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Observations from Week 2 of Auburn football spring practice

Auburn football is now in its second full week of spring practice after officially getting things started March 25.

Tuesday morning was the second practice open to the media so far this spring, and the only practice the media will be able to view this week.

The gathered media was able to watch all of practice — about two hours — including drills, position work, seven-on-seven and full 11-on-11 team periods.

Here’s what we saw at Tuesday’s practice:

Position breakdowns

A number of players remain out, including contributors such as Keldric Faulk, Connor Lew, Xavier Chaplin, Durell Robinson, Bryce Cain, Hollis Davidson and others. Demarcus Riddick practiced Tuesday, but was in a gold non-contact jersey.
The first team offensive line for the time being seems to be (left to right) Izavion Miller, Dillon Wade, Bradyn Joiner, Jeremiah Wright and Mason Murphy. Wright didn’t practice during last week’s open practice but was available Tuesday morning.
On the defensive line, Amaris Williams was the primary first team defensive end and Keyron Crawford was the primary buck. On the interior, Malik Blocton and Dallas Walker IV rotated with Quientrail Jamison-Travis and Zykeivous Walker. Those four seem to make up the top group inside and are pretty interchangeable.
Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee remain the first team starters at corner, with Miami (OH) transfer Raion Strader running primarily with the second team.
During the live team period at the end, Kaleb Harris and Jahquez Robinson were the first team safeties with Sylvester Smith at nickel.
Robert Woodyard Jr. took the first team reps at middle linebacker, next to LSU transfer Xavier Atkins and true freshman Elijah Melendez who rotated alongside him. Freshman Bryce Deas is another young player to watch at linebacker.
Damari Alston took a lot of the first team reps at running back, with Jeremiah Cobb next in line. True freshman Alvin Henderson hasn’t seen many first team reps yet, but he’s already breaking off some good runs in practice.
Auburn’s wide receivers have rotated, with Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr., Horatio Fields and Malcolm Simmons being the primary targets.
Brandon Frazier took most of the first team reps at tight end, with Maryland transfer Preston Howard behind him.
Jackson Arnold remains the first team quarterback, with Deuce Knight running with the second team.

Other notes

Sam Turner continues to impress, making plays both in one-on-ones and in the team periods. The two plays that stood out were a rep he won against fellow freshman Blake Woodby in one-on-ones and a touchdown on a deep post against Lee during a team period.

Another note at wide receiver, Fields’ size seems to be a good addition to the room. He gives Auburn an extra threat in the redzone, but also looked good as a physical blocker on the outside.
Unsurprisingly, Singleton already looks like he can be a difference maker right away at receiver. His speed and elusiveness after the catch makes him hard to contain.
Henderson hasn’t quite cracked the first team yet, but he’s already impressing with some nice runs in the team periods.
Both of Auburn’s starting corners had some good moments. Crawford had a good rep against Coleman in one-on-one drills and Lee had a nice pass breakup against Coleman on a jump ball during the third down period.
Anquon Fegans is already making plays in the secondary, nearly coming down with an interception during one of the team periods.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

200,000 pounds of recalled liquid eggs should be ‘thrown away,’ feds warn

More than 200,000 pounds of liquid egg products are being recalled due to the potential that they could be tainted with bleach.

Michigan-based Cargill Kitchen Solutions announced the recall of Egg Beaters and Bob Evans Better n’ Eggs due to potential contamination with sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The recalled products were produced on March 12 and March 13 and sold in retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. There is a possibility, however, the products were sold nationwide, FSIS said.

The recall affects 32-oz cartons of the following products:

Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute (Use-by date: August 10, 2025)
Egg Beaters Cage-free Original Liquid Egg Substitute (Use-by date: August 9, 2025)
Egg Beaters Cage-free Original Frozen Egg Substitute, No Enjauladas Original Sustituto de Huevo Congelado (Use-by date: March, 07 2026)
Bob Evans Better’n Eggs Made with Real Egg Whites (Use-by date: August 10, 2025).

Issues with the egg products were discovered through a tip about potential contamination. An investigation showed the risk of using the product was negligible, however, and the recall was given a lower Class III designation.

The eggs may still be in a buyer’s refrigerators or freezers, FSIS warned. People with them are advised to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

General

Katie Britt’s inspired by Morgan Wallen’s strange ‘SNL’ exit as she shows love for Crimson Tide

Katie Britt showcased her millennial bona fides — and her Crimson Tide ties — on Monday when Alabama’s junior U.S. senator participated in the social media trend sparked by Morgan Wallen’s awkward “Saturday Night Live” exit.

