LSU football’s stellar 2025 transfer portal class has helped them stack numerous recruiting victories. However, the Tigers secured a significant recruitment victory in 2026.

A gifted four-star 2026 wide receiver is being kept from attending Texas A&M, Alabama, and other rival schools by LSU.

On Saturday, Kenny Darby of Bossier City, Louisiana’s Airline High School told Hayes Fawcett of On3.com that he had stopped recruiting and had decided to attend LSU. In November, Darby first made a verbal commitment to the Tigers.

On3.com, however, reports that Alabama paid him a visit on the grounds of his high school on Wednesday. The other big offer he received from the SEC was from Texas A&M.

Darby switched to LSU after first committing to Mississippi State in June 2024. Darby intends to play in Baton Rouge even though ‘Bama, Texas A&M, and other SEC schools continue to show interest. Darby informed Fawcett, “LSU is the best fit for me, and the best in the boot stay in the boot.”

On Saturday, Kenny Darby of Bossier City, Louisiana’s Airline High School told Hayes Fawcett of On3.com that he had stopped recruiting and had decided to attend LSU. In November, Darby first made a verbal commitment to the Tigers.

On3.com, however, reports that Alabama paid him a visit on the grounds of his high school on Wednesday.

The other big offer he received from the SEC was from Texas A&M.

Darby switched to LSU after first committing to Mississippi State in June 2024. Darby intends to play in Baton Rouge even though ‘Bama, Texas A&M, and other SEC schools continue to show interest. Darby informed Fawcett, “LSU is the best fit for me, and the best in the boot stay in the boot.

” Additionally, this implies that LSU and head coach Brian Kelly have secured a significant local

Kelly and LSU are still in the running for Louisiana’s top overall talent, University Lab High’s Lamar Brown, a native of Baton Rouge. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound player is “warm” on LSU. Brown is ranked as the Class of 2026’s top inside offensive lineman. Lorenzo J.

Reyna is now an Associate Editor of NFL & NCAA Football at ClutchPoints. His recent stints at Pro Football Network and Heavy, where he also writes for 247Sports, have given him prior experience in both fields. His Instagram handle is @lj_zo_rey, and his Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna.

 

Henry won a Heisman Trophy with the Crimson Tide and remains one of the best running backs in the NFL.Derrick Henry, the former Alabama running back, made a lasting impact on the Crimson Tide football program, winning the 2015 Heisman Trophy and a national championship with the team.

Now a standout in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Henry played under the legendary Nick Saban at Alabama. Saban shared a memorable story about Henry’s early days as a pass blocker when he first arrived at Alabama during an appearance on The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor.

“Derrick Henry, alright, so he’s a freshman,” Saban recalled. “We were doing a team pass drill, and he didn’t know anything about pass protection or blocking at all. The offensive coordinator was really on him for missing a block, and I felt sorry for him, so I decided to give him some encouragement. Henry looked up at me and said, ‘Coach, I don’t know anything about this. In high school, all they did was hand me the ball and told me to run. That’s all I know. So can you please have some patience?’”

Henry went on to win the Heisman, the Maxwell Award, and a national championship, cementing his place as one of the best in college football. This serves as a reminder that even one of the greatest running backs in recent history wasn’t perfect from the start.

 

 

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches a touchdown pass against Ohio State during the CFP national-championship game

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches a touchdown pass against Ohio State during the CFP national-championship game on Jan. 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The 25th college football season of the 21st century ended on Monday night when Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 in the CFP national championship game. SEC Football by the Numbers’ review of the best of the conference’s past quarter-century started with the league’s leaders in passing yards on Wednesday, moved to the players with the most rushing yards on Thursday and continues with the players with the most receiving yards:

 

At the end of the 20th century, the top five on the SEC’s career chart for receiving yards featured Vanderbilt’s Boo Mitchell, Kentucky’s Craig Yeast, Arkansas’ Anthony Lucas, Tennessee’s Joey Kent and LSU’s Wendell Davis in the one through five positions, respectively. Twenty-five seasons later, those players rank 10th, 13th, 16th, 20th and 25th on the conference’s all-time list for receiving yards.

