A lot of this is going to be repeats from the 1/6 discussion, but with names removed/added:
QB (6): Austin Mack, Keelon Russell, Jett Thomalla, Tayden Kaawa, John Gazzaniga (WO), John Cooper (WO)
Take: No needs here.
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RB: (7): Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, Akylin Dear, Ezavier Crowell, Traeshawn Brown, Jessie Washington (WO), Fredrick Moore (WO)
Take: The Hollywood Smothers thing kind of sticks in my craw because the story floating around is that we may have tried to get him to sign for a lower number after agreeing to a higher number. As I put it earlier today, that's the kind of thing that has made me walk out of a car dealership before. That may be how the sausage is made these days but I don't like doing that kind of thing. Now, moving on, I'll say this: I was moderately surprised we'd chase a RB in the portal and it appears we're going to try to replace Smothers, so we're still going to make an offer here. It also looks like we're going after smaller, faster backs in the mold of Jahmyr Gibbs or Kevin Riley. So that would be evidence of DeBoer doubling down on a different kind of idea than we're accustomed to seeing from Bama RBs. And that leads me to believe we'll be adding at least one back.
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WR: (7): Ryan Williams, Rico Scott, Lotzeir Brooks, Derek Meadows, Cederian Morgan, Ben Jackson (WO), Cooper Mollison (WO)
Take: Somehow this turned into a critical need situation. The loss of Isaiah Horton, who was set to probably be our No. 1 receiver in 2026, has left Alabama with just five guys on scholarship. As it stands now, if we had to play a game tomorrow, we'd have Williams, Scott and Brooks starting with Morgan and Meadows backing up, then two walk-ons who haven't been tested. We'd probably move Kevin Riley out there if I had to guess. So we need three guys. You cannot ... cannot ... start a season with fewer than eight guys on scholarship, and preferably nine.
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TE: (8): Danny Lewis Jr., Josh Ford, Jay Lindsey, Jack Sammarco, Kaleb Edwards, Marshall Pritchett, Mack Sutter, Peyton Fox (WO)
Take: No further needs here, but I'm told we're probably taking one more guy, probably developmental.
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OL: (18): Michael Carroll, Tyrell Miller, Kaden Strayhorn, Will Sanders, Jackson Lloyd, Bryson Cooley, Casey Poe, Mal Waldrep, Chris Booker, Bear Fretwell, Jared Doughty, Mac Smith (WO), Billy Roby (WO), Davis Peterson (WO), Baker Hickman (WO), Wade Estess (WO), Jamison Travis (WO), J.D. Martin (WO)
Take: I was nervous last week and that hasn't changed this week. Only 11 guys on scholarship here and if we played tomorrow, we'd be going into a game with four freshmen in the second unit. Need 3 guys including one starting-quality center and one starting-quality tackle.
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DL: (18): Yhonzae Pierre, Jeremiah Beaman, London Simmons, Devan Thompkins, Justin Hill, Edric Hill, Kedrick Bingley-Jones, Jordan Renaud, Zay Hall, Isaia Faga, Steve Mboumoua, Fatutoa Henry, Nolan Wilson, Malique Franklin, Kamhariyan Johnson, Jamarion Matthews, Corey Howard, Lane Whisenhunt (WO)
Take: Adding Kedrick Bailey-Jones was significant because he's a big guy who can move. Not a pass rusher, but a hard guy to get around in the running game, and he was productive for MSU in '25. He needs a waiver to play one more year but expects to get it. Thompkins is going to be plug-and-play in Overton's slot. We need 1-2 more DTs and another DE/Edge guy. Numbers-wise, we're in good shape here with 17 on scholarship but we're making a bet on development over finding starters in the portal.
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LB: (10): Q.B. Reese. Caleb Woodson, Cayden Jones, Abduall Sanders Jr., Darrell Johnson, Luke Metz, Xavier Griffin, Grant Johnson (WO), Jake Ivie (WO), Aiden Moore (WO)
Take: No change from last week. Woodson probably closes this one out although there's a chance we could add another guy if he's the right guy. I like our young guys here, all of them.
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DB: (24): Dijon Lee Jr., Bray Hubbard, Rydarrius Morgan, Keon Sabb, Zabien Brown, Nick Sherman, Zavier Mincey, Carmelo O'Neal, Ivan Taylor, Chuck McDonald, Jordan Edmonds, Rihyael Kelley, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Jireh Edwards, Zyan Gibson, Kolby Peavy (WO), London Hill (WO), Walter Sansing (WO), Conner Warhurst (WO), Ty Roper (WO), Cole Davis (WO), Brody McCutcheon (WO), Griffin Hanson (WO), Kyle Clayton (WO)
Take: I wasn't expecting to get the O'Neal kid from Mercer but that guards against Kirkpatrick not doing what's necessary to return, plus keeps Bama from having to elevate the walk-on Kolby Peavy into a second-team slot. I can't see us taking anyone else here and I kind of hope we don't.
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ST: (7): PK Conor Talty, PK Tucker Cornelius (WO), P Adam Watford, P Alex Asparuhov, P Anderson Green (WO), LS Ethan Stangle, LS Jay Williams (WO)
Take: No word on whether we're looking at other kickers so I'm assuming we're not. Getting P Adam Watford from UNA is insurance against Asparuhov not being able to come back from his leg injury, and the take of LS Ethan Stangle from Syracuse was a necessity. I think we're done here.
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Has taken already/total to take:
QB: 0/0
RB: 0/1
WR: 0/3
TE: 1/1
OL: 1/4
DL: 2/4
ILB: 1/1
DB: 1/1
ST: 2/2
TOTAL: 8/17
Roster Size Total as of 1/11: 105/105
QB (6): Austin Mack, Keelon Russell, Jett Thomalla, Tayden Kaawa, John Gazzaniga (WO), John Cooper (WO)
Take: No needs here.
