Boomo Bugg Show 020526

[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. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, the score. Good afternoon and welcome in 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, welcome in where Alabama basketball gets just what the dark order.

Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Thursday to you and the listeners. Alabama basketball wins a track meet over Buckyball 197 in a thriller in Tuscaloosa. Caleb Suggs of the Decatur Daily previews area boys and girls high school basketball tournaments that begin tonight. And BB is here right now to give us his prediction for the Super Bowl. And also tell us which college has the most former players on the Super Bowl rosters. Well, he's a very smart man. He knows how to leave behind a snowy Ohio and sometimes hello to a sunny South Florida.

Or is it? Just ask the Iguanas. Bill Bender is the national voice of the Sporting News. Bill, welcome in. How are you? Hey, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on. Hey, buddy. We appreciate you taking time out, Bill. Obviously, it is Super Bowl week. You saw these guys down in South Florida in college football. And now it's time to turn our attention to the pros. Your thoughts on a Thursday before a Super Sunday. Where are you with this matchup, Bill Bender? Should be fun. You know, it was weird last weekend, you know, not having a football game on.

But you start to hop into college basketball. And, you know, obviously, we'll have that American Bull and Ice documentary. But I know we talked about that last week. But, yeah, it's going to be a fun game. I think it'll be a close game. You mentioned the players. Alabama, obviously, well represented in this game. Seven players, most of any FBS school. So, plenty of reason to watch Crimson Tide, though. You know, the matchup of the cornerbacks, everybody wants to see. Drake Mays, Sam Darnold, who at Darnold has had a tremendous postseason.

But running the ball, Kenneth Walker for the Seahawks and also for the Patriots is going to be a big key in the game. Defense wins championships. We've heard all of our lives. Outside of the big quarterback matchup, what are you looking for in this game? Well, you know, Jackson Smith and Jigba has been fantastic for the Seahawks. He's the Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year. How did the Patriots rule their coverage? And I'm wondering, how New England, do they do the Belichick thing with Vrabel, where they kind of just run the ball?

You know, Seattle had allowed 4.8 yards per carry in the playoffs. Can they milk the clock? And, you know, it reminds me of that year when the Rams had the greatest show on turf, Brett. And New England beat them anyway. That's what I'm wondering if that'll happen. Bill Bender in the huddle with us, Sporting News. Bill, talk to us about the NFL as a business and some of the decisions they make. Interesting, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is a man that's always going to be booed by a lot of fans.

But you say what you want about this, Rascal. They're coming off historic viewership this season. Obviously, people may grumble, but they watch. We know there's controversy with the halftime show this weekend. A lot of folks are going to say, yes, that's great. It's cool, man. And others are going to say, you're not shoving that down my throat, boss. He is not afraid to go out and make crazy decisions. But your thoughts just about the business model of the NFL, media rights, 18-game season, international growth. It just seems like the guy can't sleep because he's trying to push it to Mexico and Europe and basically trying to put down the fires here in America.

But your thoughts about going forward with the NFL with Roger Goodell at the steering wheel? Well, I'm not a guy that – I think you guys know this about me by now. I like college football and the NFL. I love them both. But I love them in different ways. I mean, if you expect the NFL is about the money and the greed and those kind of things. But then you enjoy the product on the field. You know, I don't get too wound up about the halftime shows.

Somebody told me somebody was playing before the show, and I'm like, I don't know who that is. So I just kind of have my head. It's simple, Bill. You just don't watch. Just turn it off if you don't like it. I mean, that's what you do. I'm not going to get wound up about something that I don't have a strong opinion on, right? So, you know, game-wise, you know, the product is great. It's compelling. It's, you know, drawing TV, all those things. You know, and the other part, and I'd love to hear you guys.

[5:14] Like, I grew up – when I was growing up in the 90s, I think baseball was still kind of king. It was. Before the strike, before the strike, and then the NBA was super popular. But, man, the NFL has just superseded those by a lot in the last 20 years. Well, I think it's also interesting, the media rights, the league may opt out. And, again, everyone's grown up watching the NFL on, and particularly CBS, NBC's now got the big Sunday night game. The NFL now has 10% equity in ESPN.

