Boomo Bugg Show 020426

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's Exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. New Exclusive Inside Track to the Tide, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a street ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in to National Signing Day Part 2. Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you?

Happy National Signing Day to you and the listeners. Bucky Ball comes to Tuscaloosa tonight as Alabama tries to rebound against Texas A&M. Caleb Jones of Auburn Sports will preview Auburn's 2026 signing class and their transfer portal additions. But our good friend, Freddie Kirby joins us right now to recount the 2026 signing class for the Alabama Crimson Tide. You know how I know it's National Signing Day, Brett Beaird. Freddie Kirby is on the show. That's right. He's a general manager of Southeastern Athletics. You can call him a lot of things, but you can't call him a rookie when it comes to covering recruiting.

Freddie, welcome in. How are you? Would you agree? Most certainly, guys, this is 42 years worth of it and everything and still kicking strong and headed to Dixon, Tennessee now to see a young lady hoping to sign her up for softball and everything. But you don't have the general feel that we used to have on National Signing Day, but it always feels good when a kid puts a signature on the line to get their education paid for. Absolutely. Freddie, obviously, the win pretty much compared to just a handful of years ago is gone because if you're just checking in from outer space, the big signing day is now in December, early December is that, as opposed to now where it was for years and years and years.

But Freddie, be that as it may, where do you start? Any surprises here? Because at the same time, kids can still come on and saw Alabama last night, adding to the class with the younger Sal brother. Your thoughts where things stand here on Part 2? Any surprises so far? Is it pretty much what you expected to this point? Well, it's pretty much basically what I expected, Harold, and everything. I think Alabama coaching staff has the right approach in the way they attack things. I think you've got to attack the high school levels first, and I think you've got to invest in those kids first, and then you hit the portal to fill in where you need.

Because if you can get high-rated high school kids and keep them happy, keep them there, develop them, that's when you're going to have your best football teams on the field. And then you pick up your pieces to go along with it. Alabama's class this year, I think, is finished number two, according to most people and everything. And if Kelly DeBoer can continue to do that, he's going to have a lot of success in Alabama and everything. The addition of Adrian Clem on the offensive line, I think, will be a help.

And they pick up four young men here in the late signing period and everything that are going to be complimentary pieces. They've already signed in December, but those four pieces are already athletes. And you brought up Amari Sam and everything. He's a little smallish. He's 5'8", 155, but he can fly. Most people don't catch him from behind. He's an athlete. He's played some running back. He's played some receiver and kick returner and stuff like that. And I figure he'll do some of that at Alabama as a slot receiver.

But I think the biggest statement that was made by signing him is the fact that he was wounded by Derrick Nix. Because Derrick Nix come in, he evaluated him, and they mourned him. I think he makes a big statement. And it never hurts to take a player of this caliber, especially when he's got a five-star brother coming out next year. Yeah, that's what I was going to talk about, Freddie. I'm sure that's just a coincidence, right? Talk about that. But Xavier Sam is one of the most elite players in the country for next year and everything.

And I like keeping it in the family and everything. And I would think this would give Alabama the edge on him and everything with his brother being here. And his older brother got one more year as well and everything. But you can't go wrong with five stars. Freddie, let's talk about winning the line of scrimmage. Three of us believe in that. We've talked about it for decades. That's what you've got to do if you're going to win football games. Alabama with five. We're going to transfer a portal a little bit later.

[5:05] But Freddie, Jared Doughty from Atlanta. Chris Booker, four-star from Atlanta. Bear Fretwell, Mr. 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, which is rare for an offensive lineman. Terrell Miller, College of San Mateo in California. And Bryson Cooley, the four-star from Laurel, Mississippi. And defensive line, Nolan Wilson from Picay, Mississippi. Jerry Matthews from Spartan, transferred to Gainesville in Georgia. Maury Johnson, four-star from most of the shows. In fact, we're going to have Scott Basin on the show a little bit later. Corey Howard from Valdosta, Georgia. Malik Franklin, a late addition from Daphne High School.

Freddie, that's five on the offensive line, five on the defensive line. I've said it's like pitchers in baseball. You never have enough linemen. Very much so, and I think you've heard me holler that for the last 40 years and everything. And like I said, you've got five on each side of the ball there, which is a major plus, especially when they can play. I think Chris Booker has a chance to play immediately. Jared Doughty is one that was not as highly ranked coming out the initial 25 classes as far as the way he was ranked.

But throughout the year, he steadily rose all the way up to a major four-star athlete and had some of the top major programs in the country voting him. And I think he's even jumped to the top 100 players in the country and everything, just to give you an idea of what kind of talent he has. Bryson Cooley has been one of the top players on the Alabama's offensive line. Recruits is all year long, and they went through some battles with LSU and got him in the end and everything.

Then you've got a young man with junior college experience, which is never going to hurt. And like you said, then you've got your project with Barry Frantwell, who's got great size and great speed and footwork and everything. And most of the time when you've got that going for you, you develop over time. He's got to get a little stronger. But I think all five of these young men on the offensive side of the ball are going to play within a two-year period. And defensive-wise, and I may be wrong here, Harold and Brent, but I think the young man for most shows is going to actually be the first player to hit the field.

Because he's got a motor that when he turns it on, he's one of the best players on the field. But somewhere along the line, he heard that Roach will let you take three plays off. So I guess he does that every now and then. And that – but Nolan Wilson has got a chance to play quick. Jermary Matthews is coming off the edge. And Malik Franklin is a very intriguing one. He's the one that's also got to get a little stronger. But he played for Kenny King.

And Kenny King, we never would have called Alabama if he didn't think he could play there. And Corey Howard is going to be a plugger in the middle. And everybody thinks that you've got a lot of stuff out there you need. And like you said, you've got six on the offensive side and five on the defensive side out in the transfer portal. That's going to compliment this. But any time you've got 11 offenses, 10 defense, a line coming in one class, you keep Freddie Kirby happy. And when he's not busy as a general manager of Southeastern Athletics, sometimes, Freddie, it's safe to say that it's not necessarily who you bring in.

And, Sue, in this modern era, if you're able to keep, is there a quarterback room anywhere, any potentially? We use that word potentially. It could end up being a big bust. But right now, what is this, February, it looks good on paper for Alabama going forward in the quarterback room, being able to keep those two, add to it from the recruiting route with a kid from Nebraska. Your thoughts about that and the pick and order starting out spring, I would imagine Mack will get the first dibs.

Who knows? And then the post-Smothers Brothers debacle with the running back ending up at Texas. Your thoughts about the quarterback room and the running back room at Bama here in February? All right, the quarterback room, you've got two quality young men coming back. It's just these game experience. Austin Mack and Keela Russell both have very, very strong talents. But I'll predict that Keela Russell wins that battle for the first snaps next year in Tuscaloosa and everything. Jet Tamala is an elite prospect. I've watched the film all year long, and he was the quarterback I wanted from watching the films.

And people can say plus what they want about Nick Sheridan, but that joker knows what a quarterback looks like. And he's brought some quality young men to Alabama and everything. And Peyton Kawa can throw the football as well. People don't need to overlook him. He's 6'5", 230 pounds. He can see over the defense, and he's got very good touch, like a lot of the Polynesian quarterbacks do. And you've got four quarterbacks there that are going to battle it out. But you've already got Trent Seaborn committed for next year, who may be the top player in the state for next year.

[10:10] And then you've got the number one quarterback in America, Elijah Haven. It's also going to end up being an Alabama-Georgia battle, the way it sounds. And everything. So I'll take my chances with those quarterbacks and everything. And running back, you've got your answer as the number one player in Mr. Football in Alabama coming in. And so with him coming in and everything, you're going to take care of a lot of possibilities. You picked up Kalenic McKeith in the portal, who's going to be what I call a big fullback banger kind, like Daniel Hill and everything.

But as far as the running back room, it's not as deep as what I'll say the quarterback room is. Treshawn Brown gives you an extra gear as a runner and everything that they picked up late out of Huntsville, Texas. Everything. He's a bigger version of Kevin Riley. Not quite as easy to bring down as Kevin is and everything. But it's also left the door open now for you to hit the running back room pretty heavy this year. And you brought up Jameer Matthews being a games for Georgia player by way of Spartan and everything.

But it never hurts to go very full to Xavier Griffin and Jameer Matthews out of games for high school. When they've got the top running back, you won't now. But that's you, Kurt, next year. Yeah, there's a method of madness. All right, I always enjoy asking you this in a couple of minutes. We've got left. Sleepers. Max Sutter is Brett Beaird's, one of Brett Beaird's sleepers. And Rahel Kelly from Wynton Woods High School in Cincinnati. Matt, I may be crazy, but I've heard a lot of good things about him.

