Alabama may need Lotzeir Brooks to become the guy on Saturday.
With Ryan Coleman-Williams dealing with knee and head injuries and carrying a "pretty good chance" of being unavailable against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide suddenly have a much thinner safety net at wide receiver. Coleman-Williams has been one of the team’s most important players through the first six games, tied with or leading the room in all three major receiving categories, but his exit against Georgia changed the outlook heading into Neyland Stadium.
Brooks is the next man up in the room, and the numbers back that up. He and Coleman-Williams are tied for the team lead with 23 receptions apiece.
Coleman-Williams has the edge in yards with 415 to Brooks’ 389, while Brooks has one touchdown and Coleman-Williams has four. If Alabama is going to lean on someone to help quarterback Keelon Russell in Knoxville, Brooks is the clear answer.
That’s not a new role for him. Last season, Brooks was Alabama’s first wide receiver off the bench and finished with 32 catches for 441 yards and two touchdowns.
His biggest explosion came in the College Football Playoff opener at Oklahoma, where he posted five receptions for 79 yards and scored twice. He also flashed on the road at Missouri with four catches for 58 yards, highlighted by a 29-yard grab on fourth-and-long.
This season, Brooks has kept building on that foundation. He has gone for at least 50 yards in four of his six games, and Alabama will need that kind of production again in Knoxville. The Tide have lost their last two trips there, and if Brooks is going to take another step, this is the stage for it.
In Other News...
Alabama Sent A Strong Message After That Ugly Georgia Incident
The aftermath of Alabamas game with Georgia turned ugly for reasons that had nothing to do with the scoreboard. A video circulating after the contest showed an Alabama fan slapping Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson across the helmet, a moment that quickly drew attention for all the wrong reasons and put the program in the spotlight beyond the field.
Alabama athletics moved fast once the individual was identified, handing down a lifetime ban from future Alabama sporting events. The school also publicly addressed the incident, making clear that conduct like that will not be tolerated, a message meant as much for the fan base as anyone else watching what has become an increasingly scrutinized sideline and stadium atmosphere. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Is Testing How Real Its Auburn Flip Push Really Is
Alabamas 2027 class is already taking shape with 15 commitments, and the current ranking sits 34th nationally as the staff leans into a smaller haul after back-to-back large classes. The Tide still have work to do up front, though, especially on the defensive line, where theyre continuing to circle a couple of targets who could change the look of the group before the cycle settles in.
One of the more interesting names is Auburn commit MJ Evans, whose scheduled visit to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 24 will offer a real gauge of how serious Alabamas push has become. The Tide are also involved with former Memphis commit Joshua Lane, who has visits lined up for Alabama and Tennessee, giving this next stretch a chance to shape whether the class stays compact or gets a late boost from a few key additions. [Read more 🡒]
Sabans Coaching Influence Just Showed Up In An Unlikely Alabama Story
Ryder Burtons latest moment in the spotlight came in a place Alabama fans dont always expect to be looking, with UABs quarterback helping guide the Blazers to a 30-17 overtime win against East Carolina. Burtons night included a 97-yard touchdown drive to force overtime, but it was his postgame comments and the little details around the game that linked the story back to Tuscaloosa in an unexpected way.
Burton also drew attention for wearing a backwards baseball cap during the overtime coin toss after helmet equipment issues, a quirky scene that stood out in a tense finish. Afterward, he talked about coach Alex Mortensen and mentioned watching a documentary tied to Mortensens former coach, Nick Saban, a reminder that Sabans coaching tree still shows up in odd, easy-to-miss places around the state. [Read more 🡒]