“Get me to God’s country,” Britt tweeted Monday night along with a photo of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The tweet is a reference to Wallen’s bizarre “SNL” exit when he prematurely fled the stage after appearing as the show’s musical guest Saturday.

The country star then posted “Get me to God’s country” to his Instagram story.

Wallen’s appearance on Saturday’s “SNL” marked his second ever on the show.

TMZ reports, citing a source, that Wallen – a Tennessee native – had routinely exited the studio the same way during rehearsal when he thought it was time to go.

Britt, 43, is the youngest Republican female senator and the first woman to be elected senator from Alabama.

Britt has some ‘SNL’ history of her own.

After Britt’s 2024 State of the Union Republican response speech, Scarlet Johansson played her in an ‘SNL’ cold open.

“A bingo card of 2024 for Katie Britt, I did not have this on it, right? And certainly didn’t have Scarlett Johansson on it,” Britt said at the time.

General

5 names to watch in transfer portal for Alabama basketball

The transfer portal has been open for college basketball for a week and change, and already, there’s been plenty of movement. That includes Alabama men’s basketball.

The Crimson Tide has seen one player enter the transfer portal and another join. Naas Cunningham, who redshirted his entire freshman season, entered the portal Sunday. Meanwhile, Noah Williamson, a 7-foot Latvian center, committed to the Crimson Tide out of the transfer portal.

Who could be next?

Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley, a Tuscaloosa native, is no longer an option. He signed with Louisville out of the transfer portal. So he has been removed from our AL.com running list of names to watch.

With a few more names of note who have entered the transfer portal since publication of our initial list, here’s an updated group of five names we’re closely monitoring for the Crimson Tide.

Disclaimer: This list is not exhaustive.

Jaron Pierre Jr., Jacksonville State

The 6-5, 188-pound guard has been all over the college basketball world. First Southern Miss for two seasons, then Wichita State. This past season, Pierre played for the Gamecocks and became a force. He averaged 21.6 points per game as he shot 38.2% from beyond the arc. Pierre has 118 games of collegiate experience with 89 starts. Could Alabama be his next stop? It’s possible. Pierre entered the transfer portal this week while also planning to enter the NBA Draft process.

At guard, Alabama is losing Mark Sears and Chris Youngblood, both of whom have exhausted their eligibility. Meanwhile, Labaron Philon could also declare for the NBA Draft. So there’s a need for guard additions.

Taylor Bol Bowen, Florida State

The 6-10, 195-pound forward is another name to watch for the Crimson Tide. Alabama could have some moving parts at forward with some openings. Derrion Reid, Jarin Stevenson and Mouhamed Dioubate all have remaining eligibility, but not all will necessarily return. At least one, if not two, could depart.

Plus, forward Grant Nelson exhausted his eligibility and redshirt forward Naas Cunningham is entering the transfer portal. So Alabama is looking to add at this spot.

Enter Bol Bowen. This past season, he averaged 24.9 minutes per game, scoring 8 points per game and grabbing 5.2 rebounds to go with 1.5 blocks. He also went 41.4% from beyond the arc in his sophomore season.

Jalil Bethea, Miami

Here’s another prime option at guard. Bethea spent his freshman season with Miami, starting 16 games and averaging 7.1 points per game with an average of 19 minutes per game.

Bethea is another guard who would give Alabama more length at the position. He’s listed at 6-5, 190 pounds.

Corey Chest, LSU

Chest left an impact on the Crimson Tide. He scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, blocked three shots and two steals.

Consider that an impressive audition. So it makes sense there would be interest on Alabama’s part.

The 6-8, 220-pound forward from New Orleans started 19 games and averaged 20 minutes per game this past season for LSU. He didn’t shoot at all from deep, but he averaged 6.1 points to go with 6.6 rebounds per game.

Rylan Griffen, Kansas

Could the reunion really happen? It’s not guaranteed, but it’s possible. In fact, there’s definitely a world where it happens.

Whether both parties want to make it happen remains to be seen.

Griffen learned the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere in one season with Kansas. He averaged 20.2 minutes per game and only started 20 of 33 opportunities. Griffen averaged 6.3 points per game with 33.6% beyond the arc. That’s after a 2023-24 season in which Griffen averaged 26.3 minutes with 33 starts, 11.2 points per game and 39.2% from beyond the arc with the Crimson Tide en route to the Final Four.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Jacksonville State men’s basketball starter entering NCAA transfer portal

Another starter for Jacksonville State’s men’s basketball team will be heading to the transfer portal.

Jax State guard Koree Cotton has entered the NCAA transfer portal after one season in Jacksonville, his agnecy — Hall of Fame Sports Management — confirmed to AL.com.

