Jaheim Oatis has long been defined by his weight.

When he was a three-star prospect, the first line of a few scouting reports noted how the defensive lineman would need to lose “significant” mass to contribute to college football. When he enrolled at Alabama, some considered him a project among a veteran position group. But walking around the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility on Monday, Oatis strutted around at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds to reflect on his breakout freshman season and the nearly 100 pounds he had lost.

“When I had all that weight on me,” Oatis said,” it was a lot. But now that I lost all of it, I feel better.

“In high school, I ate what I wanted. Miss Amy (Bragg, Alabama director of performance nutrition) though, it’s a lot of baked food. She took away the bread and rice, so I eat a lot of vegetables, salad, baked chicken, shrimp and a lot of grilled food.”

His work paid off, resulting in 12 games (10 starts) with 24 tackles, a sack and a pass deflection. He was a Freshman All-SEC selection while he split playing time with Byron Young and DJ Dale. With both graduated and a new defensive coordinator in Kevin Steele directing the scheme, Oatis figures to be a key returning piece along the Tide’s defensive front, which also won’t have linebackers Will Anderson Jr. (draft) and Dallas Turner (injured and out for the spring).

Oatis said he was at his heaviest at 417 pounds and throughout the year he tweeted updates about his journey. He lost about 50 pounds by the time he enrolled in Tuscaloosa in the summer of 2022. He initially thought his weight would keep him sidelined.

He started fall camp at 342 pounds, eventually cracking the starting lineup by Week 3 against Louisiana-Monroe. Working with Dale, Oatis said he learned the speed of the game. The combination of his size and quickness kept him in the rotation consistently, becoming the only first-year freshman on the roster to total double-digit tackles. This year, Oatis’ “goal” when he steps on a scale is 330 pounds.

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“It’s very impressive,” Chris Braswell said. “… Seeing him go through the process, work hard, and dedicate himself was very impressive. And obviously, that does help open up lanes as far as pass rushing.”

Oatis didn’t take long to answer what food he found it toughest to cut back on. He used to love fried chicken, he said, but choosing to grill it has been one part of his transformation.

He said he’s been able to play quicker on his feet and in addition to an improvement with his breathing, Oatis has given the Tide a formidable blockade in the running game to clog the middle of an offensive line.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].