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RB: (7): Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, Akylin Dear, Ezavier Crowell, Traeshawn Brown, Jessie Washington (WO), Fredrick Moore (WO)
Take: The Hollywood Smothers thing kind of sticks in my craw because the story floating around is that we may have tried to get him to sign for a lower number after agreeing to a higher number. As I put it earlier today, that's the kind of thing that has made me walk out of a car dealership before. That may be how the sausage is made these days but I don't like doing that kind of thing. Now, moving on, I'll say this: I was moderately surprised we'd chase a RB in the portal and it appears we're going to try to replace Smothers, so we're still going to make an offer here. It also looks like we're going after smaller, faster backs in the mold of Jahmyr Gibbs or Kevin Riley. So that would be evidence of DeBoer doubling down on a different kind of idea than we're accustomed to seeing from Bama RBs. And that leads me to believe we'll be adding at least one back.
____________________________________________________________________________________
WR: (7): Ryan Williams, Rico Scott, Lotzeir Brooks, Derek Meadows, Cederian Morgan, Ben Jackson (WO), Cooper Mollison (WO)
Take: Somehow this turned into a critical need situation. The loss of Isaiah Horton, who was set to probably be our No. 1 receiver in 2026, has left Alabama with just five guys on scholarship. As it stands now, if we had to play a game tomorrow, we'd have Williams, Scott and Brooks starting with Morgan and Meadows backing up, then two walk-ons who haven't been tested. We'd probably move Kevin Riley out there if I had to guess. So we need three guys. You cannot ... cannot ... start a season with fewer than eight guys on scholarship, and preferably nine.
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TE: (8): Danny Lewis Jr., Josh Ford, Jay Lindsey, Jack Sammarco, Kaleb Edwards, Marshall Pritchett, Mack Sutter, Peyton Fox (WO)
Take: No further needs here, but I'm told we're probably taking one more guy, probably developmental.
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OL: (18): Michael Carroll, Tyrell Miller, Kaden Strayhorn, Will Sanders, Jackson Lloyd, Bryson Cooley, Casey Poe, Mal Waldrep, Chris Booker, Bear Fretwell, Jared Doughty, Mac Smith (WO), Billy Roby (WO), Davis Peterson (WO), Baker Hickman (WO), Wade Estess (WO), Jamison Travis (WO), J.D. Martin (WO)
Take: I was nervous last week and that hasn't changed this week. Only 11 guys on scholarship here and if we played tomorrow, we'd be going into a game with four freshmen in the second unit. Need 3 guys including one starting-quality center and one starting-quality tackle.
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DL: (18): Yhonzae Pierre, Jeremiah Beaman, London Simmons, Devan Thompkins, Justin Hill, Edric Hill, Kedrick Bingley-Jones, Jordan Renaud, Zay Hall, Isaia Faga, Steve Mboumoua, Fatutoa Henry, Nolan Wilson, Malique Franklin, Kamhariyan Johnson, Jamarion Matthews, Corey Howard, Lane Whisenhunt (WO)
Take: Adding Kedrick Bailey-Jones was significant because he's a big guy who can move. Not a pass rusher, but a hard guy to get around in the running game, and he was productive for MSU in '25. He needs a waiver to play one more year but expects to get it. Thompkins is going to be plug-and-play in Overton's slot. We need 1-2 more DTs and another DE/Edge guy. Numbers-wise, we're in good shape here with 17 on scholarship but we're making a bet on development over finding starters in the portal.
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LB: (10): Q.B. Reese. Caleb Woodson, Cayden Jones, Abduall Sanders Jr., Darrell Johnson, Luke Metz, Xavier Griffin, Grant Johnson (WO), Jake Ivie (WO), Aiden Moore (WO)
Take: No change from last week. Woodson probably closes this one out although there's a chance we could add another guy if he's the right guy. I like our young guys here, all of them.
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DB: (24): Dijon Lee Jr., Bray Hubbard, Rydarrius Morgan, Keon Sabb, Zabien Brown, Nick Sherman, Zavier Mincey, Carmelo O'Neal, Ivan Taylor, Chuck McDonald, Jordan Edmonds, Rihyael Kelley, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Jireh Edwards, Zyan Gibson, Kolby Peavy (WO), London Hill (WO), Walter Sansing (WO), Conner Warhurst (WO), Ty Roper (WO), Cole Davis (WO), Brody McCutcheon (WO), Griffin Hanson (WO), Kyle Clayton (WO)
Take: I wasn't expecting to get the O'Neal kid from Mercer but that guards against Kirkpatrick not doing what's necessary to return, plus keeps Bama from having to elevate the walk-on Kolby Peavy into a second-team slot. I can't see us taking anyone else here and I kind of hope we don't.
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ST: (7): PK Conor Talty, PK Tucker Cornelius (WO), P Adam Watford, P Alex Asparuhov, P Anderson Green (WO), LS Ethan Stangle, LS Jay Williams (WO)
Take: No word on whether we're looking at other kickers so I'm assuming we're not. Getting P Adam Watford from UNA is insurance against Asparuhov not being able to come back from his leg injury, and the take of LS Ethan Stangle from Syracuse was a necessity. I think we're done here.
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Has taken already/total to take:
QB: 0/0
RB: 0/1
WR: 0/3
TE: 1/1
OL: 1/4
DL: 2/4
ILB: 1/1
DB: 1/1
ST: 2/2
TOTAL: 8/17
Roster Size Total as of 1/11: 105/105
RTR