 

In the first 67 seasons of SEC football, 33 players accumulated at least 2,000 receiving yards in in their careers. During the 25 seasons of the 21st century, 77 SEC players have reached 2,000 career receiving yards – a difference reflecting changes in the game and making changes in the league’s leaderboard.

 

Playing at Alabama from 2017 through 2020, wide receiver DeVonta Smith not only became the conference’s all-time leader in receiving yards, he won the only one of the SEC’s 16 Heisman trophies that didn’t go to a quarterback or a running back.

 

The top 25 SEC players for receiving yards in the past 25 seasons include six from Alabama, three apiece from Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt and two each from Arkansas and Texas A&M. Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee are not represented among the 21st century’s top 25 from the conference.

 

The statistics presented here do not match the official NCAA totals for four players. Until the 2002 season, the NCAA did not count bowl statistics as part of a player’s season or career totals. These rankings include the bowl stats for four players – Georgia’s Fred Gibson, LSU’s Josh Reed and Michael Clayton and Ole Miss’ Chris Collins – whose official totals do not show their participation in bowls during the 2000 and/or 2001 seasons.

 

In each case, the player’s ranking changed. Particularly noteworthy was Reed, who had 23 receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns in his missing two bowls. That moved the LSU wide receiver from 11th in 21st century receiving yards on the official list to fourth on the all-games-included list. Gibson moved from 10th to eighth, Collins went from 23rd to 21st and Clayton jumped from 25th to 19th.

 

The top 25 SEC players for career receiving yards in the 21st century include:

 

1. DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2017-2020: 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns on 235 receptions

 

2. Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt, 2010-2013: 3,759 yards and 24 touchdowns on 262 receptions

 

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama, 2012-2014: 3,463 yards and 31 touchdowns on 228 receptions

 

4. Josh Reed, LSU, 2000-2001: 3,202 yards and 20 touchdowns on 182 receptions

 

5. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina, 2016-2019: 3,045 yards and 22 touchdowns on 234 receptions

 

6. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, 2009-2011: 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns on 183 receptions

 

7. Malik Nabers, LSU, 2021-2023: 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns on 189 receptions

 

8. Fred Gibson, Georgia, 2001-2004: 2,993 yards and 21 receptions on 167 receptions

 

9. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss, 2016-2018: 2,984 yards and 19 touchdowns on 189 receptions

 

10. Jarius Wright, Arkansas, 2008-2011: 2,934 yards and 24 touchdowns on 168 receptions

 

11. D.J. Hall, Alabama, 2004-2007: 2,923 yards and 17 touchdowns on 194 receptions

 

12. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M, 2015-2017: 2,856 yards and 26 touchdowns on 234 receptions

 

13. Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas, 2009-2012: 2,854 yards and 18 touchdowns on 175 receptions

 

14. Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt, 2005-2007: 2,852 yards and 20 touchdowns on 236 receptions

 

15. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M, 2014-2016: 2,788 yards and 30 touchdowns on 164 receptions

 

16. Calvin Ridley, Alabama, 2015-2017: 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns on 224 receptions

 

16. Kenny McKinley, South Carolina, 2005-2008: 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns on 207 receptions

 

18. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 2017-2019: 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns on 159 receptions

 

19. Michael Clayton, LSU, 2001-2003: 2,702 yards and 21 touchdowns on 190 receptions

 

20. Dan Stricker, Vanderbilt, 2000-2002: 2,693 yards and 19 touchdowns on 170 receptions

 

21. Chris Collins, Ole Miss, 2000-2003: 2,686 yards and 24 touchdowns on 203 receptions

 

22. Julio Jones, Alabama, 2008-2010: 2,653 yards and 15 touchdowns on 179 receptions

 