What is, who are Freddie Kirby's sleepers? Well, I mentioned on your show the last time we spoke that Rahel Kelly was one of my top sleepers in this class. And I love everything I see about the kid. And I think he's got a chance to make a splash. And I don't expect it to be a little splash. I think he, as deep as that defensive back room is, and I won't give credit where it's due. Mo Link, which is by far the Alabama's best recruiter, coach, on the staff, and everything.

And he has filled that room with tons of players and everything. But I'm going to throw a player in here that I think is a sleeper that can play much quicker than the people think. And that's the kid he picked up out of Northridge High School late, Nick Sherman. And at corner, he's got great size. He's got good coverage ability. And I've heard rumors, but I've not been able to confirm it, that there is a connection to Richard Sherman involved in him and everything. If he turns out like Richard, he's very knowledgeable of the quarterback position as much as he is.

I fully expect him to play maybe, if not a lot this year, but by his second year, I think you can see him on the field. Before we jump off, your thoughts about a very interesting shuffling of the deck. We joked earlier about Auburn. They've got a facelift that would rival a Hollywood model. You're talking about shuffling a deck down there. Your thoughts about Auburn and their strategy in this recruiting class? Well, any time you make a coaching change like they have and everything, you're going to have mass exodus out the door.

A lot of people are trying to find greener pastures. But it's hard to find more greener pastures than Auburn and everything because they're surrounded by a bunch of pastures and everything. When I've been down there, the grass is always pretty green and everything. But last town I had, they had like 39 players coming in out of the pool. Yeah, at least. And so, that's a situation there where you've got to give the coach time to get his people in the door. Now, he's got people coming with me from South Florida and everything that are going to help with that transition.

But it's going to take them at least a full year to get unified as a staff and as a team and everything. His second year, I think it's where you're going to see most of the productivity come and everything. It's hard to say with 39 new players coming in, not counting the signing class and everything, how good a team you're going to be on the field. But I do like him as a coach. I like a lot of the coaches that he's picked up and everything. And if everybody can get along, that ego is not getting in place.

Like Tim Banks and Durkin, are they going to be able to coexist as coordinators? And everything. So, most of them used to be in the man in charge. But all that's got to work its way out and everything. Everybody gets on the same page. But Auburn is always going to be battle-tested. They're going to give you a ball game whether they have as much talent as you do or not, especially when you have to go into Jordan-Harrer Stadium. By the end of next season and everything, I think you'll start seeing all the chemistry start coming together.

[15:12] And the following year is when I really expect them to make a push. I think you're exactly right. Well, I know good and well you're going to sign that young lady you're going to go see today. Because I think your signing rate is between 95% and 100%. It's awfully high. Freddie, where can we get online and get your great services for us? Hemping the next young man or woman getting to the next level. Well, I appreciate that, Brett, and everything. But, yeah, right now I've had about 98% of the girls that I've signed in this service to sign scholarships and everything.

But, like I said, I've headed to Dixon, Tennessee today, and I've headed to Somerset, Kentucky, in the morning. And so, but we're located in Russell, Alabama. We've been here now for 40 years. And we're an organization that helps kids in every sport. We're starting to broaden our horizons and get all the coaching contacts for the flag football because I figure like that's going to be the next thing to take off. But we do all the legwork for you. We don't take it all out of your hands.

We get you established. You take the ball to run with it and everything. We take a lot of that work off your hands because I can do a profile on a young lady, young man, and the last three buttons, and 1,000 coaches are looking at your face in 10 seconds. And then we go from there. We get you videos in the hands of the schools of your choice. And coaches call our office looking for players in a certain position. If you fit that criteria, we give them your name, your contact information, give them everything they need to evaluate you.

We put you in the right camps. We try to do everything we can to make the e-road easier for you to pave that way. And everything. Our office number is 256-432-5513. And my traveling cell phone, which is what I call it because I'm most of them on the road, everything is 256-227-6986. I'd love to hear from you. I'd like to see if I can earn you trust. And I appreciate y'all having me on, leaving all signing day. Hey, it wouldn't be the same without you, Freddie.

Safe travels up there. By the way, you might want to pack a generator. I saw where almost 10,000 people still have no power in the Nashville area. So good luck and safe travels, Freddie. You ride on that, Harold, because I was supposed to have disappointment two weeks ago. I bet. Oh, my gosh. And the roads have just now cleared enough for me to try. Oh, my gosh. You stay safe out there, Freddie. Freddie Kirby, GM, general manager, Southeastern Athletics. His name has been invoked. Coach Scott Bazin checking in next month for Shoals, Alabama.

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Order online at ConecuhSausage.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Tuesday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we were joined by Alabama men's basketball guard Aiden Holloway. The most fun I've had since I've been in college, for sure. It was a lot of fun last year, but just with my role being a little bigger than it was last year, this year, it's been even more fun. So, just definitely the most fun I've ever had playing basketball in college, for sure. Do you enjoy the pace and how quickly you guys go?

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How are you? Doing well. How are you guys doing? And almost as well as you, Coach. Congratulations. Huge honor. A lot of coaches out there in 6A. And you are the Class 6A Coach of the Year. Congratulations. Well, I appreciate it. It just means you've got a lot of great assistant coaches and some great kids. And, you know, it's just like, you know, I said there, I just appreciate everybody, you know, voting for you and thinking of you in that way. You know, it's real humbling.

Scott, one thing I do like, I don't know how long they've been doing the assistant coach of the year, but you know this better than anybody else. Those guys work during the season 100 hours a week. And I'm glad that the coaches' convention and quite a few people now are beginning to recognize the assistant coaches of the year. Yeah, you know, no doubt. You know, I think a lot of times, you know, it gets overlooked because, you know, obviously for me and, you know, a lot of people that's had any success, it's the guys that are not the face of the program.

You know, it's like I always tell them, I'll take the loss, you know, head on. But, you know, the wins are because of, you know, how hard everybody else behind the scenes works. And, you know, there's no doubt about that. This program and any program I've ever been in, it's because, you know, we've got great assistance and I've been blessed to have great assistance. And, you know, it's just a fact of the matter. And good players, too. We just had on Freddie Kirby. I don't know if you know Freddie or not, but we've been friends for a long time.

He knows talent when he sees it. And, of course, we know today is National Signing Day as we put it apart, too. And it's always fun to look at these classes and say, okay, this guy's got this kind of potential. But it's always fun to talk about the guy that may not get as much headlines as others but has a lot of promise. And the reason I take a long way of saying it, Freddie said the guy you better watch for is Mr. M. Johnson, Maury Johnson, on his way to Alabama.

[25:42] Talk to us about what Alabama's getting in Mr. Johnson, Coach. You know, just a, just a, number one, a tremendous, humble human being. And I've probably never coached a kid in 30 years that's had so much upside. And I talked with his parents this morning. He graduated and went down in December. He was 280, and, you know, he's already up to 305 there. Wow. I just see him as a guy that is going to, you know, obviously he played defensive end for us. But I just see him as a guy that can play a three technique and is fast and as long as he is.

You know, I just think the sky is the limit for him, you know, barring injuries and, you know, certain other factors. But it won't be because he won't work hard and that he doesn't have a humble spirit. He's a guy that I can honestly say that, you know, if God continues to bless him and keeps him free from injuries, he'll have a chance to play, you know, at the next level after Alabama. He's that kind of talent. Wow. Wow. Scott, I saw four-year games last season, and believe me, he can get to the quarterback in a hurry.

And for his size, he is quick. Keeby Foster, also who originally was with Arkansas, they had a coaching change. He ended up at Troy. By the way, as you well know, he's a pretty good basketball player. He scored 10 points last night at the game. How many of your players, either in December or today, will sign scholarships at the next level? It'll be nine to ten. And, you know, I've got one that's going to sign Friday. I think we had two at the early, and we signed seven today.

Wow. You know, and I've got one that is trying to make a decision. He's got five offers, and, you know, he's at a spot where he doesn't really know. I was telling him, I said, you know, the first thing you better do is pray about it. And I said, it's not about, you know, I think a lot of people get caught up in money. But, you know, you can make a lot of money somewhere and not be happy and less money and be where God's planted you, and that's where you'll flourish.

And so, you know, the game has changed so much in recruiting. And, you know, in all honesty, everything used to go through the head coach. It doesn't anymore. Social media plays so much of an impact on recruiting today. And, you know, it's just, it's not really good for the game. And then, you know, you've got 4,000 kids in the transfer portal. Well, when they get in and they don't have a place to go, then it starts bumping down to, well, they weren't happy at Division I, so I'm going to end up in JUCO.

