Alabama football: Nick Saban to lead Trump commission on NIL

Happy Thursday, everyone. Alabama managed to win one game in the SEC softball tournament, but that was all.

10-seed Alabama softball fell to 7-seed South Carolina 6-2 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. This loss eliminated the Crimson Tide, as now all head coach Patrick Murphy and company can do is wait for the NCAA Tournament bracket to be revealed in a few days.

Alabama’s offense struggled in the latter two games of the road series against the Gamecocks just one week ago, but shaking that off needed to happen if the Tide wanted a chance to win this one. Alabama leadoff hitter Audrey Vandagriff only needed six pitches into the game to cement herself as a threat in her first SEC Tournament as she blasted an opposite-field home run.

It seems unlikely that they would get to host a regional, but the top notch facilities do help in that regard.

Blake Toppmeyer posted a solid interview with Kalen DeBoer.

How different will this offense look? Jalen Milroe was unique in some of the things he could do with his athleticism.

DeBoer: Much of the offense is the same offense. It’s how those concepts come together

We wanted Jalen to have a good share of opportunities in his hands, running the football, giving him concepts where he can throw it on time and get the ball delivered to other players, but also times where you let him create. That balance, I think, is hardest when you have a quarterback like him, is letting him have the ball hands long enough but also not too long.

I think all these quarterbacks are really good athletes. I think Ty would surprise you with his quickness. Keelon Russell is a really good athlete. Austin Mack is a big-bodied guy who’s becoming faster and faster, and he can make people miss and run around the edge. Don’t let him get a full head of steam.

They all have athleticism and ability to run and use their feet as well, but obviously Jalen was just different that way, so we had to utilize his strengths.

Every time he speaks, Kalen comes across quite confident about his 2025 squad. We shall see in about three-and-a-half long months.

Kane Wommack’s defense will have the challenge of dealing with a running QB, albeit one making his first start for his new team.

Wommack spoke with the media at the 2025 Mobile Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and touched on the upcoming matchup against FSU. Interestingly, Wommack played for Malzahn when their paths crossed at Arkansas in 2006, serving as a fullback in Malzahn’s offense on a team that finished 10-4.

“You look at our first game of the season against Florida State, athletic quarterback, you know I played for Gus Malzahn. I know how Gus does things from a quarterback run game,” Wommack said. “Mike Norvell does the same thing, so those are the things, right, that you kind of have to be aware of, that everybody has an element to that in their game now.”

Many have called for Nick Saban to be college football commissioner. Those people weren’t thinking big enough.

Saban, a central figure in the fight for college sports legislation, is expected to be integral to the commission’s work. During Trump’s visit to Tuscaloosa last week to give a graduation address at the University of Alabama, Trump and Saban met about college sports legislation — a meeting that’s now transformed into plans for this executive group to be formed.

College athletics is at a seminal moment in its history.

The industry sits in a sort-of purgatory, stuck between its old facade of amateurism and full-blown professionalism. Amid a decade-long athletes rights movement, the NCAA’s rules regulating player movement, compensation and other aspects have crumbled at the hands of local and federal judges.

If there is anyone who has the right ideas to clean up this mess, it’s Nick.

Last, Jaden Bradley testified in the Michael Lynn Davis murder trial yesterday, and Brandon Miller is expected to follow.

After the three left the sports bar, Bradley testified that Davis was dancing and laughing near a black Jeep that was idling on Grace Street. He said that Davis and a man in the Jeep, Cedric Johnson, began speaking to each other. According to Bradley, neither Johnson nor Davis directed threats at each other, but their conversation reached a point where Bradley and Miles tried to pull Davis away from it.

The conversation between Davis and Johnson is one of the focal points of the trial.

After the conversation, Bradley said he, Davis and Miles walked back to Bradley’s car, but that Davis went back toward Grace Street because there was “no room in the back seat.” Bradley testified that Davis said he was “worried about the Jeep.”

Everyone involved is undoubtedly sorry that they ever met Davis.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.