Friday night’s availability report gave Alabama a rougher picture heading into Saturday’s matchup with Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide already knew Ryan Coleman-Williams and Terrance Green would not be available, and then the news got worse: Zabien Brown, Racin Delgatty, and EJ Crowell all moved from questionable to doubtful.
The latest report left little room for optimism on that trio. Delgatty had already missed last week’s game against Tennessee after getting hurt late in the Georgia game, and while there had been some hope earlier in the week that the Cal Poly transfer could return, it now looks like he’ll sit out a second straight game.
If Delgatty can’t go, sophomore Mal Waldrep would be in line to start again. This time, though, the setting should be far easier than what he faced in Knoxville, where the crowd on Rocky Top was anything but forgiving.
Brown and Crowell both went down in the second quarter of the loss to Tennessee and never came back. Brown has been one of the few steady positives in an Alabama secondary that opened the season with plenty of hype as one of the nation’s best units. Without him, Dijon Lee and Carmelo O'Neal would likely handle the outside spots, with true freshmen Zyan Gibson and/or Jorden Edmonds potentially getting a chance to work into the mix.
Crowell’s absence would put more responsibility on Daniel Hill and Trae'shawn Brown against a Texas A&M run defense that has been leaky in 2026. It also opens the door for sophomore AK Dear to finally get involved.
The night went in different directions for the two teams on the report. Alabama’s three doubtful players were downgraded, while Texas A&M upgraded WR Mario Craver and DT DJ Hicks to probable.
With a bye week coming after this one, it makes sense to buy those injured players another week if needed. But Alabama still has to find a way to win this game. There’s no wiggle room left if it doesn’t, and the LSU game on November 7th would carry a lot less weight if the Crimson Tide heads to Baton Rouge with three losses.
In Other News...
Alabama Faces A Brutal Late Twist Before Texas A&M Showdown
Alabamas injury report for the Texas A&M game delivered a rougher-than-expected update late in the week, with three key players in Racin Delgatty, Zabien Brown and EJ Crowell all downgraded to doubtful. The Tide are already preparing to be without star wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and defensive lineman Terrance Green, a combination that tightens the margin for error as they get ready for a matchup that has taken on added weight.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, got a more encouraging read on its own availability list, with Mario Craver and DJ Hicks both upgraded to probable. For Alabama, the timing makes the depth chart even more important and leaves the final call on several contributors hanging over what was already shaping up as a demanding road test. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Shared A Side Of Himself Alabama Fans Know Well
Nick Saban spent part of ESPNs College GameDay in Salt Lake City leaning into a sport Alabama fans know he has come to enjoy more and more, offering a reminder that his competitive curiosity has never been limited to football. The former Crimson Tide coach, who is also a minority owner of the NHLs Nashville Predators, talked about his growing appreciation for hockey and connected it to the same kinds of principles he used while building elite teams in Tuscaloosa.
The setting made the conversation even more fitting, with Salt Lake City set to host the 2034 Winter Olympics and hockey very much part of the local sports conversation. Sabans comments underscored how naturally he sees the overlap between the two sports, from assembling talent to creating a team that can sustain success, even if the details of how deep that interest now runs were left hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Saban Sees A New Problem Behind Alabamas Shocking Slip-ups
Nick Saban has spent plenty of time around the game to know when something feels off, and the recent string of surprising losses around college football has given him another reason to talk about the sports shifting landscape. In reflecting on what top teams are up against, the former Alabama coach pointed to the challenge of keeping a roster locked in all season, especially when the pressure to perform never really lets up.
Saban said the NIL era has changed the way players and coaches have to think about commitment and focus, with more attention being paid to agents and playing time than in the past. For programs like Alabama, Texas and Georgia, those are not small distractions, and Sabans point was that the mental energy required to sustain elite play may be harder to maintain now than it used to be. [Read more 🡒]