Alabama is getting more and more comfortable putting Trae’shawn Brown on the field, and the freshman running back keeps giving the staff reasons to trust him.
Brown, a former three-star recruit from Texas, has kept building on a strong spring and now looks like a real candidate for early playing time in Tuscaloosa this fall. That opportunity becomes even more important with AK Dear expected to miss the first few games.
Kalen DeBoer said the Tide’s confidence in Brown has been rising after the second scrimmage.
“You just feel more and more comfortable with him out there,” DeBoer said after the Tide’s second scrimmage. “I felt pretty good about him as a ball carrier, based on what we saw this spring.
You’re just always working on ball security and things that just, it’s faster at the college level, but he’s really adapted well. And then it just leads into pass protections and checks the quarterback makes, you can see just he’s a smart guy.
It matters to him. He’s definitely not noticeable in a bad way out there.
He’s going out there and making plays and continuing to progress.”
Ryan Grubb had already singled Brown out after Alabama’s first scrimmage, praising the freshman’s feel and versatility.
“Man, really good empty cut vision, meaning when he gets into a hole, blind cut defenders,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Monday. “He can see and feel that next guy.
Very good anticipatory skills. Great out of the backfield.
Much better pass protector than people would think because they think he’s short, but he plays down in the middle of defenders, he’s got good feet and he’s a smart kid. Impressive young player.”
In Other News...
Alabama Fans Will Have Strong Reactions To Keelon Russell's SEC Ranking
Bud Elliotts early look at the 2026 SEC quarterback race put Alabama fans in a familiar spot: plenty of hope, and probably a little debate. In his CBS Sports ranking, the college football analyst slotted Texas star Arch Manning at No. 1, then filled out the top five with Ole Misss Trinidad Chambliss, LSUs Sam Leavitt, Alabamas Keelon Russell and South Carolinas LaNorris Sellers.
For Alabama, the noteworthy part is not just Russell cracking the list, but where he landed in a conference that rarely leaves much room for error at quarterback. Elliott also weighed recent performance and future potential in making his selections, which only adds to the intrigue around Russell heading into next season. Crimson Tide fans have spent plenty of time waiting to see what the next quarterback era will look like, and this ranking is another reminder that the conversation around Russell is already starting to get serious. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Scrimmage Left One Big QB Question And Fresh Injury Concern
Alabamas second preseason scrimmage gave the staff a better look at where things stand across the roster, and it also offered a reminder that the most important battles in camp are still unresolved. The quarterback race between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack remains the headliner, with some around the program already viewing Russell as the favorite, while other young players such as wide receiver Derek Meadows and running back Traeshawn Brown helped themselves with encouraging work in the session.
There was also a more concerning note on the injury front, as true freshman EJ Crowell sat out while continuing to work back from an ankle issue. In a camp where every rep matters, Alabama is still sorting out both its top competition and its early health picture, and the final shape of the depth chart will depend on how those pieces come together over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Former Alabama Player Just Won A Massive Case Tied To 2023 Shooting
A former Alabama basketball player has now won a major legal battle that reached far beyond the court. An Alabama jury ordered The New York Times to pay $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears after finding the paper defamed him by wrongly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal 2023 shooting, a claim Spears challenged in a lawsuit filed in 2023.
The nine-day trial ended with the jury siding with Spears, putting a sharp spotlight on how a mistaken report can follow an athlete long after his playing days. The Times had acknowledged the error in its original story and said it is reviewing its legal options after the verdict, leaving the case with another chapter still possible. [Read more 🡒]