Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from the final two days of September.
4-star 2027 OL Jatori Williams commits to Alabama
If Alabama's win over Georgia in Athens on Saturday night wasn't good enough, Kalen DeBoer went ahead and landed a commitment from a highly-regarded 2027 offensive lineman who just so happened to be on a visit to Georgia this past weekend.
4-star Alabama native Jatori Williams announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide, choosing Alabama over Georgia and Ohio State. Williams is currently ranked as the No. 4 in-state prospect for the 2027 cycle.
Walk in your trap, take over your trap. And steal your prospects, too. That's what DeBoer does in the black hoodie, folks.
Wilkin Formby earns high marks from PFF
Alabama fans have had a tenous relationship with right tackle Wilkin Formby since the beginning of last season. Most have wanted him benched all season in favor of freshman Michael Carroll. But DeBoer and the coaching staff chose to stick with Formby, and the redshirt sophomore tackle delivered.
According to PFF, Formby was the highest graded pass-blocking offensive lineman in the country last week. Georgia thought he was the matchup they could take advantage of, lining their best pass rusher up against him for the majority of the night.
Formby got the better of that matchup.
Kane Wommack calls Alabama's perimeter run defense 'unacceptable'
Alabama's defense was far from perfect against Georgia, but they did what they had to do to walk out of Sanford Stadium with a win on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide buckled down, made some plays when it had to, and held the Bulldogs to only seven points in the second half to secure the win.
But Alabama's run defense was far too leaky, something that has become a genuine concern moving forward. Wommack was particularly upset with the explosive plays the Tide allowed when runs got bounced to the outside.
"The ball rolled off the edge and created six explosive plays for 171 yards," Wommack told reporters on Monday. "Those six rushes that the ball got outside on us and we didn't take the air out of the ball ... we didn't finish. That is unacceptable."
Alabama may call on Deontae Lawson to help in Qua Russaw's absence
Alabama's win over Georgia didn't come without a price: Wolf LB Qua Russaw suffered an injury during the first quarter that knocked him out of the game. He did not return. It was reported shortly after that Russaw suffered a broken foot and will undergo surgery. He's expected to be back sometime this year, but there's not currently a timetable for his return to action.
With Russaw out - joining veteran Wolf Jah-Marien Latham - Alabama is now thin at a position they looked at as a strength. Redshirt sophomore Yhonzae Pierre will start in place of Russaw, and redshirt freshman Justin Hill will see some work, too. But Wommack also talked about Deontae Lawson as a guy they can use inside and out, similarly to how they deployed Jihaad Campbell last season.
"We're doing some things with him (Lawson) that we did with Jihaad Campbell a year ago," Wommack said. "He's generating some pass rush."
Ty Simpson talks Alabama's motivation for Vanderbilt
It's already getting taken out of context, unsurprisingly, but Ty Simpson shared his thoughts on Alabama's motivation for this year's game against Vanderbilt, considering the similar circumstances to losing to them a year ago.
Simpson was complimentary of Vanderbilt, but also said that Alabama's focus will be better for this year's matchup with the 'Dores than it was last season.
"I felt how it was last year," Simpson told reporters on Tuesday. "The mentality of the locker room this week is ... we remember. We remember what happened last year. What are we gonna do about it? Even though it’s not about last year, it’s about us, we’re not gonna make the same mistake again.”