The move comes one day after star Jaron Pierre Jr. entered the transfer portal and declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Cotton played in all 36 of Jacksonville State’s games this season, starting in the last 34 games after coming off the bench in the first two.

He averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists a game for Jax State, adding 42 steals and 13 blocks on defense for the Gamecocks.

Cotton scored a season-high 17 points against Middle Tennessee State on Feb. 6 in a lopsided 77-63 home win., which was one of 10 games that he scored in double figures.

He transferred to Jax State from Virginia Military Institute, where he entered the transfer portal mid-season after playing in 12 games and starting 9; he averaged 12.3 points and 3.5 rebounds a game with VMI.

General

Trump deporting ‘innocent’ father to El Salvadoran prison due to ‘administrative error’ spurs Democrat outrage

The Trump administration’s deportation of a Maryland father to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison due to what a federal agent said was an “administrative error” incensed Democrats on social media who argued the case with Vice President JD Vance.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was arrested March 12 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Agents “due to his prominent role in MS-13,” stated Robert L. Cerna, acting field office director for enforcement and removal operations at ICE’s Harlingen, Texas, field office in an affidavit in Maryland federal court Monday.

In 2019, according to Cerna’s affidavit, an immigration judge ordered Abrego Garcia to be removed from the United States, but not to El Salvador, citing a provision of immigration law that Abrego Garcia’s “life or freedom would be threatened in that country because of the alien’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

The immigration judge’s ruling meant Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who has a 5-year-old disabled son with his U.S. citizen wife, had protected status in the United States, according to the Atlantic, which first reported the story.

The outlet also said Abrego Garcia was not charged with a crime following his 2019 arrest.

On March 15, 2025, Abrego Garcia was on one of the three U.S. flights that deported migrants to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison.

“This removal was an error,” Cerna stated.

But the Trump administration claimed it lacked jurisdiction to get Abrego Garcia out of the El Salvadoran prison and returned to the United States, according to the Atlantic.

Abrego Garcia’s case outraged Democrats who took to social media to express their frustration.

Jon Favreau, former head speechwriter for Barack Obama and co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America,” called out Trump administration officials and Elon Musk on X.

“Any comment on this, @marcorubio ? How about you, @JDVance? @elonmusk? You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it,” Favreau tweeted.

“Anyone else who supports this administration have anything to say about this? Any of you Republicans? Any of you Fox News hosts or podcasters or other assorted sycophants? This is f—–monstrous,” Favreau added.

Vance responded to Favreau, saying it was “gross” that the podcaster was defending “gang members.”

“My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didn’t read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here,” the vice president tweeted. “My further comment is that it’s gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize.”

Favreau and others pointed out to Vance that the MS-13 affiliation allegations have yet to be proven.

Conor Lamb, a former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, accused Vance of “lying” about the case:

Other Democrats and Never Trumpers, including Tim Miller of the Bulwark, expressed their outrage over the case.

“I’m going to lose my f—— mind,” he said.

General

Semifinal voting now open for the AL.com fans girls basketball player of the year

The No. 1 seed has fallen as the AL.com fans bracket heads into the semifinals to name the top girls high school basketball player in 2025.

No. 8 Ava McSwain knocked off top-seeded Ace Austin to advance to the semifinals and will face off against New Hope star Kaylee Yarbrough.

Jabria Lindsey of Central-Phenix City will face Vigor star Jamonica Chambers on the other side of the bracket.

Here are the results from last week’s round:

No. 8 Ava McSwain (Good Hope) def. No. 1 Ace Austin (Spring Garden)

No. 5 Kaylee Yarbrough (New Hope) def. No. 13 Chauncey Dixon (McIntosh)

No. 2 Jabria Lindsey (Central-Phenix City) def. No. 10 Sarah Gordon (Vestavia Hills)

No. 14 Jamonica Chambers (Vigor) def. No. 6 Lani Smallwood (Albertville)

Voting is now open for our two semifinal matches. It closes Monday. Voting in the championship round begins a week from today.

Remember to hit the “finish survey” button after voting.

If you can’t see the survey above, click here to cast your vote.

General

Popular grocer recalls sauce due to an undeclared allergen

Trader Joe’s is recalling one of its branded sauces due to a labeling error.

Due to the error, certain Trader Joe’s Hot Honey Mustard Dressing bottles may contain undeclared allergens including peanuts, sesame, soy, and wheat.

