Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from Wednesday and Thursday, August 19th and 20th.
Keelon Russell closes in on Alabama's starting QB job
Ahead of Alabama's second and final scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday, On3's Chris Low reported that he expects Kalen DeBoer to name Keelon Russell the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback early next week.
While Russell and Austin Mack still split reps during the scrimmage - and DeBoer didn't tip his hand in his post-scrimmage press conference - there was a noticeable change that points to Russell having control of the job.
Per people in attendance, Russell took the first snaps at quarterback on Thursday. Throughout the competition so far, Mack has been up first due to his seniority. Not anymore.
Russell has been viewed as the favorite since the end of the spring, but Thursday brought the first concrete evidence that the star sophomore is on his way to being Alabama's starter for Week 1 against East Carolina.
Freshman RB Trae'shawn Brown continues to impress
It's not going to take long before Trae'shawn Brown becomes a household name. The former 3-star recruit has been a revelation since joining the Crimson Tide, and he's taking full advantage of the opportunities in front of him.
Brown was excellent again during Thursday's scrimmage. While he probably won't start over junior Daniel Hill, it's pretty clear that the freshman has earned the trust of the coaching staff and is set for a major role in his first year in Tuscaloosa.
"You just feel more and more comfortable with him out there," DeBoer said after Thursday's scrimmage.
More notes from Alabama's final fall camp scrimmage:
Sophomore WR Derek Meadows was noted by DeBoer as having a good day on Thursday. Meadows has seen increased opportunities with Lotzeir Brooks sidelined and continues to push for a starting spot with junior Rico Scott.
The offensive line continues to generate optimism recently. Scrimmage onlookers noted that the line held its own much better this week than last against the defensive line. This follows comments from Alabama center Racin Delgatty on Wednesday that were oozing with confidence:
"We're gonna run the ball this year, I'll tell you that," Delgatty said.
Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. continues to make plays in camp. He came up with a pick-six of Russell during the scrimmage. Kirkpatrick has a nose for the football and seems to always be in the right place at the right time to make a big play. Alabama's incredibly deep at safety, but it appears the rising junior is going to have a role this season. His playmaking is hard to keep on the sideline.
Alabama got out of yesterday's scrimmage mostly injury-free. Outside of the guys who were already nicked up, DeBoer noted that transfer CB Nick Sherman went down with a lower extremity injury and will be evaluated. Sherman was a depth piece, but he's the second corner - joining Jorden Edmonds - to go down in camp.
Alabama and Tennessee to both wear home jerseys in the Third Saturday in October
On Wednesday, it was announced that Alabama and Tennessee will both wear their home jerseys for games in 2026 and 2027, bringing back an old Third Saturday in October rivalry staple. TSIO is one of the most iconic rivalries in college sports, and doing something that makes it stand out is a smart move by both schools.
When the Crimson Tide travels to Knoxville this October, they'll wear crimson, and the Volunteers will wear orange. It'll be the first time since 1970 that the teams have both worn home jerseys against one another.
Nate Oats, Alabama basketball to get visit from 4-star guard Devin Cleveland
4-star sharpshooting guard Devin Cleveland has recently announced Alabama as one of the seven finalists in his recruitment. On Thursday, it was announced that the Crimson Tide was one of four schools he was scheduling a visit with.
Cleveland will visit Tuscaloosa on September 18th.
He's the latest high-level prospect to schedule a visit as Nate Oats and Preston Murphy look to make inroads with the class of 2027. Alabama had an early commitment from 2027 guard Anderson Diaz, but he chose to reclassify into the 2026 cycle and join the Crimson Tide immediately, bringing Alabama's 2027 class back to square one.
Oats' track record tells us that he's going to land some elite high school talent in this class.
Alabama soccer earns another thrilling win over ranked opponent
What a start to the season for Wes Hart and Alabama soccer!
The Crimson Tide moved to 3-0 on the young season with their second consecutive win over a ranked opponent. Coming off a thrilling 2-1 win at Memphis, Alabama took down TCU 3-2 in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night.
Larkin Thomason put Alabama ahead early with a penalty kick, but TCU tied the game shortly after. An own goal by the Horned Frogs allowed the Crimson Tide to take a 2-1 lead at the half, but TCU tied the game again in the 48th minute.
In the 55th minute, Ashley Roni scored a goal to put Alabama up 3-2, and the score would hold from there.
Next up is a road trip to Lincoln, where Alabama will face Nebraska on Sunday.
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