Jalen Milroe spends time with Michael Jordan at GEICO 500 in Talladega

What a moment for Jalen Milroe!

Unless you are an avid NASCAR fan or are from the state of Alabama, you don’t quite understand how important Talladega is around here. One example that properly explains the significance of the legendary racetrack happened on Sunday afternoon when some of the Alabama Crimson Tide football players made the trip to see the GEICO 500.

Even star quarterback [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] made an appearance at Talladega and was able to spend some time with an even more legendary sports figure, the one and only Michael Jordan.

The official Alabama football X account (formerly Twitter) posted a photo of Milroe with arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live.

Take a look!

Milroe is known for his infectious smile, but it’s hard not to notice the excitement that he has for meeting the sports icon.

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Alabama football in the lead to land elite transfer kicker

Has Alabama found its replacement for Will Reichard?

One of the areas of concern entering the 2024 season for Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team is who will be replacing Will Reichard as placekicker in Tuscaloosa.

Reichard is the NCAA’s all-time leader in points scored and was one of the most consistent kickers in college football history.

Well, Coach DeBoer and company may have found Reichard’s replacement and I am not sure you could have scripted a better one.

According to Pete Nakos of On3, Alabama has become the clubhouse leader to land Graham Nicholson a recent addition to the transfer portal via Miami Ohio.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. Nicholson beat out Reichard in 2023 for the Lou Groza Award which is given to the nation’s top placekicker.

A first-team All-American in 2023, he connected on 27 of his 28 field goal attempts. Nicholson connected on 25 straight field goals during the season, setting a record for consecutive attempts.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Nicholson’s decision throughout the process and will provide any updates as they become available.

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Alabama Basketball reaches out to 2024 5-star guard Boogie Fland

After reopening his recruitment, 2024 five-star guard Boogie Fland has heard from a number of programs including the Alabama Crimson Tide. Fland was originally committed to Kentucky.

One prospect that the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball coaching staff has shown interest in multiple times is 2024 five-star guard Boogie Fland. The New York native was recruited by the Crimson Tide prior to his committing and signing with the Kentucky Wildcats. Since then, Fland has reopened his recruitment and heard from Alabama yet again.

Fland took an official visit to Tuscaloosa back in September. He had Alabama as a finalist in his recruitment.

Fland hails from Harlem, New York. He spent his high school career at Archbishop Stepinac High School. As a senior, Fland averaged 19.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 3.6 assists per game. In addition, Fland shot 45.3% from the floor.

He is one of the most coveted prospects still available in the 2024 recruiting class. Alabama is one of multiple programs that have shown interest in the McDonald’s All-American. Nate Oats and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff would certainly love to add Fland to the ’24 recruiting class. It will be interesting to see if Fland schedules an official visit to Alabama in the near future. There is clear interest between Fland and the Crimson Tide.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

How many first round picks will Alabama football have in the 2024 NFL draft?

Alabama football is set to have another big first round in the 2024 NFL draft

In just five short days, the 2024 NFL draft will get underway from Detroit. As usual, the Alabama Crimson Tide is expected to have several former football stars selected in the seven-round draft that spans across three days.

The biggest question that Alabama fans want answered is how many Crimson Tide players will be selected in the first round. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

While Alabama will likely not set any draft records, there is a good chance you could see as many as four taken with the first 32 picks. Let’s see where our friends at Touchdown Wire believe the former Crimson Tide players will land.

Which Alabama football players will be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft?

All four players are expected to land in situations where they can provide an instant impact for their respective teams. Remember, this is just a mock draft, and things can change quickly on draft night when teams begin to shake things up with trades and whatnot.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for more coverage of the 2024 NFL draft!

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Four-star Georgia linebacker commit visiting Alabama

Four-star Buford standout, Georgia linebacker commit sets June official visit with Alabama football

Elite linebacker recruit Jadon Perlotte plans to take an official visit to Alabama on June 14. Alabama is looking to pry away Perlotte, who has been committed to the Georgia Bulldogs since Dec. 2022.

In the fall of 2023, the four-star linebacker was projected to flip his commitment to the Florida State Seminoles. However, Perlotte previously told On3, “I dropped Florida State, so I’m not even looking at them anymore.”

Perlotte plays football for Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Buford is one of the premier high school football programs in the country. Perlotte played alongside Georgia freshman safety KJ Bolden during the 2023 football season at Buford. Perlotte plays both linebacker and safety and the high school level and has excellent versatility.

The four-star, who grew up a Georgia fan, is the No. 92 recruit nationally and the No. 13 recruit in Georgia in the class of 2025. The elite linebacker is the No. 12 player at his position. Georgia currently has eight commitments in the class of 2025 and the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker runs track and has committed to playing in the 2025 All-American Bowl. Perlotte’s brother, Jordan, plays college football for Wofford. Kirby Smart and Georgia signed the top recruiting class in the nation in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Kalen DeBoer says Alabama quarterbacks are ‘all in’

Does Alabama football have the best quarterback room in the country?