The sauce has a use-by date of May 27 and was sold in 18 states including Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

Customers in the 18 states who purchased the dressing should discard it or return it to Trader Joe’s store for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at 626-599-3817,

General

Goodman: Is Alabama football in ‘real trouble?’

This is an opinion column.

_____________________

The University of Alabama is accepting handwritten checks, piggy banks, Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, title loans and pawned jewelry to pay for athletics. Athletics director Greg Byrne needs money, so he went on a Fox News podcast to shake the trees.

Not those trees.

I’m talking about the family trees.

Auburn basketball is still dancing, but the mailbag this week shifts to football and financial aid.

Winston in Maylene, Ala., writes …

Bama is in REAL trouble and might be the unspoken reason Nick Saban retired. I guess I thought along with everyone else that Bama has alumni who have made it BIG financially. But what is actually big? If you are worth $10 million, that is a pile of money but not enough to write a check for $500,000 or so. Besides Paul Jr., is there anyone else with deep pockets to “buy players?”

Tim in Oxford, Ala., writes …

Why has it gotten to this point in college football where we are concerned about the cost of a player? I don’t like this version of our current system of buying players through the portal. Frankly, it sucks! I remember standing in a line at the bank at Leland Shopping Center with a tall young man trying to cash a two-party check. The teller told him that she could not cash the check. He said with disgust, “Don’t you know who I am? I am Derrick Thomas … I play for the University of Alabama!”

He turned around and looked at me and sighed and shook his head … I get it, athletes need funds to live. Paying huge salaries for college players is not the answer.

Ron writes …

There is a real possibility Bama will not have a returning starting quarterback until the start of the 2027 season. With the current changes taking place in college football — NIL and the portal — keeping quality quarterbacks on a team is going to get more and more difficult. In fact, keeping quality depth is going to be an issue for many teams. As you noted in one of your articles, Vandy has money and now they can go out and buy players for a season or maybe two seasons.

The quarterback problem may not be an easy thing to fix, but if the quarterbacks are given the opportunity to play in each and every game then that helps for the future of the position. For me, I’d love to see all three quarterbacks get playing time in each game this season. Let’s not put all our eggs in one basket. Last season Bama depended on Jalen way too much and when things were not going well they probably were not comfortable playing Ty.

Lewis in Birmingham writes …

The Tide will roll with Ty just fine. We don’t need an elite quarterback to win a national title (see Jake Coker, AJ McCarron, Greg McElroy). Blake Sims did a great job, so did John Parker Wilson. The Ohio State quarterback last year, is he on anyone’s draft board? I think Ty was a five-star recruit. He’s a smart kid. A coach’s kid. Look at Riley Leonard from our state, the Notre Dame quarterback — hardly elite but took them to a championship game. What we need is a running game that is semi-reliable. It is Ty’s time and I can’t wait to see how he does.

ANSWER: Hopefully Tim in Oxford gave Derrick Thomas $5 to get some lunch.

Times have changed for college athletes. Would Miami-born Derrick Thomas even be playing football for Alabama in today’s game?

I’d like to think so. But to hear Byrne tell it, Alabama isn’t the king of college football anymore.

Byrne’s comments to Fox News on Monday are worrisome. Why go public with that stuff now? Is Byrne trying to give himself cover before the football season? Is it already time to start blaming Alabama fans for being poor?

Byrne hired Kalen DeBoer. If Alabama’s AD wanted a football coach who could raise money in Alabama, then maybe he should have gone with Dabo.

Alabama has won national titles with game managers at quarterback, but everything we’ve seen suggests DeBoer needs an elite passer to run his system.

Is Ty Simpson an elite quarterback? Is Austin Mack an elite quarterback? What about freshman sensation Keelon Russell? Someone needs to make the jump from good to great this spring or DeBoer is going to have trouble making the playoffs once again.

And if DeBoer misses the playoffs for a second year in a row, then maybe he’s not the right fit for Alabama.

DeBoer had a plan at Washington, but things haven’t gone quite as smoothly in the SEC. Why? It’s not the money.

DeBoer went into the portal when he was at Washington and grabbed Michael Penix, Jr. In fact, it’s one of the first things he did as the new coach of the Huskies. It’s almost like it was a package deal.

DeBoer was hired at Washington on Nov.29, 2021. Penix transferred to Washington two weeks later.

Alabama will always have money to pay football players. The problem is that Alabama suddenly doesn’t have the most money to pay all the best football players.

Is Alabama in “real trouble,” though? If Alabama AD Byrne thinks Texas is rich now just wait until Elon Musk starts going to Longhorns games with Matthew McConaughey.

McConaughey is the University of Texas’ official “minister of culture.” I’m not making that up. That’s a title that the university has given the famous actor.