And I keep hearing that there are going to be more of these games going to ESPN. Listen, Godell's got such a – so many platforms streaming that they've got it on Peacock now. And, again, we know the NFL is a money machine. But you look at all the issues that college football has, and they can't decide on a simple number, 12 or 16. And the NFL's got – as Harold mentioned, we see it growing in Europe, international growth, the media rights. Dome stadiums, they're looking to add six or seven Dome stadiums in the next five years.

Again, I know people criticize the NFL. A lot of it is merited. But they sure as heck know what they're doing and when they're going to do it. Yeah, and, you know, part of me is like, you know, there was a lot of complaints about the end of the Denver-New England game being determined by the elements. And I'm like, it's an outdoor sport, guys. It's supposed to be played in the – there's a reason why, like, 100-degree heat and snow and rain and all those things is part of the game, you know?

So, yeah, like talking about Cleveland getting a dome, and you're like – part of you is like, well, it takes away the experience. But the other part is sometimes you watch some of those Cleveland Browns games in Cleveland, and you're like, the weather has too much of an impact on this game. So I get both sides of it. It's like, you go try to throw a football in 70-degree – Tua had trouble doing it, you know? 70-degree winds up in Cleveland. Everybody's saying Tua can't do it, and I'm like, well, who can?

Really. You know it better than anybody. You're right down the shores of Lake Erie. Bill, your thoughts, switching gears. Speaking of Tua, back to his days at Alabama, the national media, which is why we love having you at the table, you have a different seat. And when you're local, you take one take. When you're national, you kind of look at it with more than one set of eyes. I won't quote the service here, but here's a question posed by one of the prominent services out there.

Why Kalen DeBoer will not survive at Alabama past 2026? In the modern era of NIL, the dude's coming off the number two recruiting class, number one in the SEC. Obviously, he didn't meet Alabama standards. But to me, it's a very – here in February to take that kind of road, to me, that's a very interesting position to take. Why Kalen DeBoer will not survive at Alabama past 2026. What do these people know, Bill? Well, I mean, that would – that's hitting it like you're going to go like six and seven, and I don't see that.

I think the team absolutely could still get back in the playoff mix. And the thing with the SEC, you know, you looked at the combined recruiting rankings with the portal. 24-7 sports does a really good job with that. Yeah, Alabama's still right there. I mean, Georgia's 11 when you look at the combined rankings. So I think it is a combination of ranking and recruits and who you get out of the portal and how you manage the portal. And, yes, Alabama's had a lot of guys leave via the portal.

We can't ignore that part, but I don't think it's enough to send the program into a tailspin where they're going to go six and seven. And, you know, had Kalen wanted to go somewhere else, he would have taken that Michigan job. Bill, I keep saying this with all these preseason rankings. Which, to me, gets more difficult to do until you really get to May. And these teams have gone through spring. They've got their roster built, and then you've got a little bit better ideal. Alabama has got an incredibly talented quarterback room, but they're very young and inexperienced.

And so many of these guys in their preseason predictions look at starters coming back and go through the old preseason model that's been out there for 30 years. That's just about gone by the wayside. But when they look and see, well, they don't have an experienced quarterback coming back, so I think they're going to finish between 15 and 20 well. We'll see how that goes. Yeah, you know, I think, what did I have Alabama at, like 12, 11? Yes, you did. I think it was in that range, and I think Alabama had some variance in, you know, I looked across like eight preseason publications, or way too early publications, sorry.

[10:15] But, yeah, I mean, that's about where they're going to be. And, obviously, when you do look at those things, the hard part now is, like, you have to spend equal time on who's coming back, who's leaving, who's coming in in the portal, how that fits. And I always make sure to look at coordinators, you know, which team has both coordinators coming back. By the way, Bill, we can answer the question for you. If DeBoer goes five and seven, we can answer that question for you. We don't have to wait to December.

We live down in this part of the woods. Your thoughts just about the other. We talked about Goodell and off-the-field stuff with the NFL. Obviously, you know what's going on well-documented with Alabama and basketball mediaco. This week, Joey Aguilar at Tennessee, shock, shock, gets a ruling from a local judge there in Knoxville. He gets an injunction. I thought I saw a report over in Knoxville where maybe Chambliss is not going to be as fortunate. My question is, is that where we're going to go now? Every time something doesn't go my way, I'm going to come back and collect one or two million dollars in college because I can't make that kind of money in the NFL.