And, you know, it hurts the development of the high school athlete. And, you know, that's really the sad part of the game. And, you know, I'm not smart enough to fix it, but I wish, you know, the people that were, you know, I think it's said best. It needs to be collective bargaining at that level and just stop all this, you know, I just really believe, you know, when you commit somewhere, that's where you are, you know. And life is going to be hard for you, and you all very well know this.

It just doesn't mean you pack your bags and leave. You've got to work through situations. And I'm just, it's real sad that that's what this sport is becoming, and it's heartbreaking. Yeah, well put. Coach, obviously, as a coach, the deck's always shuffling. Your reaction in the time we have left, the news out of Montgomery over the last few days with the reshuffling of the deck across the state as far as classifications? I think it's very interesting. You know, obviously, and this is ugly to say, but it's the truth of, you know, anytime politics gets in something, it always messes it up.

And I think, you know, high school athletics is supposed to be the last pure thing, and, you know, a lot of people have messed that up, too. But, you know, I think when you start, you know, and I'm all about getting a great education, and I think there ought to be situations where you're able to get a great education. But, you know, there's still got to be guidelines and rules, and, you know, if you take the CHOOSE Act, then that is a form of payment. And so, you know, if it's truly about education, then you don't mind sitting out a year.

But if it's truly about athletics, then you have a problem with it. So are we going to be an athletics-based state, or are we going to be an education-based state? And if we're an education-based state, then we shouldn't care to sit out a year. But if we're an athletics-based situation as this, you know, and I respect everybody. You know, everybody has a right to choose what they want for their child. That's none of my business, but we have to have rules in place. And I think that's what it really comes down to.

[31:13] I don't think it was a private-public school issue. You know, I've got some great friends that are head coaches in private schools, and I think they do it the right way. And they're tremendous. And I know, you know, even in public schools and private schools, the line is pushed, you know. And, you know, I'm never going to turn a kid down that comes over here and wants to go to school. You know, I welcome them. But, you know, there are steps we have to go through, and trust me, and I'll be the first one to say, I've had to learn that the hard way sometimes.

I hear you. I'll tell you one thing. I've got some friends of mine who call a class 5A region 7, the region of doom. You talk about competition, Scott, every Friday night is going to probably feel like a playoff game with Athens, Austin, Decatur, East Limestone, Florence, Hartzell, most of the shows, of course, and now Darryl moving over to Russellville. That's going to be an amazing region. Yeah, I think it'll be a lot of fun, you know. And, you know, a lot of people have asked me about it.

I said, well, I said, it really helped us because it got us in an eight-team region. And really, these are the people we play anyways, other than, you know, Russellville and East Limestone. But that Russellville, you know, Muscle Shoals used to be a great rivalry around here, and, you know, they decided not to continue it. But, you know, now we're going to be back playing each other and, you know, looking forward to that. And then, you know, it really helps me from a standpoint of scheduling because I don't have to find three non-regions like I used to.

Right. Something else. Before we blink, it'll be here. And in the meantime, again, Coach, congratulations on young men on their way to college. You did a great job getting them ready for that. And, again, congratulations on being named the state 6A Coach of the Year. Well, thank you so much. And, like I say every time, I appreciate what y'all do for high school sports. And just real thankful that you called to have me on. Great kind words. Keep up the good work. Muscle Shoals' head football coach, Scott Bazden.

Coming up, what's going on down in Tuscaloosa on National Signing Day Part 2. We'll take you there next with Rodney Orr. Stay with us. This is Miranda Haddock with the Florence Education Foundation. We invite you to support our Friends of the Foundation campaign. As a friend of the foundation, you can contribute any amount to help fund classroom needs in Florence City Schools. Please visit our website at FlorenceEducationFoundation.org to explore our new giving levels and the added perks available. We want to wish Coach Burleson and the entire Falcon basketball team good luck this season.

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The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9, The Score. The Score. Welcome back in time and on down to Tuscaloosa and say hello to Rodney Orp. He's a founder and editor of TiterInsider.com. And his book is called Bigger Than Bama. Rodney, welcome in. How are you? I am doing well, guys. How are y'all doing today? Man, we're going to go out on a limb here and say, Rodney, we're just going to say that your first Wednesday in February 2026 is a lot less busier than it was the first Wednesday in February 2016.

Are we safe to say that, Rodney? Oh, totally different, man. I mean, things have totally changed. This used to be the day, you know, for recruiting, obviously. And it was a, like you said, I mean, it was extremely busy, but it was so much fun, you know, back in the day. You know, I was thinking last night, actually, because we used to put out our crystal ball, which is something we started, you know, way back 30 years ago. So, we put out that crystal ball the night before, the signing day eve, and it was so anticipated, and now nobody even talking about recruiting.

So, it's a thing of the past right now. Talk to us about it, Rodney, be that as it may, it is part two. Hardcore fans are always going to say, well, did they add anybody? At last report, the last I saw was the younger Sal brother from New Jersey being added to the class. What's the latest as far as national signing day part two as far as Alabama is concerned, Rodney? Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, I mean, I know that they were, you had the MJ Mathis, the wide receiver, and then also Aubrey Walker, another wide receiver.

[41:19] Those two guys, and then as you mentioned, Amari Saab last night committed. He is the younger brother, of course, of Keon Saab, and they have another younger brother, by the way, who's a five-star receiver, Xavier Saab. It's coming out next year, so, you know, hopefully they can, you know, land him in the future. So, but other than that, I haven't heard if there's anything else on the horizon. I mean, again, they have more spots now. You can go up to 105, you know how that is. So, you might add some people.

I mean, a lot of these, and I'm not saying these guys we just mentioned, but sometimes at this point, you could add some guys that are, you want to call them practice guys, depth guys, that kind of, you know, fill out your roster a little bit, so that certainly could happen. Which brings up the next point, Rodney. For a lot of hardcore fanatics who follow recruiting, you hear it more than we do, because you're on 24-7 across the globe when it comes to the Alabama family.

People say, what are you doing taking that guy? And then you balance it out. I saw this week where 24-7 sports, maybe you can take whatever service you want as far as the yardstick to measure it. But after all was said and done, when they, quote, made their adjustments for the final rankings, Alabama was actually number one in the SEC. Number two overall, because Oregon took like a million players. But Alabama was number one in the SEC. It's crazy to sit here and try to get a handle on things, is it not, because of what we just mentioned.

They got all these guys that 24-7 says they're good, and then you got all these recruiter fanatics saying, what are you doing taking the guy from Timbuktu? Yeah, no, and again, it goes back to what we said. I mean, you add players for depth purposes right now. I mean, it's just different than it used to be. The walk-on situation is, you know, different than what it used to be. So you just add players because you've got that additional 20 scholarships. Right. So it's not a bad move.

I know a lot of people got upset last week. What are you doing taking a running back? The Keith kid that was, you know, originally in Tennessee and Appalachian State, Kalifa Keith. And, you know, again, it's not that you lost Hollywood Smothers and dropped down to someone else. It's a situation where he's a guy that gives you depth, and you have to have those legs in practices, whether it's wide receiver or bodies on the offensive and defensive lines. But you have to have players at those positions to really have effective practices.

That's right. Rodney, when you judge a class, and I know we went through a lot of these guys the first Wednesday in December, but I always look. I know Alabama's got – it's an incredible quarterback room. Crowell certainly adds to the running back room. But I always look at the line of scrimmage. Alabama's got five offensive linemen, and we're talking 20-26 signings here, and five defensive linemen. And we'll get into 20-27 because you had a very good nugget about two of the best prospects on the defensive line, frankly, in Alabama's backyard.

But Nolan Wilson, Jamarian Matthews, who transferred from Spartan to Gainesville. Maury Johnson, we just got through talking with his coach, Scott Baston from Muscle Shoals. Corey Howard, Malik Franklin, the late addition from Daphne High School with Kenny King. Bryson Cooley on the offensive line, Fretwell, the 4-7 guy, Dowdy, Booker, et cetera. Rodney, your thoughts, obviously, meeting needs there. We ain't talking about the transfer portal, but some fresh guys coming in at the line of scrimmage. Yeah. I mean, when you're talking about when you combine it, man, it's like around 20 guys that they're bringing in.

When you talk about high school and the portal on both sides of the ball, you're talking about 20 new faces there. And, you know, here's the thing. Let me stop there because I know a lot of Alabama fans are saying, well, next year we're going to be young. We're going to have all these new players. Everybody's in transition. There's very few teams around the country that aren't in the similar situation that Alabama's in with all this transition. So it's not just kind of Bama. It's everybody. But, yes, and I think, you know, it looks like to me they did a really nice job, you know, on the high school kids.

