delta Chi House that backs up to the parking lot at the Athletic study facility at Bryant Hall and you will not believe what he told me. He said that he had absolutely no idea about what was going on, but that he would inform me if the position changed on the subject.

Finally an honest piece of information.

Now that you made it through the Crap CLICK HERE No warranties on the information. This is what you Jeremy Pruitt fans have been wanting to read. If only it is true? Information on Lebby coming also.

Looking forward to an OC that doesn’t try to force a system on players but rather implements a system based upon the player skillsets he’s coaching. The day O'Brien was hired was the day Nick decided we needed to take a break from winning titles.

They have that ginormous Edey in the middle but I believe we would easily whip them at the other 4 positions and with our depth.

Sayin covers two players he's actively recruiting. Two teams are still in pursuit of him.

Coach Bryant passed away. The greatest coach who ever has walked, or ever will walk,the sidelines. There will never be another like him.

Alabama coaches get to hit the ground evaluating talent of the course of the next week.

So as the coaches hit the ground we will keep you updated on some of the stops they make and the offers they extend.

Last night, Alabama offered Longview (Tex.) RB Taylor Tatum and the followed that up with a visit to several schools.

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Lindale has OL Casey Poe whom the staff extended an offer to late last year.

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dominique`s son is a 10th grader from georiga that bama is after.

Whew. At the end of the year, they just look at wins and losses, and that is what we will have to do with this game. We knew Miss St had a top 20 defense in the country and we didn't play all that good at their place 8 games ago, but Alabama found a way. Tonight, Miss St played their hearts out in the first half dominating Alabama on both ends of the floor.

Alabama shot 5-28 from 3, but most of them were open looks that they just didn't knock down. What was the encouraging stat was Alabama going 19-22 from the FT line. That is what won the game for them. What would you have said 5 years ago if I told you that in the near future, Alabama would be winning games because of free throw shooting? It has been a big boost to the team.

It looked like Miss St came into the game with something to prove and Alabama came in cocky. They got knocked in the mouth early, going down by as many as 12 before trailing by 7 at half. It was nip and tuck for 10 minutes in the 2nd half before Alabama started taking control. They went up 8 with 2 min to go before Miss St made it interesting, thanks to Alabama forgetting how to play basketball, and had a chance to tie at the buzzer.

In conclusion, Alabama didn't lose and they remain undefeated at 8-0 in conference. They have some favorable conference games for the next two weeks before the week before Auburn (who lost big time tonight) and Tennessee on the road. They have an Oklahoma team that can beat Alabama, but has been very up and down all season. These are the games Pre-Oats teams would've lost. It's just something about his teams, when his guys have the right attitude, that just never go away.

Will visit Alabama this week and be in town for the Miss St game tonight. Huge visit and I love his game.

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