What a difference a year makes. This time last year Alabama Crimson Tide football fans were worried to death about the quarterback room in Tuscaloosa and now it appears to be one of the strengths of the team. In fact, you could argue that Alabama has the best QB room in the country.

Jalen Milroe is back for the Tide after starting 13 games in 2023 and finishing in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting. Ty Simpson is a former five-star recruit who has blossomed into an SEC-ready player. Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack both have shown that their futures are bright in college football as well.

To say that head coach Kalen DeBoer is thrilled with the quarterbacks who be an understatement. Coach DeBoer and the entire Alabama offensive coaching staff consistently raved about the progress that all of the QBs had made this spring and despite the transfer portal window currently being open, it appears all four are staying put in Tuscaloosa.

On Thursday, Coach DeBoer was asked about his quarterbacks while on “The Next Round”.

“I know that you always go right to who the starter is, but there’s some great talent,” DeBoer said. “I can’t express the appreciation they have for just believing in our process and believing in what we’re doing. You see from the beginning of the spring, every single one of those guys improved, becoming more comfortable in the offense. Improving doesn’t mean they’re perfect. There’s a throw here throw there, a read, you can see it in the spring game, I’ve seen it in the scrimmages, but man, they’re all in.

“They’re diving into the playbook and they believe in the development that they’re going to get in this program. Nick Sheridan has done an amazing job, I think, really trying to continue to foster the competition amongst the group, but also those guys, it’s really neat to see their relationship and their trust in each other, their belief in each other. And those friendships continue to grow. So he’s done an amazing job, not just with the offense but with the quarterback room.”

DeBoer is known for his quarterback-friendly approach to the game and his history of developing NFL-caliber quarterbacks certainly helps Alabama in its efforts to keep the stacked room unbroken.

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Kalen DeBoer on Alabama football’s approach to spring transfer portal window

It has been relatively quiet for Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama football team so far during the spring transfer portal window

Nearly a week ago Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team wrapped up the spring activities with the annual A-Day Game from inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Earlier this week the spring transfer portal window opened up for college football and as you can imagine chaos has since ensued. However, for Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide, it has been relatively quiet aside from a couple of walk-on players. Coach DeBoer is hoping it stays that way.

On Thursday while making an appearance on “The Next Round”, Coach DeBoer would go into detail on how he and his coaching staff have approached the spring transfer window.

“I would have hoped that it is what we’re going through right now,” said DeBoer. “Of course, we still got a couple of weeks left of that and things can change. Guys are still always trying to figure out where they’re at in their career, but I just think we’re in a great position, considering everything that has happened with the major transition.

“I’m proud of our staff for developing some relationships. I’m proud of how they’ve really helped to show guys their role in the team and helped the buy-in to those roles happen. There’s almost 130 guys on our team, and we’re meeting with them individually, one-on-one, every single one of them, so those are really important meetings that are happening right.”

Coach DeBoer would also speak on which position groups the Alabama coaching staff has been watching closely to make possible additions.

“We have a few scholarships left open,” DeBoer said. “You’re just looking for the right fit. I want to be really sensitive to the culture of our team. You don’t want to bring one in and lose two or three because of how that comes across and how it’s perceived. But if it’s someone who can really help our program, you’ve always got your eyes open and paying attention.

“… Offensive line, just numbers. When you look at just sheer numbers, offensive line and defensive backs – I’ve said it now for a couple of weeks, you could say going back before we even started spring ball – it’s not even necessarily about the talent, which you’re always looking for that top talent, but it’s about just sheer numbers to practice and to be able to get the competition that you need out there. And defensive back-wise, those a lot of your guys that are involved in special teams, too. Gotta run down there and tackle.

“I love the guys that we have. I’m very confident. When you put up Malachi (Moore) and Keon (Sabb) out there, and Red (Morgan) did an amazing job and DeVonta (Smith) at the Husky position and it goes on and on. Those guys did a great job, so it’s not even about that. It’s just about bringing in some guys that can help our program, help our team be better. Take some snaps here and there on defense but also give us some depth and help us out with special teams.”

It’s really impressive that Coach DeBoer and his staff have been able to so quickly build solid relationships with the Crimson Tide players in such a short amount of time. It speaks to the character and the belief of both of the players and the coaches.

While I am not anticipating anything crazy to happen in terms of a mass exodus of players via the portal, in this day in age of college football, it’s better to keep your head on a swivel.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide!

