Keitenn Bristow is back in the mix for Alabama, and Nate Oats believes the junior forward is closer to the version of himself that made him such an intriguing piece in the first place.
After missing the beginning of last season following his transfer from Tarleton State, the 6-10 Bristow finally debuted in Alabama’s 90-86 win over Illinois in Game 4. He made an immediate impact off the bench with 10 points and 8 rebounds, then soon looked like he might carve out a major role. He even started at Vanderbilt in the SEC road opener.
Then came the long silence. Bristow’s final game was Jan. 10 against Texas, and after that he didn’t appear again, though he remained a familiar presence on the bench. That absence led some to expect he might move on after the season, but instead he’s back for a second year with the Crimson Tide.
Oats said Monday that Bristow spent last spring working closely with head trainer Clarke Holter and strength coach Henry Barrera to get his body where it needed to be.
"He's as healthy as he's been," Oats said Monday. "His body's bigger, stronger.
We concentrated on getting some weight on him. I think he's getting more comfortable playing.
He's more skilled, too. He's spent a lot of time in the gym.
He's shooting it better."
Bristow’s preseason showing against Auburn offered a glimpse of that progress. In Alabama’s exhibition win, he posted 9 points and 8 rebounds. Even so, Oats said the forward has been adjusting as he gets back to game speed and into a different role.
"He's getting used to a little bit different role," Oats said. "Able to shoot a little bit more.
I think he's handling it better. He's attacking closeouts better.
He's doing a lot of stuff better. But what still makes him great is how hard he plays, how much he goes to the board.
All the defensive plays he can make- he can switch, he can guard one through five. So I think he’s back to that.
He’s looked like it in practice. I’m super excited to get him started here playing a good amount of minutes here tomorrow.”
No. 20 Alabama opens the season Tuesday against Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Just Got Pulled Into The Alabama Tennessee CFP Fight
The latest College Football Playoff rankings have only sharpened the debate around Alabamas place in the field, and now Mississippi State has been pulled into the conversation by association. The selection committee put Alabama at No. 5 and Tennessee at No. 13, even with Tennessee owning the head-to-head win, and CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek said the gap came down to Alabamas collection of quality victories against ranked opponents.
For Alabama fans, the takeaway is clear enough: the committee is rewarding resume depth over a single game result, and that makes every ranked opponent the Crimson Tide have beaten feel more valuable. Tennessees case still has its own appeal because the losses have come in close games against ranked teams, but the broader message from the committee is hard to miss, and it leaves the SEC race with another layer of intrigue as the rankings keep sorting themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With One Road Problem Still Looming
Alabama heads into Week 10 with a top-15 showdown at LSU carrying the kind of road question that tends to follow a good team until it gets answered. Kalen DeBoers group has handled the season well enough to stay in the national conversation, but the trip to Baton Rouge brings a different test, especially with LSU also sitting among the countrys best and the spotlight on a matchup that has plenty of weight beyond the standings.
The coaching subplot adds another layer, with DeBoer and Lane Kiffin set to meet for the first time and DeBoer still unbeaten against LSU. On the other side, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt will have to navigate an Alabama defense that has made life difficult for opponents, and the Crimson Tides ability to keep its offense steady away from home may end up being the detail that decides whether this one feels like a statement or another reminder that the road still has work left to do. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas CFP Ranking Just Sparked A Debate Tide Fans Will Feel
Damien Harris did not hide his surprise when the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings dropped Alabama at No. 5, especially with the loss to Tennessee still hanging over the rsum. The former Crimson Tide running back, now a CBS analyst, voiced the kind of reaction plenty of fans around Tuscaloosa likely had when the bracket picture first came into focus.
Hunter Yurachek, who chairs the College Football Playoff committee, pointed to Alabamas quality wins against Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi State as the reason the Tide landed that high despite the setback in Knoxville. It is the sort of early ranking that can fuel a long debate, because Alabamas place near the top says as much about what the committee values as it does about the one loss everyone keeps circling back to. [Read more 🡒]