Alabama is going to have to fend off a serious Ohio State push for one of its top 2027 commitments.
Four-star running back Nigel Newkirk, who pledged to the Crimson Tide at the end of May, is headed to Columbus next weekend for an official visit when the Buckeyes host Oregon on November 7. Rivals reported the trip on October 29, and it gives Ohio State a real shot to make its case in person.
Newkirk, a Gainesville, Georgia native, has stayed locked in with Alabama and has already made the trip to Tuscaloosa for every home game this season. Still, the Buckeyes have kept after him, especially after missing on 5-star David Gabriel Georges, who picked Tennessee instead. Newkirk has become one of Ohio State’s top backup targets, and now he’ll be on campus for a full pitch.
Alabama has plenty of reasons to feel good about where things stand, too. Kalen DeBoer has upgraded the talent in the running back room, even if the ground game itself has not been sharp this season. Freshmen EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown have already added more pop, and Newkirk would join 3-star Tai Phillips as another boost for next year’s roster if the Tide can keep the class intact.
The Tide also has a built-in advantage through Gainesville High School. In the 2026 cycle, Alabama landed 5-star linebacker Xavier Griffin and 4-star defensive lineman Jamarion Matthews from that program, and that connection has been part of the message to Newkirk.
His senior season has been put on hold by injury, but his junior-year production still speaks loudly: 1,496 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns and 8.1 yards per carry. Newkirk is ranked No. 226 overall and carries a consensus 4-star grade in the composite rankings.
Alabama has made him a priority from the start, and that matters. The staff wants two running backs for the second straight cycle as it keeps trying to lift a ground game that has fallen off the face of the earth in the last couple of seasons. The Crimson Tide will be nervous with Ohio State getting the next crack at him, but they also plan to bring Newkirk back to campus for the final two home games of the season against Chattanooga and Auburn in late November.
In Other News...
Alabama Walks Into LSU With One Distraction Nick Saban Always Warned About
Lane Kiffin has spent the week talking about the kind of challenge Alabama still presents, even in a different era. He called the Crimson Tide a highly talented group and compared them to the Alabama teams that used to set the standard under Nick Saban, which is a reminder that the respect around this matchup still runs deep on both sides.
But there is always another layer when Alabama goes to Tiger Stadium, and Saban long had a name for it. The noise, the buildup and everything wrapped around a trip to LSU can turn into the kind of rat poison he used to warn about, and this time the spotlight also lands on quarterback Keelon Russell, who will be making his first trip there. For Alabama, the game is about more than talent on paper, because in Baton Rouge the distractions can become part of the test. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Run Game Problem Just Became A Huge Bye Week Focus
Alabamas ground attack looked like one of the teams early strengths, but the last three games have brought a noticeable dip in both production and efficiency against Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M. With the Tide headed into a bye week, the conversation around the offense has shifted toward fixing what has become a glaring issue before the schedule tightens again.
That puts extra pressure on the work being done now, especially with a pivotal road trip to LSU looming and College Football Playoff positioning still very much on the line. Mal Waldrep Jr. and Daniel Hill both addressed the need to improve the run game during the break, and Alabama will be hoping the extra time translates into something more reliable when the season resumes. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Is Suddenly Back In A Playoff Race Fans Care About
Alabamas latest win over Texas A&M did more than keep the Crimson Tide moving forward in the standings. It gave the program a clearer path back into the College Football Playoff conversation, as a 31-20 victory in Week 8 pushed Alabama up to a No. 7 seed in The Athletics latest projections.
Keelon Russells two fourth-quarter touchdown passes helped finish off a game that had plenty riding on it, and now the Tide sit at 6-2 with the kind of resume that keeps the playoff race within reach. If those projections hold, Alabama could be looking at a first-round home game against BYU, with LSU waiting next on Nov. 7 in a stretch that will go a long way toward deciding how real this rebound feels. [Read more 🡒]