Happy Monday, everyone. With both the baseball and softball teams bowing out of the NCAA Tournament this weekend, the summer offseason doldrums are officially upon us. Only 89 days remain until Alabama football kicks off the season against Western Kentucky.
The leader for the starting job is redshirt sophom*ore Caden Veltkamp, who after throwing just two passes all season, came off the bench in the Hilltoppers’ bowl game and led the team to a victory.
Veltkamp threw for 383 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while completing 40-of-52 passes, earning him the MVP of the Famous Toastery Bowl. With that kind of performance, he seems primed and ready to take over Western Kentucky’s high-octane passing game.
He has competition though, in the form of a familiar face to Alabama and SEC fans. The Hilltoppers took Texas State transfer quarterback TJ Finley, who previously spent time at both Auburn and LSU, and had Alabama on the ropes in the famous 4-overtime 2022 Iron Bowl. It still remains to be seen whether Veltkamp or Finley will win the starting job.
It would be somewhat hilarious if TJ Finley took his third crack at Alabama in Kalen Deboer’s first game.
It was a big recruiting weekend, and quite a few national analysts seem to believe that SMU QB commit Keelon Russell will flip to Alabama.
“There are several tasty storylines during the first full week of official visits, but Duncanville Top247 QB Keelon Russell’s trip to Alabama ranks at the top. The SMU commit made his official visit to the Mustangs last week, and Rhett Lashlee and his staff will likely be counting the minutes this weekend as Russell visits Tuscaloosa.
Alabama has been the most dangerous contender in this race over the last two months, and Kalen DeBoer has the ability to make a strong pitch having just developed Michael Penix. Russell has been vocal about wanting to play on a big stage and win at a high level, and the Crimson Tide could make their move with the top passer in the state of Texas this weekend.”
Russell is a top 40 overall prospect with high potential to rocket up the board in his senior season.
Alabama ranks fifth according to ESPN FPI.
The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) has Georgia ranked as the top team in the nation for the 2024 season, with a rating of 26.8, which is the highest of any team and is 2.3 points higher than the second-highest ranked team, the Oregon Ducks.
Though there are many unknowns about the 2024 Alabama football team, the FPI ranks the Crimson Tide at No. 5 with a rating of 21.9.
The regular season is rapidly approaching, which means the clock is ticking on DeBoer and his coaching staff to put together a team that will contend to win it all, which has become the standard in Tuscaloosa.
Another national writer has Nate Oats’ squad ranked first.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Nate Oats has built a burgeoning powerhouse in Tuscaloosa, with a pair of SEC championships and a Final Four to the program’s name in its last four seasons. This season might be the Tide’s best chance yet to cut down the nets. Mark Sears’s return to school after averaging more than 21 points per game a year ago is massive, as was Grant Nelson’s earlier decision to spend one more year with the Tide. Like any Oats team, this one has tons of shooters around its best players, and unlike last season, the Tide have an elite rim protector to anchor the defense in Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers Scarlet Knights).
Last, Tyler Buchner is going to try his hand at WR in South Bend.
“I had to dig deep to realize that I would have to seek new goals there in Tuscaloosa. I had never played scout team before, but ahead of LSU, I pulled myself out of my funk and volunteered to run scout. After the game, Coach Saban found me and thanked me for helping the team beat the Tigers. I had discovered a new role on the team and recognized that one bad game would not define my contribution. I learned to truly appreciate having shared goals in the common pursuit of excellence, even if I was not playing.”
Buchner announced his transfer from Alabama back to Notre Dame, also switching sports from football to lacrosse. Buchner helped Notre Dame play for a national championship in lacrosse.
Buchner announces he will return to the Notre Dame football team but as a walk-on wide receiver.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