Man, I thought Cooley was a huge pickup late in that early period, you know, out of Mississippi. He's, you know, obviously 6'5", 300-plus pounds, and a guy that I think can, you know, eventually be a real player. You know, and again, offensive and defensive linemen, you know, the key to those guys is development. A lot of these guys have the tools, but what do you do when you get them? And so that will be a big key here with the offensive and defensive line development. And, you know, on the defensive side, you mentioned that.

[46:23] I think, you know, obviously Nolan Wilson is, he's got a chance to be a really, really good player. Marty Johnson, yeah, you mentioned him. He's got maybe it's underrated, actually. Jamarian Matthews. I like those guys. So I think they did a great job on the high school ranks. But I am pretty excited, too, about what I've seen. When you look at the young players that they brought in on the offensive line in the portal, like Ty Haywood, who was a former five-star offensive tackle that should have signed with Alabama last year, but he jumped to Michigan.

He flipped to Michigan late, as you know. Now he's back here. And then, of course, the Caden Strayhorn kid that was also a Michigan signing last year, an interior player. So I think they've done really, really well. And they've got a couple of guys that are experienced. Dalgatti, of course, from Cal Poly at the center spot. There's a good chance he'll be the starting center, I would think. And then Javon James at left tackle. He started nine games for Mississippi State last year. So they got some experience, and I thought that was really needed.

In the huddle with Rod and your title, insider.com, you mentioned developing the line. We've been talking about it forever. It looks like it's now official this morning. Kellen DeBoer is saying it's true Adrian Clem will be Alabama's new offensive line coach. Your thoughts, obviously, after last year, a lot of Alabama fans say you can't go wrong in trying to improve. But your thoughts, what can you tell us about Adrian Clem and what he brings to that part of the puzzle? Well, I mean, obviously, a lot of experience on the NFL and college level, you know, coaching and also as a player.

He started for four years at Hawaii for June Jones. He coached for June Jones at SMU for a few years. He's been around. He did a really good job at Oregon. They had one offensive line that in 13 games only gave up five sacks. You know, of course, he's been at, you know, other programs, UCLA. He's been in the NFL where he played in New England, but he also coached their offensive line for a year under Belichick. So he's got a vast array of experience. And it sounds like to me he believes in knocking you off the ball.

That's the best one. Yeah. Physical knocking you off the ball. Now, again, how does that really, will he kind of adjust? Because he's talked about that, too, about, you know, these new offenses and the way, the new techniques that they use. And it's not always, you know, just man-on-man line up and knock you off the ball. There's some other things that they do. So, you know, we'll see how he fits in with what they want to do. But he sounds like, again, everything you hear about him.

And we've talked to three coaches that coached with him, one that tried to hire him. And we talked to someone that was an athletic director that actually hired him. So that's about five guys right there. And everything was pretty positive for the most part about, you know, the job that he did at those different places. Let me ask you about the two defensive linemen I alluded to a little bit earlier. Two of the best in the country. And believe me, Alabama's not the only one going after them.

But Huey Towns, Donovan Moore, 6'3", 285, as you mentioned, may end up being the number one prospect for 2027. Auburn seems to have a early lead for him. But, again, it's very early. Carlos May out of Ramsey in Birmingham, 6'3", 305. And, again, just a host of schools coming after him. These guys are difference makers. Ron, you talk a little bit more about them. Well, I mean, when you see Ohio State and Texas and Michigan and Notre Dame and various other schools that are really coming after these guys, you know that they're pretty good.

They're really good. I mean, they've got a lot of people kind of converging on this area to recruit those guys. And, you know, basically, I think right now, if you look at Donovan Moore, like you mentioned, out of Huey Town, who may be the number one player in the state next year, you know, he's just less than 50, 60 miles down the road. And it sounds like, to me, Auburn right now will probably be the team to beat. Now, that's for now. You know how these things go.

He did come to junior day. So, there's that. And then, also, Carlos May, who's at Ramsey. And I've talked to the people at Ramsey. Of course, you know, they love Tim Keenan. That's where he's from. And everybody that comes through there now on the defense line is going to be compared to Tim Keenan. And they just say, you know, look, this guy's a more explosive player. He's probably, athletically, he's better. So, they're really high on him, but so is Ohio State and Notre Dame and all these top schools are coming after him.

I was just told, simply, that, you know, Bama better not nap on this kid because if they do, he's going to end up somewhere like one of those schools. And, you know, he could be a guy that's really good. So, you want to get those guys that are close to home. And it looks like, you know, there's some really good players in the state. And, again, previewing it, just kind of looking at it, that you'd really like to build the foundation, I think, if you can, in the state.

[51:45] No question about that, my friend. Tudor Insider TV, nuggets about recruiting, transfer portal. If anybody is added, you will have the absolute latest, the 24-7 message board. And a pretty important basketball game in the Coliseum tonight, Buckyball, coming in. You'll have all that covered. But where can we get online and get all of this great information for a very nominal price? Right. It's Tudor Insider.com. It's only $48 a year, and you can get instant access with your credit card. Or, if you prefer, there is an address there to send a check.

And that gives you all our premium information. But, also, like you said, our all-sports forum, it's our community there of Alabama fans, you know, on their lot, discussing, exchanging, you know, opinions and information there. It's really kind of nonstop on TudorInsider.com. 24-7 around the globe. Listen, Rodney, you're a busy boy. Thanks so much for taking time out of that busy schedule and joining us again today, buddy. Appreciate it, guys. Y'all take care. Thank you, bud. Rodney, you're a founder and editor of TudorInsider.com. Coming up with the next job, going to be picking all over the place.

Drew DeArmond's going to be checking in. What about UNA National Sunday Part 2? And the schedule's out. Coach Brent German on that. Caleb Jones checking out the latest when he comes to the Auburn Tigers. And the judge is giving us some news about one Tennessee quarterback by the name of Joy. We'll share that and more straight ahead in a second out of the Boom Will Bug Show. Stay with us. At Bob's Tire and Alignment, we've been keeping the shoals rolling for 49 years. From tires to alignment for cars and trucks up to 550s, we'll keep your ride game day ready.

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That's what I did. Really? How? Went to My Computer Career. You don't need any prior experience and you could start your new career in a matter of months. A lot of IT pros go to school there too to level up. Sweet. Are classes online or on campus? Both. Wow. I'll check it out. Thanks. Make this your year. Take the free career evaluation now at mycomputercareer.edu. An elite CompTIA certification partner. Financial aid is available to those who qualify, including VA benefits. Welcome back to Winter Hack Radio, the place for clever hacks to survive the season.

Icy driveway? Well, try spreading sand or bird seed to help with traction. Snowy puppy paws? Well, grab a whisk, brush it off, done. Catch COVID-19? Well, just get… Actually, there's no hack for COVID-19. But if you test positive, prescription medications for COVID exist. Ask your doctor if they're right for you. Visit PfizerForAll.com to learn more. Sponsored by Pfizer. 1819 News. Republican Senate primary candidate Jared Hudson is responding to statements that were made earlier this week by the mayor of Irondale, James Stewart Jr. The mayor said that the city and its local law enforcement agencies will not be helping federal immigration agents track down and deport criminal illegal aliens in that city.

[57:06] Jared Hudson is the founder of Covenant Rescue Group, an organization that helps victims of sex trafficking, including children. And the group also works with law enforcement in order to catch the predators and perpetrators. Hudson says that Covenant Rescue Group was in Irondale recently, assisting in a trafficking bust where two illegal aliens were arrested. Hudson says that ICE agents are not splitting up families as the mayor suggested that they were, but instead are catching criminals who are involved in human trafficking and other crimes that directly affect U.S. citizens.

Hudson maintains that it is the job of the federal government to keep Americans safe and to send those illegally here in the country back to where they came from. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Covenant Rescue Group seeks to directly support organizations and agencies that are fighting the global battle against human trafficking. They do this through funding, procuring, and advocating. You can go to covenantrescue.org for further details. They need your donations, guys. Hop on and donate. A man from Athens has been given a hefty bond amount after he was arrested in a major drug bust in Limestone County.

A traffic stop resulted in Limestone County deputies seizing cocaine and MDMA pills. 47-year-old Jarvis Kane is now behind bars on a $1.5 million bond. Kane was already out on bond for similar drug trafficking charges, and he's also a convicted felon. 29-year-old Stacey Blackwood of Lacey Spring was charged this week with chemical endangerment of a child. After that child tested positive for meth, the Department of Human Resources is now involved in this case. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter.

Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores. Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Boomo Bugg on 93.9, The Score. So let me kind of stand by there. He's got the Texas A&M Aggies all covered at what better place than texaggs.com. I think Elko's really good at, look, here's the place we've got to get better. Let's address them. And you know what? The guy that's not necessarily at that position may not be the best player for us. And that's what he's done so well. So you have an open mind, you know, that maybe you didn't get the top-named player.

You know, maybe you're not getting the girl to date, but you're getting the girl to marry. That's a good way to put it. And it's February, it's Valentine's Month, you're giving out that love advice. You're giving out Godiva, we're giving out Russell Stover and Whitman Sampers up here, okay? So keep up the Godiva advice, okay? We'll do the best we can. You know, I'm not going to ride necking on a horse. There you go. Not again. The Boomo Bugg Show, weekdays noon to 2 on 93.9 The Score.

93.9 The Score weather. Today, cloudy with a high around 40. Tonight, partly cloudy with possible gusty winds overnight and a low near 20. Tomorrow, sunny with a high around 40. Tomorrow night, mostly clear with a low near 30. And for your Friday, sunny with a high around 60. Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC.

Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back again. I'm a true to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, we alluded to it coming out of the last hour. Tennessee looks like they're taking a page out of Tuscaloosa's courtroom. When it comes to quarterback, Joey Aguilar. He has been granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA. This is the first of two or three processes. In fact, they've got to have the hearing before Judge.

But Harold, like Bidiaco and Trinidad Chambliss. I think Chambliss is next week. Bidiaco's attorneys have already said, look, we were going Friday, but we want to postpone this now to mid-February. My heavens, the season is going to be over with before they get in front of, finalize the hearing. But Joey Aguilar did receive and was granted a temporary restraining order, but they've got a long way to go in that process. So a judge in Knoxville does this, a judge in Tuscaloosa, and a judge in Oxford.

Do you see a pattern here? And here's the bottom line, baby. Yes, I do. If you grant one, one thing, that means the other guy gets the same thing. It's either everybody gets to play or everybody gets to go home. But in 2026, who knows what's going to happen. We do know what's happening down the plains because Caleb Jones got it all covered there at auburnsports.com. Caleb, welcome in. No pressure. How are you? Hey, man. How's it going? Good. And it's National Signing Day Part 2. Is it the roar of the crowd or is it crickets on day two in Auburn when it comes to the signing day, Caleb?

[1:02:41] Man, it's pretty much crickets. I mean, everybody talks about how signing day just kind of used to be a big thing. You know, you wake up with a fax machine and that's not the case anymore. Pretty much everybody's got their home and signed already at this point. So let's talk about there's always going to be some news. I understand Auburn looks like they're adding a punter. Everybody makes fun of that until you need them, do they not, Caleb? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's an important position.

If you're a special teams guy, you want to be known as the guy that either makes all the field goals or, you know, it's just he can boot the ball 60 yards, you know? You never want to be known as the guy like, oh, great, here comes the punter. So it's an important position, no doubt. Caleb, I believe there were 21, and correct me, 21 in this freshman signing class, 10 on offense, nine on defense, and some of these dudes are impressive. Deshaun Spencer, it's coming from Sarah Land, 76 catches for 1,300 yards.

Shadarius Toodle from Cottage Hill Christian Academy, nearly 500 tackles, eight interceptions. His brothers from a JUCO from Mississippi Gulf Coast, it's one that always catches my attention is Jacquees Wilks, who, you know, people say, did he actually do this? He rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 60 touchdowns. And oh, by the way, while he was at it, he had 287 tackles. That is, my goodness gracious, what a career. Those are three or four guys. Who are some of the guys that stand out to you? I think all the guys that you just mentioned, those are kind of the guys that get a lot of the attention out of this recruiting class.

This recruiting class, it was, when you hire a new head coach, you know, the weekend before signing day, there's going to be some movement. There were some guys that, you know, Auburn lost out on that I think Goalish and company would have loved to, you know, keep around in the class. You know, but this recruiting class, it's not as, I guess, star-ridden, if that makes sense, as far as how many guys, how many blue-chip guys are in there. But there are some guys, there are some dudes in this class.

You mentioned Deshaun Spencer. The staff is very high on him, Shadarius Toodle, just an outstanding career down there at Cottage Hill Christian down at Mobile. He's the guy that flipped to Georgia midway through the fall and then, or excuse me, I don't know if, I don't know my timing on that one exactly, but he may, I think it was midway through the fall. He flipped to Georgia and then Auburn flipped him back shortly after the Georgia game when Georgia played Auburn, and so that's a big get.

Same with Jacquez Wilk, who's another in-state guy who was really highly productive over there at Wadley. So this class is going to be, it's going to be interesting to kind of see how it plays out, but you have a lot of guys that Goalish and the staff feel really good about as far as kind of what they look for in recruiting guys, not just out of high school, but also the transfer portal. Caleb Jones, taking it up with us, AuburnSports.com. Caleb, from afar, and you're closer to the upper center than we are, we saw 39 coming in.

Yeah, you can correct us if that number's been added to or subtracted from, but the other thing that I think is almost impossible, when people say, how's Auburn going to do this season, of all the seasons, to answer that question, when's the last time it's that difficult with this many new faces coming in? I have to mention the kids coming in from the high school ranks, and is it safe to say this is going to be one of the more interesting springs on the plains in recent memory?

I would say so. I mean, any time you have a new staff, you're going to bring in a bunch of new guys this day and age, which means there's going to be a lot of open competition in a lot of different spots, just because of how much the roster has changed. Right. I think it's pretty much said at the quarterback position that Byron Brown's going to be your guy. There's going to be some competition along the offensive line to kind of see who fits in best there.

Wide receiver, it's a completely different room than it was last year. And then, you know, defensively, there's a lot of guys that have returned, some young guys like Elijah Melendez, who could push for a starting spot in the safety rooms, guys like Eric Winters, Newboy Fagans, or some other guys that, you know, could push for some starting spots. And then along the defensive line, you return like guys like Malik Autry, Jordan Crawford, Darion Smith, while also bringing in some other guys via the transfer portal. This spring is going to be the first one under Goalish.

[1:07:48] This is going to be that first look to kind of see how this program is run. And just kind of everything that I've heard is the guys that they have in the program right now. These are guys that fit not just kind of what they want to do offensively, defensively, but they're guys that fit the culture that Goalish is trying to implement at Auburn. Caleb, obviously, you can always talk about one of two things where you shored up things last year that was a weakness. And then the other side of the coin is, in your opinion, what would you like to see Auburn do as far as patching up some things that they still need some help in as far as position, not necessarily personalities, but at a position, they still have some work to do.

Well, I think my biggest question, kind of going into spring practice, is I think it's what everybody's curious about is they want to see a dynamic offense. That's kind of the big thing that I'm looking for, because Auburn really has not had that exciting offense that it was known for in the 2010s. As you promised them, right? Yeah, exactly. You know, the exciting offense is that I think a lot of Auburn fans saw when Gus Malzahn was head coach, and shout out to Gus Malzahn, who just recently retired.

Well, I've got that, by the way. But I think that's the big thing, is that I want to see this offense do something exciting and show some potential to say, hey, I want to see something this spring that makes me think, hey, this offense, this isn't just USF 2.0. This could literally be one of the better offenses in the SEC. I want to see DJ Durkin's defense really solidify. You know, I think you're bringing back a lot of young talent that played a good bit as true freshmen last year.

But the question mark for me on that defensive side, if you lost both of your starting quarters, I want to see kind of who comes in and takes over those roles. The offensive line was nearly a complete rebuild. Now, I know there are three guys, I believe, returning, L.S. Ty, Buster, and Jacoby Ward. But I believe it was 18, if I'm not mistaken. The guys that are there, I've heard, you know, that there are a lot of projections about who the starter's going to be. Joe Simmons, Stanton Rommel, Cole Bass probably at center, Jacob Strand.

We'll kind of see where that goes. But, boy, you're talking about competition. When you've got 17 or offensive linemen, you're going to have some. Yeah, absolutely. I like what you said with Stanton Rommel. I think he kind of projects as the starting left tackle. I think Joe Simmons is probably the favorite to win the right tackle position, Cole Bass, and then to probably more than likely be the starting center as he was for USF last season. Interior, it gets a little hairy. There's not as much clarity there as far as who projects where.

There's going to be a lot of competition. You know, Jacob Strand is the guy they brought in from Oregon State who can play inside-outside. Derek Plads is a really talented guy that they're really high on. So, I mean, the numbers are there. It's just going to be, you know, who can step into that role and really kind of take over as the guy. Caleb Jones again, AuburnSports.com. Caleb, switch gears. It's hard to believe NASCAR about to get cranking. Daytona 500. But in terms of NASCAR, the Auburn basketball team taking a pit stop this week.