23. Shay Hodge, Ole Miss, 2006-2009: 2,646 yards and 22 touchdowns on 173 receptions

 

24. A.J. Green, Georgia, 2008-2010: 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns on 166 receptions

 

25. Tavarres King, Georgia, 2008-2012: 2,602 yards and 21 touchdowns on 136 receptions

 

 

 

fourth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will play the LSU Tigers (12-6 1-4) in SEC play after sTheuffering yet another defeat. Jordan Sears was summoned off the bench by Matt McMahon because Vyctorius Miller missed the previous two games; this could happen again in this game. The Tigers will need to play strong defense because the Crimson Tide have one of the top offenses in the nation.

in 7:30 PM Central Time, or 8:30 PM for Tigers supporters on the East Coast, the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide will square off in Coleman Coliseum. SEC Network, one of ESPN’s channel options, will show the match. You can get ESPN through the ESPN App and through your cable provider or streaming service. Fubo TV is a great alternative if you’re looking for a streaming service. Additionally, the game will be aired on the LSU Sports Radio Network at 98.1.

Vyctrorius Miller, who is still dealing with an ailment, will be absent from LSU once more, according to the SEC’s Availability report. Veteran forward Jalen Reed will remain sidelined for the remainder of the LSU basketball season after tearing his ACL during the game against Florida State. Before the season began, Tyrell Ward was declared out for the season by Matt McMahon, who is taking time off to concentrate on his mental health.

Guards Houston Mallette and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who tore their achilles earlier this season, will remain out for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Derrion Reid, a freshman, is doubtful for this game because he has been missing time due to an injury lately.

 

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Happy Thursday, everyone. Alabama folllowed up its disappointing loss to Ole Miss with consecutive 100-point outings against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Nick Kelly believes that Mo Dioubate’s breakout game may not be an outlier by the end of the season.

 

Don’t expect 22 points every night, but don’t be surprised to see his role on offense continue to grow.

 

“Coach, he told me to be more aggressive when I get the ball,” Dioubate said. “He’s given me a little more leeway to go score the ball, so you should be seeing that more … hopefully.”

 

He’s never been known for his scoring or shooting. Dioubate is, after all, ninth in the rotation in points per game with 4.7. Only Aiden Sherrell averages fewer among players seeing regular time in the rotation. Defense and blue-collar points have been Dioubate’s foundation for getting minutes. He’s the posterchild for blue-collar basketball. But now he might have earned the opportunity to see more chances to score.

 

Oats said Dioubate has always had the leeway to score, but now Dioubate has more experience.

 

“He just needed to learn how to do it with the correct spacing when the opportunities are there,” Oats said. “You can’t put your head down and drive into crowds and expect anything good to happen.”

 

The “off-road package” was quite promising on Tuesday night.

 

Alabama football finished 17th in the Coaches’ poll. Kalen DeBoer ranked his squad slightly higher at 15.

 

Alabama’s coach placed the Crimson Tide at No. 15, according to USA Today’s reveal of every coach’s ballot. Teams DeBoer placed ahead of Alabama included SMU and Indiana, both squads UA fans were unhappy made the College Football Playoff over UA.

 

The season came to an end with Ohio State winning the national championship over Notre Dame Monday in Atlanta. The 2024 season was the first that featured a 12-team playoff, which Alabama was the first team out of, doomed by regular-season losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

 

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN gave Kalen a C- for his Alabama debut season.

 

I liked that Alabama went away from the Nick Saban tree to replace him and then brought in a coach who knew how to win championships and win big games.

 

But DeBoer’s adjustment to the environment, roster and expectations became a real challenge. Alabama was wildly unpredictable from game to game and even series to series. The Tide delivered a dramatic win over Georgia, only to fall at Vanderbilt for the first time in four decades. They outlasted South Carolina at home, only to lose at Tennessee and later at Oklahoma, failing to score a touchdown in Norman.

