Alabama News

From all the talk regarding his golfing habits, jabs from Lane Kiffin and revolving SEC coaching hot seat we see every season.

Coming off a 5-7 season, Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze graces the podium at SEC media days prepared to face a gauntlet of questions.

Freeze and the Auburn Tigers look to break out of the SEC’s lower half and clinch a winning season since 2020. Also, Freeze is looking to pick up his first bowl victory since 2021 when he was the head coach at Liberty.

This season, Freeze returns standout players such as Cam Coleman, Keldrick Faulk, and Connor Lew. Once again, Auburn hit the transfer portal to grab a quarterback, this time staying in conference to acquire former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold.

Follow along below for live updates:

• Hugh Freeze opens up statement with watching Auburn baseball and Basketball team in NCAA tournament during the offseason. Believes that all players are bought.
• Freeze says his roster is better and that the expectation is limitless.
• Freeze says the secret to success this year is that they have guys who can close out games.
• Freeze explains how taking personality tests helped evaluate his staff and leaders heading into the season.
• Freeze is still confident in Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb being the staple backs in the backfield.
• Freeze says this year’s Auburn roster has his favorite offensive line.
• Freeze says Auburn will be in the talks to make the College Football Playoffs.
• Freeze called Keldric Faulk and Connor Lew bedrocks of the Auburn football program.
• Keldric Faulk helped a player with NIL money to pay for school.
• Hugh Freeze says he loves Lane Kiffin and is not on social media to see his shots.
• Freeze says Auburn needed to do less and get more in order to close out games this fall.
• Freeze says his group embraces the expectations they have this season.
• Freeze feels good about his front seven guys on the offensive lineman.
• Freeze says his golfing does not take away from his focus on making Auburn a championship contender.

Lauderdale County officials have charged a man with manslaughter after they say he struck his brother with a vehicle Monday night, killing him.

WAAY is reporting that Perry James Crakaal, 27, died following the incident that happened at 10 p.m.

Deputies who responded to the scene interviewed a witness who said that the victim and the witness had been in a vehicle with Crakaal’s brother, Brandon Wayne Crakaal, 29, prior to the crash, according to WHNT.

According to the witness, the two brothers got into an argument, and Perry and the witness got out of the vehicle.

Then Brandon Crakaal drove on and hit Perry Crakaal before leaving in the vehicle.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies then received reports of a vehicle matching the description of Brandon Crakaal’s vehicle in the area of County Road 14 and County Road 15 in Oakland, according to WAFF.

Deputies discovered a white Chevrolet pickup with “significant damage to the front end.”

A man was also reported to have been seen walking away from the vehicle.

A citizen’s report at about midnight led deputies to a house on County Road 106, where they found Brandon Crakaal and took him into custody.

He has been charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident, and is being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center.

More charges could follow.

At 11:21 p.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued an updated heat advisory valid for Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb and Marengo counties.

The weather service states, “Heat index values up to 107 degrees expected.”

“Hot temperatures combined with high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” comments the weather service.

Heat safety: Protecting yourself in hot conditions

• Stay hydrated: Remember to drink plenty of fluids.
• Find cool shelter: Stay indoors in an air-conditioned room to keep cool.
• Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and make sure to check up on relatives and neighbors.
• Child and pet safety: Never forget to safeguard young children and pets by not leaving them unattended in vehicles, especially during scorching weather when car interiors can become life-threateningly hot.
• Caution outdoors: When working or spending time outside, take extra precautions.
• Time your activities wisely: Whenever possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours when temperatures are more manageable.
• Recognize heat-related issues: Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Stay cool with clothing: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing to stay comfortable.

Additional tips for outdoor workers:

• For outdoor workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends regular rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
• If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.
• In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.

These NWS heat safety directives are essential for safeguarding your well-being when facing high temperatures. Stay well-informed and take the necessary precautions to shield yourself and others from the potential hazards of extreme heat.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

The Detroit Tigers selected Casey Mize with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and the Auburn right-hander was on his way.

Twenty-six minor-league starts later, including a no-hitter for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, Mize had reached the big leagues.

But entering the 2025 season, the former Springville High School star had a 9-19 record with a 4.36 earned-run average in 61 appearances for Detroit. Between starts on April 14, 2022, and April 4, 2024, Mize did not pitch for the Tigers as he rehabilitated after elbow and back surgeries.

In 2025, Mize is on the American League pitching staff for the MLB All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday night.

“I’ve always known that I could do this,” Mize said, “and I’ve always believed in that. Did doubts and thoughts come into my mind that I would never get here? One hundred percent, like, yes. But I feel like I did a pretty good job of trying to flush that pretty quickly because I knew that I had so much career left ahead of me and so many things I wanted to accomplish, that the longer I let those thoughts fester in my head, the more of a detriment it would be, so I really worked to try to avoid those as much as possible.

