Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from the weekend of September 26th through 28th.
Alabama LB Qua Russaw to undergo surgery, miss time
Alabama's 24-21 win over Georgia on Saturday night came at a significant cost. Starting Wolf LB Qua Russaw left the game in the first quarter with a lower-body injury and was unable to return. On Sunday, it was reported that Russaw will undergo surgery and will be out for an undisclosed period of time.
That news comes the same week that Alabama lost Wolf LB Jah-Marien Latham to a neck injury in practice. The Crimson Tide will be thin at a position they entered the season with tremendous depth.
Yhonzae Pierre will be in line to start in Russaw's absence. Pierre is arguably the best pass rusher on the roster, leading the team in QB pressures. He'll need to take a step forward setting the edge in the run game to effectively replace Russaw, however.
Freshman Justin Hill and redshirt freshman Noah Carter are likely to see increased roles, too.
James Smith ejected for targeting in the second half
Another significant loss for Alabama during the Georgia game was the questionable targeting ejection of junior defensive tackle James Smith in the second half. Alabama was able to navigate its way to a win without him, but missing him for the first half of next week's game against Vanderbilt will be felt.
Redshirt sophomore Edric Hill played arguably his best game against Georgia and will likely step into a starting role in Smith's absence next week.
Kirk Herbstreit praises Kalen DeBoer as Alabama closes out Georgia
Kirk Herbstreit was on the call for Alabama's win over Georgia, and after Ty Simpson hit Jam Miller out of the backfield to convert a 3rd-and-5 and seal the Tide win, Herbstreit let out effusive praises for Kalen DeBoer:
"If you're an Alabama fan and you've kinda been one foot in, one foot out on Kalen DeBoer, this is what Kalen DeBoer is," Herbstreit said. "This kind of creativity offensively. Toughness. Ability to battle back. This is what he's done everywhere he's been as a head coach.
"This Alabama team was backed into a corner after a Week 1 loss. They clearly have come together, and they have come out swinging. That's been on display here tonight in Athens."
Something has certainly clicked since that Week 1 debacle in Tallahassee. The trick now will be to sustain that effort moving forward.
Kadyn Proctor talks about his unforgettable catch and run
There were plenty of highlights for the Crimson Tide on Saturday night, but none bigger than a screen pass to Kadyn Proctor late in the second quarter. Proctor made the catch - ultimately ruled a backwards pass and a running play - and barrelled forward for a gain of 11 yards to set up a Ty Simpson rushing touchdown before the half.
Proctor spoke about it after the game and stated the only thing on his mind was getting to the endzone by running through everyone:
"I'm trying to go through people man," Proctor said. "That's the biggest thing for me. Power. Power ball. You seen it. I got in, clutched the ball, so all I had to do was run through people. I already knew what I was going to do."
Ty Simpson surges in the Heisman Trophy race
Ty Simpson has proved a lot of people wrong in the last three games. Many questioned whether he could be the guy following an uneven performance against Florida State. All he has done in the three games since is play at a higher level than any other signal-caller.
Simpson has been terrific. He shredded Kirby Smart's Georgia defense in the first half on Saturday night, building upon outstanding performances against lowered competition in the two previous games. There was nothing low about the competition he faced in Athens - he proved he was among the elite quarterbacks in the country.
Oddsmakers took notice. Simpson jumped all the way up to the second-best odds on FanDuel for the Heisman Trophy.
Alabama moves up to No. 10 in the AP Poll
Alabama jumped up from No. 17 to No. 10 in the AP Poll in the aftermath of the win between the hedges. Alabama opened the season ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, so at 3-1, they are only two spots away from the preseason ranking despite losing the opener and the sky falling.
Alabama's schedule the rest of the way is brutal. With eight games remaining, five of them are against teams ranked in the Top 20 of this week's AP Poll. Two others are road games against quality SEC competition.
Nate Oats, Alabama host another 5-star visitor
It wouldn't be a weekend in Tuscaloosa right now without Nate Oats and Alabama basketball hosting an elite recruit in the 2026 class. This one came out of nowhere and wasn't reported until the prospect was already on campus.
5-star combo guard Brandon McCoy was in Tuscaloosa over the weekend to visit with Oats and the Crimson Tide.
McCoy becomes the 10th blue-chip recruit to visit Alabama in the month of September. Oats already landed commitments from 4-stars Chris Washington Jr. and Tarris Bouie. Alabama appears to be setting up to sign one of the top classes in 2026.