 

Alabama finished 115th nationally in penalties. Any post-Saban season that doesn’t end with a CFP appearance will be deemed a big disappointment, and Alabama’s bowl loss to Michigan — despite having almost all of its key players participating — was inexcusable. DeBoer will be under an even bigger microscope in Year 2

 

Seems fair. Alabama had no business putting itself in position to miss the playoff this year. Vandy played a phenomenal game and that one would have mostly been forgotten absent the no-show in Norman.

 

DeBoer will have a bit more of a chance at building a roster in his own image this offseason. Nobody really knows what we have next year, other than quite a bit of blue chip talent. As such, the predictions are all over the map.

 

For his money, Alex Scarborough sees some reason for optimism.

 

Whoever starts at quarterback, the offense figures to be more balanced than it was under the run-heavy direction of Jalen Milroe. Which means more opportunities for more receivers and more carries for the running back.

 

The hope is that a more balanced offense is more effective.

 

Adding former Miami receiver Isaiah Horton and former Louisiana running back Dre’Lyn Washington through the portal should help.

 

And the defense should be in good shape, especially with the return of starters Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, LT Overton, Domani Jackson, Keon Sabb, Tim Keenan and Jah-Marien Latham.

 

Some young guys need to develop, especially on the defensive line and outside linebacker, but there were some nice transfer pickups which could help: former Florida edge Kelby Collins, former Colorado inside linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and former Utah corner Cameron Calhoun.

 

The defense played well down the stretch and should be one of the better units in the nation next season. Quarterback and offensive line will be the keys.

 

Alabama fans should all want to see the players who will give the team the best chance to win, but it’s tough not to root for Ty Simpson.

 

It was “a day of reckoning,” Ty Simpson said, even as a quarterback who was no stranger to change, who knew how the football world worked, who saw the year-to-year turnover of his father’s coaching staff.

 

As the shock lingered, Simpson had to make a decision. He grew up in college football. He knew it was a business. He knew Saban would not coach forever.

 

 

“I had no doubt where I wanted to be,” Simpson said.

 

His goals remained. He wanted to graduate from Alabama, which he did in December 2024. He wants to be the starting quarterback of the Crimson Tide, and he wants to win a national championship.

 

“I love this place,” Simpson said. “If I didn’t, I would have left, you know what I mean? But I love Tuscaloosa. I love the University of Alabama. I love the fans. I love the program. I love my teammates. And that’s the reason why I stayed.”

 

In an age where most would have been long gone by now, Ty stayed and waited his turn. What a story it would be if he led the Tide back to the top.

 

Mel Kiper believes that Alabama will keep the first round streak intact.

 

“Booker might be the best pure guard in the class,” Kiper wrote. “He’s strong at the point of attack, and no one gets past him. And he’s rugged in the run game, getting to the second level to clear lanes.”

 

Then the very next pick, Kiper projects the Cincinnati Bengals will take Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.

 

Otherwise, Kiper doesn’t see any other Alabama players selected on the first day of the draft. He mentioned Milroe potentially for the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 as one of the options at quarterback for the Rams to draft and develop. But Kiper ultimately predicted the Rams will draft Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr.

 

Last, a local sports media personality in Pittsburgh believes that the Steelers may have their eyes on Milroe.

 

This makes some sense as a team that has to deal with Lamar Jackson twice a year. Jalen will obviously be a project for whichever team takes him. The main reason that he may get a first round look is that first rounders carry a fifth year team option at a somewhat reasonable rate, which is valuable for a project passer.

 

 

The Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to avoid a disappointment against the LSU Tigers at Coleman Coliseum after winning back-to-back games in SEC competition. However, coach Nate Oats and Alabama (16-3 overall, 5-1 SEC), who are ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, are still hurting from their Jan. 14 loss to Ole Miss, a club they were strongly favored to defeat.