“But did those thoughts come to my head? Yeah, they did. And I’m pretty proud of how I was able to push those aside.”

After surging down the stretch to grab a wild-card spot in the American League playoffs in 2024 to end a streak of seven losing seasons, Detroit reached the all-star break this season with MLB’s best record at 59-38.

The showing netted the Tigers’ six spots on the American League team for the MLB All-Star Game.

“I’m really proud to play for Detroit,” Mize said. “I think gritty gets affiliated with us a lot. (Detroit Lions coach) Dan Campbell probably started that, but we kind of took it over a little bit as well. It kind of embodies our city. I honestly feel like I can relate to that a little bit more because I went through some difficult times and now it’s like I get to showcase the good times with five other teammates and Frankie our batboy, so super proud of that to showcase our brand of baseball on a national scale.”

Mize brings a 9-3 record with a 3.15 ERA to the All-Star Game. In 16 starts this season, he has struck out 77 and yielded 86 hits and 22 walks in 88.2 innings. Mize’s stats were better before Saturday, when the Seattle Mariners scored six runs off him in three innings.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said he knew the All-Star Game announcement had “disrupted” Mize’s preparation for Saturday’s contest.

“It’s awesome,” Hinch said of Mize earning his first trip to the MLB All-Star Game. “His reaction was fun to be a part of. The pride that I know he has, not only with what he’s done, but the journey to get here, and then being rewarded with a trip to Atlanta with his best friend Tarik Skubal, his teammates that have watched him have an incredible season thus far. It’s hard in this sport sometime to get those moments and get that type of recognition.”

The MLB All-Star Game is set for 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta. FOX will televise the contest.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

To put it in college football terms, it just meant more to Jason Aldean.

The country music singer revealed his favorite venue to perform is none other than Sanford Stadium, home of his Georgia Bulldogs.

“My favorite show I ever played,” Aldean revealed in a “Marty & McGee” tease of their CMA Fest Special. “There’s just nothing like it, man. As a Georgia fan, a kid that grew up there, and that was the only concert ever to be held in Sanford Stadium to this day.”

Aldean and Luke Bryan headlined a 2013 concert in the SEC venue to the tune of 66,000 fans.

“They had told everybody else no,” Aldean said. “(Bruce) Springsteen, REM, you name it. They’re (like), ‘No, not you guys, but you guys can come.’ I was, ‘Like, really? Alright.’”

Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks told Online Athens his athletic department is aiming to bring its next concert there in the spring of 2026.

According to the report, the concert would be held between Georgia’s spring game in April and the university’s commencement in May.

There has been a long-standing feeling that R.E.M. has always been the obvious choice to perform in the stadium. The iconic group got it’s start in Athens, but the group retired years ago.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

President Donald Trump is having a tough time convincing Democrats he’s handling his job well, according to a new poll that shows almost everyone on the other side of the aisle disapproves of his performance.

Trump has the support of just 3% of Democrats, according to the latest Economist/YouGov Poll released Tuesday.

Another 95% of Democrats told the survey they disapprove of Trump’s job performance.

The percentage of Republicans who disapprove of Trump’s performance is higher than Democrats who approve.

While Trump has a 92% approval rating among Republicans, 6% of GOP respondents said they disapprove of the president’s job performance.

Overall, Trump’s approval rating is underwater by 14 percentage points, the poll found.

His approval rating slid 1 percentage point to 41% from last week while his disapproval rating ticked 2 percentage points lower to 55%.

Trump started his second term with a +6 net approval rating; 49% approved of his performance then while 43% disapproved.

Trump’s presidency is in a precarious position with a large section of his base revolting over how the Jeffrey Epstein case is being handled.

During the 2024 election, Trump promised to release the so-called Epstein files.

On July 6, the Department of Justice and the FBI issued a joint memo saying there was “no incriminating ‘client list’” and “no credible evidence” that Epstein blackmailed co-conspirators who sexually abused underaged girls provided by him, Axios first reported.

MAGA was not buying the explanation after Bondi told Fox News in February that the list was on her desk.

Feigning injuries won’t come without a price starting this season.

In 2025, once the ball is spotted, if a player goes down with an injury, that will cost his team a timeout. If the team doesn’t have a timeout left, then the team will be issued a five-yard delay-of-game penalty. SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid discussed the new rule Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

If a player goes down because of an injury before the ball is ready for play, the team will not be charged a timeout and no penalty would be issued.

McDaid showed a play where a player went down right before the ball was snapped. Another player on the defense was starting to grab at his hamstring. Then he stopped when the defensive lineman went down with an injury.

