After spending the first few seasons of his collegiate career in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Crimson Tide junior defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis announced Monday that he would be redshirting the 2024 season, as well as enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Oatis, a former four-star and Top 100 prospect in the 2022 class, was a key member of Alabama’s defensive front over his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide where he had a combined 55 tackles, three TFL, and 1.5 sacks.
However, Oatis has not necessarily seen as much action so far this season in Tuscaloosa, which is reportedly the reason behind the former four-star’s decision according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. So far this year, Oatis has a combined stat line of two tackles and one PD.
With Oatis now moving on, others such as Damon Payne Jr. and James Smith will likely continue to see increased playing time at defensive tackle moving forward for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama junior DT Jehiem Oatis plans to redshirt and enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN. Oatis started 13 games his first two years and was a Top 40 recruit. He said the reason for leaving is playing time, as he played 25 total snaps against Georgia and Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/pksgmAWsGY
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2024