In Week 2, Alabama will host the University of South Florida Bulls for the final matchup of the two programs’ home-and-home series. In 2023, Alabama survived an ugly game that featured a benched Jalen Milroe, a torrential downpour that caused a weather delay and a surprisingly tough USF team that showed up to play. This offseason, the Bulls revamped its roster and got significantly better. USF knows it can defy the odds and take down Alabama and the team may have some added desire to know that they would be upsetting the Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium. If you are a fan of Alabama football and feel 100% confident about this game, I would do a little bit more research on this season’s upcoming USF team. There is still a question of whether athletes should be deemed employees of their schools, something Baker and other college sports leaders are fighting against.
"David has always impressed me with his consistent approach, talent in player evaluation and overall professionalism. He is one of the most respected scouts in the NFL and is also a top-notch person." That included signing veteran free agents such as Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz and Marcus Mariota and drafting Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick. The defense could also have a much different look with Quinn and new coordinator Livescore goaloo Joe Whitt Jr. in charge, and a lot has changed outside of Allen and fellow defensive tackle Daron Payne, also of Alabama.
Holloway is a former McDonald's All-American and 5-star recruit out of high school, and during his freshman season at Auburn was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. The solution agreed to in the settlement is landmark, but not surprising. College sports has been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue. The latest college football re-rank from USA TODAY, which ranks every FBS program, has the Tide at No. 7 in the nation. The Commanders just announced David Blackburn as the director of player personnel, another change after holdover Eric Stokes left the organization.
"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.
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.
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.
The class-action federal lawsuit at the center of the settlement, House v. the NCAA, was set to go to trial in January. Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons where star quarterbacks or top prospects on college basketball teams are not only cashing in big-money NIL deals but have six-figure school payments in the bank to play. The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case and plaintiffs will have the opportunity to opt out or challenge terms of the agreement.
The Oklahoma Sooners join the SEC and are given a nice gift in getting to play Alabama at home in their first season with the conference. In 2024, the Sooners flew under the radar, but are going to look to make a splash in their first season with the SEC, as they’ve been overshadowed by Texas, who is also joining the conference and is expected to be a national title contender. I don’t believe fans are immediately counting this as a win, but I haven’t seen too many talk about how dangerous of a game this will be, especially late in the season. "This settlement is also a road map for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students," the joint statement said.