“I see smiles out there,” McDaid said. “Sometimes these plays bring a little hilarity to the presentation.”

Previously, there was no rule in place. If a player went down with an injury at any point before the ball was snapped, officials would call timeout for injury. There was no penalty and teams wouldn’t have to use a timeout.

The new rule is an attempt to slow down fake injuries in college football.

“Sometimes players may do it on their own because it feels accepted, and that’s what we want to stop,” Steve Shaw, the national coordinator of officials, told ESPN. “I’m not sure there is a perfect solution, but I think this is a good first step. This will have impact to those that are very obvious and are late and looking to the sideline and going down. Coaches do not want to risk a timeout under any circumstances. Those are very valuable commodities in the game.”

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

Jackson Arnold may be Auburn’s starting quarterback in 2025, but that hasn’t changed the optimism for five-star freshman signal caller Deuce Knight.

He was a highlight of Auburn’s top 10-ranked 2025 signing class and already made a strong impression during spring practice.

In an appearance on SEC Now during SEC Media Days, head coach Hugh Freeze was asked what the plan is for Knight in 2025, even if he’s behind Arnold on the depth chart.

“If Jackson is having the year that we all expect and hope he has, it’d sure be nice to convince Deuce to play in a few games and get yourself ready, because we think Jackson’s gonna be gone,” Freeze said. “At the same time, Deuce is so talented, and his ceiling is high.”

This isn’t the first time Freeze has been complimentary of Knight since he arrived on campus in January. The early enrollee freshman impressed the staff throughout spring practice, and Freeze sang his praises again on Tuesday.

“He can make every throw. He’s got a high football IQ and is coachable,” Freeze said. “Not one excuse comes out of his mouth ever. So, he’ll be ready.”

He added that it’s hard to say specifically what the plan will be for Knight, but said he thinks the freshman “has a really bright future.”

Freeze also made sure to mentioned Ashton Daniels, a transfer from Stanford who is another new addition to the quarterback room in 2025. He started in each of the last two seasons at Stanford, throwing for 1,700 yards in 2024 while adding 669 yards on the ground.

“On some quarterback runs [he] ran away from good football teams and so they’ll all be ready,” Freeze said.

Auburn will officially begin fall camp on July 29, exactly one month before the Tigers are set to kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 29 against Baylor.

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

The future for Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been a matter of great speculation this offseason.

Will he run for the U.S. Senate seat that will open with Tommy Tuberville entering the governor’s race?

Pearl has neither confirmed nor denied interest in the seat in interviews this summer as the chatter swirls. So AL.com went to Pearl’s boss, athletics director John Cohen, with a simple question.

Does he expect Pearl to be the head basketball coach at Auburn this season?

“I absolutely expect him to be the head coach at Auburn,” Cohen said in an interview with AL.com on Tuesday morning at SEC football media days in Atlanta, “but I, I also expect all the policies of NIL Go and, and you know, our new governing body to be upheld. But things can change. We’ve seen that.”

Cohen said he’s had “many discussions” on the matter.

“Maybe more than any coach I’ve ever been associated with, Coach Pearl, he’s a patriot and he loves his country and he loves his faith and he loves Israel,” Cohen said. “And I think at some level he’s always searching in his mind for a way for how do I make a difference in this world.

“So I don’t think anything in his future will ever be taken off the table because he’s such a great leader.”

Pearl has always been outspoken politically on social media but he’s turned up the volume this offseason. He’s written opinion pieces for publications ranging fromAL.com to the New York Post. He’s also appeared as a guest on Fox News as observers read tea leaves and speculation swirls.

Cohen said he’s also putting in the time at the Auburn basketball complex outside of the spotlight. The AD said he sees Pearl at 6:30 a.m., workouts just as he’s always been.

“He’s there, he’s in the middle of it, he’s with our kids and nothing has changed,” Cohen said. “He is spending every available moment with our kids preparing them for next season and that’s where we are right now.”

It’s also worth noting Pearl’s son, associate head coach Steven Pearl has been making multiple public appearances on behalf of the program. He was at an early July donor event in Alexander City and at a news conference last Tuesday in Birmingham announcing Auburn’s involvement in an exhibition game.

Steven Pearl in Birmingham said his appearances are a result of a long-overdue vacation his father took.

“He took some time to decompress,” Cohen said Tuesday. “You know, he’s 65 years old and he needed some time. He has the energy of a 25-year-old kid, but he needed some time to decompress and we almost insisted that he take some time away.”

The deadline to file as a candidate for the senate seat is Jan. 23, 2026 but decisions would clearly need to come sooner than that with a year-round basketball calendar.

The full practice schedule begins in September with the first exhibition game set for Oct. 15 in Birmingham against Oklahoma State.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.