Who’s Alabama’s minister of culture?

It’s Saban, of course, but he’s on TV working for ESPN instead of helping Alabama in the perpetual football arms race.

Maybe it’s time to bring Saban back to the field. He can even wear his signature Alabama Jones hat on the sidelines during games.

Saban got out at the right time, but maybe Alabama should have let Saban name his replacement instead of putting it all on Byrne. Saban did a great job of raising money. Hugh Freeze and Bruce Pearl at Auburn do great jobs, too. Byrne couldn’t raise enough money for a new basketball arena and now he’s talking about limiting scholarships for non-revenue sports.

Byrne’s interview with Fox News paints a dire picture, but let’s take a second to put everything in context.

Byrne is sounding the alarm at a very specific time. Auburn is in the Final Four and spring football practice is almost over in Tuscaloosa. Alabama needs to shore up the football roster through the portal and remake its basketball roster all at the same time.

What Alabama football really needs is more billionaires. How can the state of Alabama help make that happen? Maybe Saban can invite Musk to some games this fall. They’re both dictator-types who sell cars on the side, so it’s not like they don’t already have something in common.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”

General

Mayor seeks $400K study to make Birmingham stronger, greener; others question unmet promises

The city of Birmingham will spend $400,000 to create a new plan to address infrastructure, environmental and economic challenges, if Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin gets his way.

Woodfin’s office calls the Birmingham Sustainability Plan a “strategic roadmap” for building a stronger city, but critics say the city has other needs. Work on Woodfin’s plan would begin this spring, if approved by the Birmingham City Council.

“As stewards of our city, we must do all we can to help remove the barriers in creating a healthier, more sustainable community for all,” Woodfin said in a statement announcing the initiative. “I am excited that the city’s experts in sustainability and planning will join with our residents and stakeholders in developing a path for a more resilient future.”

The project will be led by the city along with Colorado-based planning consultant Lotus Engineering & Sustainability, and Hummingbird, an Atlanta-based community engagement firm.

Woodfin’s office said the goal is to have a plan completed by April 2026.

Still, a veteran council member said the other side of City Hall remains unaware of the details. Valerie Abbott, the city council’s most senior member and longtime chair of its planning and zoning committee said the latest initiative is a surprise to her.

“I guess I’ll find out more about it when he shares the information with the council,” Abbott told AL.com. “He just didn’t do it before he made the press release.”

Abbott has long criticized Woodfin’s communication style and what she described as a lack of advance notice to the council regarding major initiatives.

“The council is usually the last to know what’s going on, and that sometimes has a tendency to frustrate the city council because we feel like we are partners except when we are not,” she said.

Woodfin’s staff said the funding was included in the city’s planning, engineering, and permits budget which was approved by the City Council during the city’s budgeting process.

They said a request for proposals was issued and a committee selected the consultant team.

Abbott said she is unsure how the new initiative will integrate into existing efforts to complete the city-wide comprehensive plan.

“This is a problem that the city council has that when it comes to fleshing things out, we are not included, then we have to play catchup,” she said.

Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, chief resilience and sustainability officer in Woodfin’s office of Resilience and Sustainability, said the initiative is an extension of the city’s comprehensive plan that includes green systems.

“It also addresses other aspects of city business where sustainability can be applied such as transportation and land use policy,” she said.

Abbott said she supports efforts to address long-standing infrastructure needs throughout the city but not before details are presented about the objectives, the consultants and the money.

“At this point all the city council knows is what we’ve seen in the press release,” she said.

Abbott sent a text message to Woodfin with her list of questions seeking specifics on the project. She said Woodfin responded back with a simple, “Yes Ma’am.”

“The council wants to do things to clean up the air and the water because we’re the ones who get the complaints. But how is this going to help?” Abbott said. “I grow weary of just giving money to consultants who don’t actually accomplish things.”

Anna Brown, a longtime Birmingham resident, said she wants the city to focus more on implementing past plans and fulfilling old promises rather than spending resources on new initiatives and concepts.

“We’ve been made promises in the city before and none of those have materialized,” said Brown, who is secretary of the North Birmingham Neighborhood and co-chair of the North Birmingham Community Framework Plan. “Why do we keep spending money to bring other people in with new promises and you have not given any action to the promises that have been made already?”

For example, Brown said her neighborhood is still waiting on action on the long-promised transformation of the former North Birmingham School into a community resource hub, in addition to city help to revitalize the historic yet, largely dormant North Birmingham Business District.

“I’m quite sure we’re not the only neighborhood that’s been promised something,” Brown said. “Let’s honor the promises that have already been made.”