I'm sure like most teams, they appreciate the week rest. And then this weekend, always a fun test. Your thoughts about the team, where they are, and if you have a schedule in front of you, who does Auburn have this weekend on the hardwoods? I believe this weekend's the big one. It's the Alabama game. Yeah. It's the one that everybody's going to have circled on that calendar for sure. But, yeah, Auburn needs this week, I think, to just kind of reset coming off of a tough loss against Tennessee where, you know, Stephen Pearl said the team did a lot of kind of uncharacteristic things.

They shot a lot of threes that, you know, they weren't converting on. So, I think this week, just good reset for Auburn to kind of get into a better mentality of kind of finishing out this final stretch of SEC play and getting ready for March here. Caleb, Tennessee obviously won. They're playing really well. I think they won four or five consecutive games. Their front line is very good. Dwayne Brown from Hoover was big in that game. Nate Ament is going to be probably a lottery pick.

Ford said and done, but Tennessee had an opportunity to run off in that game. Auburn came back, and Tennessee eventually won the game. Hull had 21 points. Jobick, I thought, kept Auburn in the game, quite frankly, with his offensive rebounding. Uniford only scored 11, but had seven assists. And, again, I know it was a loss, but I thought Auburn played pretty well in a hostile environment against one of the better teams in the SEC. Yeah, the first 15 minutes were pretty rough for Auburn. That's kind of what Stephen Pearl kind of did to postgame.

[1:13:27] Tennessee kind of did what Auburn was trying to do, which was start hot, kind of punch them in the mouth almost. And Tennessee did that to Auburn, and when you're playing on the road, it becomes way more difficult to kind of overcome that. There's a lot of factors that you're having to fight, you know, because the more that Tennessee punches Auburn in the mouth, the more that crowd gets involved. But, yes, the second half, I thought Auburn played, you know, a lot better. They still shot way too many threes in the second half, but Filip Jovich, man, kind of like you said, that guy plays so incredibly hard whenever he's on the court.

He is an animal. He is hungry for the ball. You have seen him grow, man, all season, from the start of the season to where he is now. He seems like he's much more aggressive. He seems much more comfortable under the basket and kind of what Auburn wants to do. And then, you know, Sahad kind of still kind of struggling from three-point range and kind of struggling in that scoring role that I think Auburn fans are really expecting him to be. But, like you said, seven assists, that's pretty good.

You'd like to just see him score a little bit more. But, I mean, I think it was last week or whenever we last thought to, you know, a couple of the players, they mentioned, like, their confidence in Tahad is still there. Like, it's not wavered. The shots are going to fall at some point. So, they still believe in Tahad. And if Tahad can get hot, this team can make some more noise. Yeah, rebounding is want-to. There's a lot to it, but it's positioning and want-to. And Jovey really did a good job of that.

Listen, great to catch up with you again. Maybe a recruiting transfer portal, you might be able to get a now pin next week when things slow down a little bit. Where can we get online, get recruiting, transfer, basketball, and all the great stuff with your team? Yeah, we're on auburnsports.com, part of the On 3 Rivals Network. We've got a fantastic team of veteran reporters who are really good at what they do, what we do. We've got everything you need to know about, you know, football, basketball, recruiting, transfer portal, whatever it is.

We've also got two of the greatest message boards online. You can find us at auburnsports.com. Tim, as always, good to hook up with you. Enjoy the rest as far as the hardwood during the weekdays. You're going to get busy this weekend, but enjoy the rest. And thank you so much for your time today, buddy. Thanks, guys. Thank you, bud. Caleb Jones, hanging up with us. Busy there at auburnsports.com. Walk on over at UNA. Head Coach Brent Dierman on deck. Stay with us. Shoals drop everything.

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Talk to us about it, Coach. You got the best seat at the table here because we were joking earlier with some of our friends. I would imagine on this first Wednesday in February 2026, a little less busy than it was first Wednesday, 2016. My, oh, my, how things have changed, or have they? For some folks, it may not be, but some folks, it's a chance to sit here and add some pieces. Talk to us about your day at UNA, I guess, as we put it, part two of the National Signing Day.

I'll tell you, you can go back in this program to 2023 where I got hired mid-December, and the first wave of signees we had was all transfers. So, we had to sign all of our high school kids in the February signing period just three years ago. So, now, you turn the page now, we only signed six high school kids today because we signed most of them back in December. So, it's not as an eventful day as it used to be, the first Wednesday in February. It's a lot less stressful this time of year than it used to be, but we've added stress to December and January that used to not be there either.

So, it all weighs itself out. There's always a plus and minus to everything. Your thoughts as a coach, fans got their opinions, but let's face it, during this every day, 365 days a year, unless it's a leap year and you had one, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a class put together now the way it is as opposed to back in the day having them all there on the first Wednesday in February? You know, you used to project the future. And every year, we knew how many seniors we had, we knew how many juniors we had, so we knew based off how many seniors we had, how many we were going to sign next year.

And then based off how many juniors you had, how many you were going to sign two years from now where every year, you hit a reset button. Every year, there's no more building classes, there's no more making sure you've got enough sophomores on your team. Every year, you're just a GM like an NFL team, and you build a team every December and every January now. And then I know that next December, I'm going to have to build a brand new team again. So it's just hitting a reset button every year now.

Talk about your 2020-26 signing class. I know one of the things we've talked with you about for years was signing local kids, regional kids, in-state kids. How many guys from the state of Alabama are in this signing class? I got some numbers right in front of me because I knew you'd ask me that. We're going to bring in 48 new scholarship players in this cycle to this team by August. We brought in 29 junior college or transfer portal guys, 29 total. And we still sign 19 high school football players.

[1:23:39] Out of those 19 high school football players, 15 of them are from the state of Alabama. Wow. So I'm pretty sure that of all the Division I programs in the country, we're still signing more Alabama high school football players than any college in the country right now. We signed one from Mississippi. We signed one from Tennessee, a punter, signed a day from Tennessee. We got a O-lineman all the way out of California. And then we signed a kid out of North Carolina, which you can kind of say was an Alabama signee because his dad, Chip Lindsey, is from the state of Alabama.

Went to U.S.A., coached in this great state for a while. So we signed his son as a quarterback. Coach Brent Derebin in the huddle with us. Coach, looking, since the last time we talked, your schedule is now official. Correct us if we're wrong on that. Very interesting schedule. We talked about last week going over to Huntsville and kicking things off with Samford. If you go back to those great teams in the 80s, a lot of influence, a lot of fingerprints from the Huntsville greater area there on those championship teams.

So that's a great way to expand the recruiting base. And then the next week, correct me if I'm wrong, but a team from out in Arkansas named the Razorbacks, your thoughts about your schedule overall. We're not going to get too much into it because I know how you are. The first team is first. But it's interesting from the standpoint of right off the bat, you get a lot of exposure locally in North Alabama from the biggest city in this neck of the woods. And then it's always great exposure anytime you play an SEC team.

You know, I got in trouble last week because I put a quote in our press statement, and our SID corrected me. Apparently, so I said that we're about to play the first SEC opponent in UNA history. And if you go back to, I forgot the year early, I think it was in the 50s, they played Vanderbilt. And Vanderbilt was in the SEC at that time. So it will be the second SEC opponent. But, you know, to be able to open the year in Huntsville and playing a great program like Sanford, who's got a brand new staff there, that they're going to do a fantastic job.

Really, you know, some of the best players on our football team played in Huntsville. Our leading receiver coming back is a Bob Jones guy. We've got some Spartan guys on the team. And so to be able to play in such a great city with so many UNA supporters is going to be huge for us. Then to make that drive up Woo Pig Trail up to Fayetteville, Arkansas, that place is going to be rocking for a new coaching staff early in the year. Everybody there is going to be calling the hogs.

For me, spending time in that state, they love their hogs in that state. So it's going to be a great environment for our players. And then we get to come home and get the first ever game. And first, I said, we've always played at home at UNA, but it's never been on your true home turf. Now we get to play on our home turf in the heart of campus for the first time in UNA football history. So really excited about this upcoming season. A lot of fans in media are certainly familiar with Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, West Georgia, of course.

Been a rival for many years, Tarlington State, Sacramento State. I'm curious, how did Sacramento State get on the schedule? So the reality of the deal is a year ago, Sacramento State, who has been in the Big Sky Conference, an FCS team, their president and AD made the decision, we're going to make the jump to FBS. And they made that decision, but I don't think they have received an invite to a league yet. So Mountain West hasn't taken them yet. Pac-12 hasn't taken them yet. So they're a transitioning program from SCF to FBS without a conference.