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Kalen DeBoer provides the latest on Parker Brailsford

Positive news for Washington transfer Parker Brailsford

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team wrapped up spring activities this past weekend with the annual A-Day Game from inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

One missing piece that took Crimson Tide fans off guard this spring was Washington transfer center [autotag]Parker Brailsford[/autotag] who joined Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa in January.

On Thursday while making an appearance on “The Next Round”, Coach DeBoer was asked about Brailsford and would provide a positive update on one of the most talented interior offensive linemen in college football.

“He’ll be back,” DeBoer said. “He’s going through workouts. He’s been working out with our strength staff. He’s back. He never left us. He’s just back with us. I know he wasn’t practicing. But, he’ll be full-go workouts this summer. It wasn’t ever really about wanting to leave or go somewhere. He was just working through some things specific to him.

“Again, it was not anything where he ever got in trouble. It’s nothing like that. He’s a great young man, a great football player. He played both center, and he actually started the last season at guard for us the first few games until some injuries happened. So, he’s very versatile.”

With Brailsford back in the fold heading into the offseason workouts, it will provide Alabama with quality depth on the interior of the offensive line which is already a strength of the team with the likes of Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor the status of Brailsford throughout the offseason.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Alabama Basketball reaches out to Saint Mary’s transfer guard Aidan Mahaney

The Alabama basketball coaching staff is one of the programs that has reportedly reached out to Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trail ever since the season ended. The Crimson Tide have already landed two players via the transfer portal in Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette and USF transfer Chris Youngblood. Alabama has reportedly shown interest in Saint Mary’s transfer guard Aidan Mahaney.

According to Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres, over 115 programs reached out to Mahaney last night. The Crimson Tide are hopeful that they will be able to enter the mix. With there being uncertainty at the guard position heading into next season, Alabama could use some experience and depth.

Mahaney would provide just that. The sophomore from Lafayette, California averaged 13.9 points per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game last season with the Gaels. He shot 38.6% from the floor and 35.5% from beyond the arc.

Currently, Alabama has two guards on the roster with pending decisions coming from guards Mark Sears and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Mahaney would provide an immediate boost, so it will be interesting to see if the Crimson Tide decide to bring him in for an official visit.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

Jaguars NFL Draft prospect profiles: CB Terrion Arnold

Jaguars NFL Draft prospect profiles: CB Terrion Arnold

With the 2024 NFL Draft quickly approaching, Jaguars Wire is breaking down top prospects at positions of need for Jacksonville via individual scouting profiles.

Our series begins with Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, one of the players most frequently projected as the Jaguars’ first-round pick of the selection ceremony.

NFL Combine measurements and positional percentiles via MockDraftable. Scouting reports by Jaguars Wire.

CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Sep 23, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Terrion Arnold (3) carries the ball after an interception against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half of a football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Height/weight: 5-foot-11 3/4-inches (56th percentile), 189 pounds (34th percentile) 

Notable NFL Combine results: 31 ⅝-inch arm length (59th percentile), 76 ¼-inch wingspan (62nd percentile), 4.51-second 40-yard dash (43rd percentile), 1.54-second 10-yard split (51st percentile), 37-inch vertical jump (63rd percentile), 129-inch broad jump (87th percentile)

College stats (three seasons, 25 games): 108 tackles, one sack, 7.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions. 26 passes defended, one forced fumble

Scouting report: From Tallahassee (Fla.) John Paul II Catholic, Arnold was one of the top-rated safety prospects in the 2021 recruiting class but transitioned to cornerback and nickel corner upon enrolling at Alabama. He redshirted his freshman season before making seven starts in 2022, then started every week in 2023, en route to First-Team All-American and All-SEC honors. 

Arnold logged 1,058 snaps at outside cornerback and 356 snaps at nickel or as a box defender over his 25 appearances with the Crimson Tide, with 557 and 205 in 2023, respectively. He is an adequately sized defensive back prospect with great explosiveness, downhill speed and aggression to compensate for average-to-above-average long speed and a slimmer frame. Arnold’s plus-wingspan suggests he can continue to add weight, and his current size didn’t limit him in press coverage against SEC wide receivers in college. 

Arnold is polished regarding man coverage and pattern-matching from experience in Nick Saban’s Alabama scheme, and his production exploded as a full-time starter in 2023, when he led the Crimson Tide with five interceptions and 12 pass breakups. His 6.5 tackles for loss ranked fourth on the team. According to Pro Football Focus, Arnold allowed a career coverage completion percentage of 52.7%. 

Arnold projects as a capable NFL outside or nickel cornerback with turnover-creation upside room for continual improvement and physical growth, having only turned 21 years old in March.

In Jacksonville, Arnold could offer valuable depth, rotational playing time and the potential to start immediately at either spot. He’d certainly have a path toward a first-team role in the future when veteran defensive backs head toward free agency.