Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes:
Alabama could be down three starters at Tennessee this weekend
Clarity should come this evening when the SEC releases this week's availability reports, but there's concern for Alabama with three key starters ahead of this weekend's matchup in Knoxville.
Kalen DeBoer already said on Monday that it would be unlikely for star WR Ryan Coleman-Williams to be able to play. He's expected to be out, and the Crimson Tide will need guys like Noah Rogers, Derek Meadows, and Cederian Morgan to step up.
There's concern about starting center Racin Delgatty, too, who went down with an injury on Alabama's last offensive snap against Georgia. He has a lower extremity issue, but his status is currently unknown. If he's unable to go, sophomore Mal Waldrep is expected to start in his place.
Starting defensive tackle Terrance Green's status is up in the air, too. Green left the game against Georgia late in the first half and didn't return. There was a noticeable difference between the Crimson Tide's run defense with Green and without him.
In a game Alabama really needs to win following last week's loss to Georgia, it could have to navigate the tricky road trip without three more key players.
Kane Wommack could shake things up at CB following Dijon Lee's meltdown vs. Georgia
Alabama has been hoping sophomore CB Dijon Lee could fight through his poor performance on the field early in the season and come out the other side a better player. They've been willing to roll with him because his potential is sky-high.
But last week against Georgia, he paired struggles in coverage with a massive mental mistake late in the game that cost the Crimson Tide a chance to get the ball back. It led to a public butt-chewing from DeBoer and now has Kane Wommack clearly considering a chance at corner.
"The things that I need to do to get him to execute at a higher level than what he’s doing, from an execution standpoint, that’s one facet. And then the other facet is being held accountable for the penalty there at the end of the game. There will be some things that we will do this week, and some things that moving forward - my job as a coordinator is based on the production that you put on the field, the role that you have moving forward. From a rep-based standpoint, that will be reflected in what guys have done to this point.”
Alabama basketball picked to finish 5th in SEC preseason poll
Nate Oats and Alabama basketball were picked to finish 5th in the preseason SEC poll. That's a good omen for the program.
In the two seasons in which Oats led the Crimson Tide to SEC regular-season and tournament titles (2020-21 and 2022-23), Alabama was picked in the preseason to finish fifth in the league.
Amari Allen was named to the All-SEC preseason second team. He was the only Tide player picked.
Nate Oats, three Alabama players attend SEC Tip-Off
Oats and Tide hoops players Amari Allen, Brandon Garrison, and Drew Fielder were in Homewood on Tuesday for the annual SEC Tip-Off.
Oats discussed the roster build and how Alabama wanted to get bigger this offseason after struggling on the interior against those types of teams throughout the year a season ago.
He also praised Aden Holloway's work since being arrested in March to get his charges dropped and work his way back into the program. Holloway will miss the next two exhibition games and the first two regular-season games before he's back on the court for the Tide.
Garrison discussed what went into his transfer to Alabama, crediting former Tide forward Mo Dioubate with helping him decide to end up in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama's second of three exhibition matchups takes place on Thursday night at 8pm against Ole Miss in Birmingham for the annual Ballin in Boutwell event. The game will be televised by the SEC Network.
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