So they were looking for games since they're not truly in a conference yet. So we're able to land them. And you can really, you know, I've told people, you really got two FBS teams on your schedule with Arkansas. And now, because Sac State's making the transition, so it would be a great opponent for us to kind of see where we're at to a school that's trying to move up to the next level. Coach, obviously we talked about the high school, but before you get away, talk to us about some of the transfers coming in.

I'm looking at the list, just perusing it. For longtime UNA fans, they look at, I won't call names here, but Kansas State and a host of guys from Memphis. You're coming right down Highway 72 from Corinth-Iuca from Memphis over to Florence. Your thoughts about your transfer class coming in to the Lions' den? You know, we're really excited as a whole. You know, we've already got all these guys in here, all 29 guys are here and working out and developing relationships. You know, you named a few. Kansas State, we brought in a DB from Kansas State that had over 200 snaps this past year in the Big 12.

[1:28:48] So he played a ton of games. He was best friends with our start and middle linebackers, so that's really what helped us land that one. We got a transfer quarterback from Oklahoma State. Wasn't planning it at the time, but it ended up being a two-for-one deal because after his recruiting visit, it worked out that his dad is now our defensive coordinator. How about that? So that was an allure for him. He was the D.C. at Oklahoma State last year. He was the D.C. at Kansas, so big hire for us, but also having his son here is huge.

And then I think we ended up signing seven players from Memphis because we hired a defensive line coach from Memphis, and he had such a great relationship with those players that it helped us to get them over here to Florence, Alabama. So those are some of the guys, but there's not a position group that we didn't take a transfer at. So we're going to have a lot of competition this spring everywhere, all over the field. Well, I know you're glad to get the transfer portal and the signing date behind you.

I mentioned this last week, and I know a lot of coaches right now are just trying to look at getting started, putting some dates together for the spring. Do you have any tentative dates as far as when you may look at beginning spring practice? So we're going to start – I'm actually putting my phone on speakerphone so I can pull up my calendar here so I can tell you the exact time, but we're going to start the second week in March. Our first practice is going to be that Tuesday on March the 10th.

What we try to do is go every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, but our spring break falls the week of the 23rd, so we'll go for two weeks. Then they've got spring break, and then we'll come back and hit three weeks after spring break. So we're able to split it up a little bit there. We'll probably re-hit installs when they come back from spring break because you two guys probably remember about two or three years ago when y'all were 18, 19 years old and went on spring break. You lost a few brain cells sometimes.

Oh, yeah. So you had to bring them back. You had to re-teach them things. Yes, you did. Cue them off, too. It's called distractions. Distractions and hormones and time. That's a very interesting combination right there. Yeah, just a couple years ago, we were all going to go. We still remember a little bit about it. Yes, we do. Selectively, as we put it, Coach. Listen, thank goodness the National Sunday Part 2 is in the house. Get some rest if you can, and thanks so much for your time today.

Yes, sir. Thank y'all for having me. Love always being on the way you go. We love having you, Coach. There you have it. UNA head football coach, Brent German. Coming up, Double D, Drew DeArmond on deck. Stay with us. Even now, it's auction time again at the Oakland Gen in Florence, Alabama. Phillips Brothers Auctions invites you Friday, February the 6th at 9 a.m. to the Cotton Lot at the Oakland Gen for another equipment consignment auction where we'll be offering tractors, trucks, trailers, harvest equipment, farm equipment, construction equipment, and more.

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App State is 8-4 in league play. Troy will play at Georgia State. In Atlanta, the Trojans are 15-8 on the year, 8-3 in the conference. Georgia State is 6-5 in the Sun Belt. Alabama back home tonight. They'll host Texas A&M. Crimson Tide, 14-7 on the year, 4-4 in the SEC. Texas A&M is 17-4 overall and 7-1 in conference play. North Alabama is on the road to play at Central Arkansas. The Lions are 2-7 in the A-Sun. Bundle auto and home, renters, or condo, and save with Progressive.

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The Score. Welcome back in. Time to say hello to D.D. He's always busy. Drew DeArmond, host of Talking Ball and Hustle's 97.7 FM The Zone. Drew, welcome in. How is your National Signing Day Part 2 going? Didn't even talk one second about it this morning. Two or less, right? Obviously, things have changed, Drew. Obviously, the posts are in. We saw the numbers from 24-7 the other day. After they make this, they call it the tweaks, the adjustments from early part of the cycle. A lot of folks sitting here and saying, help us understand this Alabama class.

Now, there's pretty much signed, sealed, and delivered, at least in the modern era, as much as you can. 24-7 has the number one class in the SEC. Oregon's still number one across the country. Your thoughts about that? And then, of course, with the expanded numbers out there, adding guys that at one time we thought they'd never add to an Alabama roster. Overall, Drew, your thoughts about where this class is? It's a good class on paper. You know, I think they've met their needs. I think they've signed some guys that could potentially impact them, you know, next year.

We'll see. It's harder to quantify because of Transfer Portal and because of the way rosters are set up now. You know, but I do think some schools patently do not, you know, even concentrate on high school recruiting. So, I was just sitting here looking at it, and I guess they had a little reshuffling of the rankings. But it looks like right now that USC has the number one overall class, Bama two, and then Oregon three. So, I think it's interesting that, you know, two of the three are now in the Big Ten that used to be in the Pac-12.

[1:39:48] But you've got to understand that USC, they went all in. They signed 36 high school players. So, I mean, maybe I haven't honestly studied it. Maybe they did sign a few JUCOs. Certainly, Alabama hit a couple of JUCOs later in the process. But Alabama's got 26 now, and I know they signed Amari Saab yesterday, got a commitment from him. And he's the guy that's going to fill out the roster and be depth if a slot receiver position. And that's what Alabama did the last few commitments and signings and whatnot.

You know, you're just, you're basically filling out your roster because, you know, a lot of these, most all these schools in the power four are going to fully fund it and go to 105. So, instead of having 85 on scholarship and then maybe 103-man roster with about 18 walk-ons, and sometimes more than that, I'm just talking about the report for fall camp. Now, quote-unquote, you could have 105 reports, and they're all on scholarship. Now, you know, a third of those probably aren't getting any NIL money. But you've got, you know, those guys are on scholarship.

Perhaps they end up becoming valuable players, some of them. Maybe they develop and eventually earn some NIL. I don't know. But it's a good class, no doubt about it. I know they had about as many five-star players as anybody in the country. And the way they've decided to go about building their program and not emphasize the portal as much as, you know, someone like Ole Miss, someone like LSU under Lane Kiffin and those guys, you certainly better be good at player development and getting these guys ready to play.

And I think in two years, Kevin DeBoer's staff has shown that they'll certainly play a lot of young players and that a lot of them can have an impact. But you also better learn to balance that with the transfer portal. And so it's going to be interesting going forward. Me too. We've talked a good bit on this show with Rodney Orr and Freddie Kirby about the line of scrimmage and bringing in five offensive linemen and five defensive linemen. But this secondary is pretty good, too. I think they have one of the tallest length secondaries in the country.

You bring in the two safeties, Jaira Edwards from St. Francis, Kelly from Cincinnati, Jordan Edmonds, the five-star from Marietta, Georgia, Zion Gibson, of course, from Ganston City, and Nick Sherman, the late addition from Fulton, Mississippi. Everybody talks about the skill positions in the line of scrimmage, but the secondary is pretty talented, too. Well, I mean, certainly I think Willing has done a great job recruiting the secondary, you know, in just two-plus years in Alabama. He's certainly done a better job than Freddie Roach has in five or six along the defensive line.

It's amazing what happens when you actually do your job and work at it. But, you know, he's done a good job of restocking the secondary. They should have a really good secondary on paper with depth with what they've recruited. And so that's certainly going to be a strength of this football team. But you need to be good on the line of scrimmage. Certainly they need these. You know, Adrian Clem, who was officially announced today as the offensive line coach at Alabama, he needs to develop some of these offensive linemen and develop them quickly and get them on the field.

There's nobody – there's no doubt, excuse me, about that. Especially the portal guys, but even, you know, a sleeper kid that they really like that they recruited hard, you know, out of, you know, Banneker High School in Atlanta, Jared Doughty. We'll see if they can get him ready to go. Certainly he's a guy that can play tackle, a true tackle. And those – that position has become a premium importance, especially for Alabama. Because, you know, relatively with, you know, Caden Proctor moving on, Wilkins Forby, you know, transferring, they're going to have to – you know, they're going to have a new set of tackles.