At his news conference on Friday before Alabama’s matchup with LSU, Oats stated, “We’ve done the deal where we’ve overlooked a team a little bit.” I don’t know why we didn’t notice them, Ole Miss. When we faced them, they were unbeaten, but I believe we won. Therefore, we will need to assess our maturity and see what

Last Saturday’s 68-57 loss to No. 11 Texas A&M gave LSU (12-6, 1-4) a midweek bye.

Senior guard Cam Carter leads the Tigers with 17.6 points per game, which puts them tenth in the conference (79.7).

“The truth is that LSU has only won one conference game, but they have talent,” Oats stated. When it comes to SEC-only games, Cam Carter ranks fourth in the league in terms of scoring. Other players on their team are undoubtedly capable of scoring goals.

As the year progresses, some of their young freshmen are improving. and their backcourt features some seasoned players who are undoubtedly capable of scoring.

More than their aspirations of winning a national championship were dashed by Alabama’s humiliating 19–13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

With four losses, it turned head football coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa into a complete bust. However, DeBoer isn’t whining. Not at all.

The head coach of the Crimson Tide is ignoring the criticism and focusing on developing his “attack” plan for the 2025 offseason.

He did so because of the mood in the locker room the morning after the ReliaQuest Bowl defeat.

SANTOS 1 X 2 PALMEIRAS | MELHORES MOMENTOS – PAULISTÃO 2025, 3ª RODADA | Upcoming The head coach of the Crimson Tide is ignoring the criticism and focusing on developing his “attack” plan for the 2025 offseason.

He did so because of the mood in the locker room the morning after the ReliaQuest Bowl defeat. DeBoer stated, “I think attack is the right word for it,” according to WSFA12.

“I can’t say for every guy on the team but you know most of them woke up the next morning wanting to make the next season something completely different.”

DeBoer highlighted how they immediately set up the proper mindset to tackle the upcoming season rather than having a somber pity party. “We have control over the effort, but not over the outcome.”

Here’s where DeBoer sets his Alabama culture apart from Nick Saban’s. Accountability was always important to Saban, both after a defeat and in the long run. “I believe that many men are prepared to put in the effort, lead by example, and genuinely be someone that [others] aspire to be like.

“But it’s a big step for a lot of guys to take when you try to help someone for their benefit by making them accountable — teammate to teammate,” Saban stated in a 2022 podcast.

DeBoer is more concerned with ensuring that their next move is more aggressive than their last. He is preparing people to join the battle with vigor.

 

See Ben Abeldt of TCU Meet with the Media Before the 2025 College Baseball Season What is the value of Alabama football? The Wall Street Journal carried out a study to ascertain which college football program was the most valuable, treating it as though it were being offered for sale as a professional sports team. 4-Hour Ago Hunter De Siver Dec. 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA: In the first half of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s game versus the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium, head coach Kalen DeBoer reads the playcard. Required Credit: Imagn Images/Matt Pendleton Dec. 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA: In the first half of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s game versus the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium, head coach Kalen DeBoer reads the playcard. It is required that you provide credit to Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images. In this narrative:

“Brewer looks at top-line revenues, growth and drivers of cash flow and makes projections about the sustainability of the operation, just as he would with any other business,” according to the piece.

He looked through years’ worth of data for 131 major college football programs, from the heavyweights to Louisiana-Monroe, so it’s not just a one-year snapshot either.

Then, after analyzing everything from enrollment trends to television watching, his spreadsheet ultimately generates a response.

After losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Alabama Crimson Tide’s football season ended in disappointment. For the first time since 2007, the Crimson Tide ended the season with fewer than ten victories.

Following the Ohio State Buckeyes’ victory over Notre Dame in the National Championship, the final AP Poll was made public on Tuesday.

After losing the bowl game, Alabama’s season-ending ranking was No. 17, its lowest since 2007. With an adjusted revenue of $142,369,686, an adjusted cash flow of $34,487,409, and an enterprise value of $846,000,000, Brewer ranked Alabama as the eleventh best college football program.

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