So, they're going to have to get those guys ready to go. And quite frankly, you know, Parker Brelford was outstanding at center, but the guard spots were not good at Alabama last year. They're going to have to be much more consistent. And who knows at this point if that's going to be, you know, some portal guys that they signed or if there's going to be even a younger guy who can step forward quickly and win a job. You never know in this era of college football.

That's why when someone asks me now, you know, how good is Alabama going to be? What's their ceiling? I have no idea. Because the biggest thing – reason is they haven't gelled. They haven't even practiced yet. I mean, you know, Jame and Jame came in from Mississippi State with starting experience. He may be your left tackle. You don't know. Or isn't it a Jackson Lloyd that redshirted last year? So, that's going to be the big question going into the year. How can these coaches get this roster to gel?

[1:45:03] But how quickly is the development process going to take hold? Double D, Drew Jarman, 97.7 FM is on. Switching gears. Alabama, basketball tonight. Bucky ball. The return of Bucky to the state of Alabama. Your thoughts, Drew, about this team. How pivotal are these next two games given the fact that they're sitting right on the fence at 4-4 in league play? Well, if it doesn't go well this week, they're going to be sitting on the fence on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. I mean, I can tell you that.

Because you've got to win some games. They certainly have an impressive resume with who they've played, but you've got to beat somebody. You know, they just got through having their tails handed to them at Florida. They did not play hard. They did not play well. You know, they just got dominated. And it was embarrassing, to be honest with you. And so, we'll see, you know, how they play tonight. Because if they don't come out ready to play, Bucky will run them right out of the gym.

And it will be embarrassing. So, I would think they'd have some pride. And they would want to play better basketball. You know, I thought, you know, Nate O's always been very, very transparent. And, you know, that's one of the things I've always liked about him is he doesn't miss words. And, you know, he called out LeBaron's byline because he hasn't been able to guard a lamppost most of the year. He's got that side of the ball off. He needs to stop protecting himself and play harder and earn some of that money he's being paid.

And then, you know, it does look like they're trying to get a continuance for Charles Mediaco. So, try to extend his time, you know, on the floor for Alabama. He needs to be better. He needs to play with more physicality and rebound the ball. They certainly need more out of Aiden Sherell. But, really, honestly, against Florida, I thought, you know, Aiden Holloway was the only guard that really kind of showed up. They need at least three of those guards to play strong basketball. They did get a great effort, you know, about a week ago from, obviously, from Latrell Reitzel.

But, he struggled against the Gators. And, now, we'll see if a Bull Bowen is available. But, Amari Allen, you know, after his hiatus, I'll just call it that, he was back in the last game but wasn't good. They need the old Amari Allen back because he's the best rebounder and plays extremely hard, usually, and is one of the better all-around players. But, the key is going to be, you know, because, again, A&M is going to do what they do. They're going to press, you know, make or miss.

They are going to try to wear you down. You've got to protect the basketball. And, you have to score off their pressure. And, quite frankly, if Alabama can hit triple digits tonight, I think they win. And, if they, you know, if they end up in the 80s, I don't think they'll win the game. I think they've got to score 100 points. I think they've got to keep their turnovers down. I think they've got to hit the glass hard. And, if they do, they're playing against the team that they're bigger than and more athletic than.

But, can they play as hard as Texas A&M? And, I think that's the key. I agree with you entirely. The transfer portals, Nate usually does a pretty good job. But, they come in and help. But, this year, as you alluded to, Bo Bowen, we'll see if he can play. I think he has improved. I know Nate challenged him a couple of times to rebound more. But, Keaton Bristow has been hurt. Noah Williamson from Bucknell. The physicality of the SEC, he just can't match it. Jaleel Bethea comes in and jacks up two 30-footers and then goes back to the bench.

Not a lot of production with the transfer so far, D2. Well, I mean, you could have played the Three Stooges theme right there after you named those three guys. That's basically what they are. Noah Williamson had a good game against Kentucky. That's about it. Yeah. But, they had a couple of decent games in the pre-conference. But, he's somebody that looks more like an N1 mixtape Rucker Park guy than a basketball player. He's extremely athletic. Looks good in his uniform. That's about it. His decision-making is lacking.

He certainly doesn't want to defend. He did miss a lot of time, but he's also been back for a while now, too. I know he used to be a five-star player, but that's like a used car now. He certainly doesn't play like one. He hasn't helped. I did think Bristow had a lot of potential at the start of the season, but now he's, quote-unquote, had a lot of injuries. And, quite frankly, when he's been in, he's looked physically overwhelmed. And so, you know, like I told some people, they really could have used Bo Diabadi.

Oh, goodness, yes. I mean, they actually thought they had him re-signed twice, and he went to Kentucky. He hasn't had a good year in Kentucky. I think he's a better fit for Alabama and what they do. So they could certainly use him. I've heard people say Jaron Stevenson as well, and perhaps that's correct. But I think Bo Bowen has kind of given him what Stevenson did. The biggest thing, Bo Bowen also had a hand injury that's affected his shooting, which is extremely unfortunate. But now he's got the leg issue.

[1:50:29] But, honestly, I just really – I like – and I like Linden Jimson. He's had some bright moments. But Bo Diabadi gave him a physicality. And just an ability to make, you know, blue-collar, you know, tight plays that they love. That's why they have the hard hat. And he just – you know, they're missing him a lot. And you're right. I think this is one year where they missed in the portal quite a bit. Their NIL wasn't as much this year because they didn't have as much to retain as they did the year before.

And then they did – you know, they were able to get, you know, big cliffs in the middle. But, again, I just think sometimes – this is probably going to be a common theme year to year. You don't ever know until they gel. And yet we say all of this, and I still think they're talented enough to, you know, be a second weekend NCAA tournament team. But they have to start playing like that. And they have to start playing with cohesion and consistency. And it needs to start tonight, you know, against the hometown and native son, Bucky McMillage.

I'll tell you one thing, that better man up on Rayshawn Agee. That cat's got nine double-doubles. He's their force in the middle, and he will run you out of the post if you don't watch him. Great stuff, as always. Talk about the expanded one hour of talking ball. The Huntsville friends of Panthers, number one, in the boys' power poll. In fact, I believe they begin Monday. I think Class 7-A begins on Monday. Where can we get online to listen in to all the good stuff? Yeah, our 7-A tournament will start a week from tomorrow.

Huntsville has one more regular season game. They have to play a make-up game against the Crabble Lions on Friday. It'll be a 6 o'clock tip. So that'll be the final regular season game. They lost on senior night last night, so I'm not sure they'll be. Number one in the power poll anymore. They got swept by Mae Jemison. Got beat for the second time, 67-60. It was a tough, tough loss. It was a very physical game. But hopefully it'll be a learning lesson for Huntsville because Mae Jemison kind of gave everybody the blueprint of how to attack Huntsville.

You've got to be super physical, get the game called a certain way. I just felt like Huntsville adjusted, but they waited too long to get settled in and comfortable in the fourth quarter when they were already behind. They basically only led for a short period of time at the start of the third quarter and then Mae Jemison took control of it again. So hopefully with this young Crimson Panther group with only three seniors, it's a learning lesson. Certainly, they're fortunate. You know, again, there's a lot of basketball that's been played in the postseason, so they're going on to the postseason next week.

So it'll be big for them in trying to end the regular season with a win over Prattville in their final game. And then certainly, you know, a shout-out to Jack Naughton with his 900th game last night in overtime against New Hope. And that'll be Huntsville's opponent. Now, Jack Naughton, those guys, the boys will finish the area play tomorrow against Albertville. And then they'll play Huntsville a week from Thursday at Huntsville High at 6 o'clock. But it should be a very interesting area tournament and a postseason run for Huntsville.

And looking forward to that, no doubt. And we always appreciate being on with you guys, being able to talk some ball. We look forward to being in touch with us tonight for the return of Bucky McMillan. Safe travels to and from. Thanks for joining our little table today, Drew. Thanks so much, and have a good one, okay? Thank you, guys. Thank you, buddy. Drew Jarman hooking up with us. 97.7, that's in the zone. Grissom Ball's jacked off number 900. Bebe, are you ready for some Alabama and Bucky Ball action tonight?

You're on 93.9, the score. Tip-off at 6. I believe it's on the SEC Network. You can listen to it on 93.9, the score. With the pregame beginning at 5. Kick back and enjoy it. Come take care of us for now. On behalf of BBE, Greg, James, Blair, the entire crew here. Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow. New and soon with the Wilma Buck Show. Back here on Sports Radio, 93.9.4.