If you're 25 years old and you're still not in the NFL, there's probably a reason for it. You're not good enough. These guys don't discriminate. If you can make them money and win, they'll bring you in. But your thoughts just about where we are as far as the litigation. Every time things don't go your way, you go cry to a local judge and you get a stay. Is this where we're going to go? Or is somebody somewhere going to say enough is enough? Let's get back to playing sports.

Well, and I think the solution is, hey, you get five years. Your block starts when you enroll. You get five years. You can transfer. We let you do that. You get hurt. Maybe in extreme cases, we'll give you a medical hardship if you miss two seasons. I think you just get five years. No red shirt. And when that five years is up, you're done. It's over. It's over. It's over. There's no injunctions. There's no suing. That's it. And I think that might be the best way to combat what's going on with Aguilar and Trinidad.

And I don't think Trinidad is going to get that waiver. And they can fight it in court. So, his clock will be, I mean, that might mean that he has to go to the NFL supplemental draft if they even still have that. So, what would it take for somebody somewhere to get the authority to do that? Why can't the NCAA listen to that and say, we're the NCAA. These are the rules. If you don't like them, that's tough. It's like mom and dad not giving you a Corvette when you wanted it.

You'll get over it. At what point does somebody stand up and say, I'm going to be the person to make this and enforce this rule? Oh, I mean, the thing is, it'll happen when the courts aren't ruling against the players. Because I think in a lot of cases, I was talking to somebody about this yesterday, a circuit court judge or whoever, maybe they don't follow sports. So, they don't see it the way that we do, where you're like, there's a, to me and you, there's a definitive difference between professional sports and college sports.

But that line was blurred the second we started paying players. So, I mean, I can say it on your station. I'll be honest. Do I think Betty Otto should be playing college basketball? No, I don't. But it's within the rules and within what they're able to do. And he has that opportunity until we have that gray area isn't what it is. Bill Bender, about two weeks ago, had the predicted the Seahawks 24, Patriots 20. Are you, have you changed that pick, number one, to number two? I know y'all got some pre-Super Bowl coverage coming.

What else have you got on the agenda this week? Yeah, we've got a couple stories, Brad. You know, I looked at Brayville. You know, I have a what-if coming tomorrow that I think you'll really enjoy. You know how I like to write those sometimes. And then, yeah, I kept it at 24-20. I got Seattle 24, New England 20. I do think we have two deep teams that are this good on defense that, you know, defense, special teams. They will be huge in a game like this. And I think it will be super entertaining.

And as you know, we're getting into some bracketology now. So, I'm already kind of spinning forward to March Madness. Got a closet full of hats. You wear them all up there, Bill. Listen, man, always a good job. Thanks so much. Stay as warm as you can. Let's do it again soon, okay? Anytime, guys. Have a great week. Thank you, buddy. Double B, Bill Bender, the National Voice. With these sporting news coming up, looking at the calendar, it's February. What does that mean? Time to get serious about some high school basketball.

Caleb Suggs on deck. Stay with us. At Valley Credit Union, we believe every great team starts with a strong community. We're proud to help our neighbors save, borrow, and build brighter futures together. Whether you're planning for your first home, growing your family, or supporting local dreams, we're here with personalized service and competitive rates. Stop by any of our convenient locations. Or visit us on the web at valleycreditunion.net. Valley Credit Union, rooted in community, committed to you. Let's win together. Irons Electric has been family owned and operated for 65 years.

[15:31] Irons Electric is deeply rooted in the Florence high school tradition and is happy to be a part of many past projects, including the recently completed new band room. Irons Electric Company was voted the number one electrical contractor in 2023. Our professional team-owned staff and master electricians provide the expertise to make sure your project is installed per code to operate safely and flawlessly. From small residential jobs to large commercial projects, call Irons Electric at 256-766-3870. You won't be shocked by their reputation. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving.

You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at VaxAssist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Winter is in full swing. And Aleve is here to keep you moving. When the cold weather sets in, everyday aches and pains can linger. But Aleve's got your back. With up to 12 hours of body pain relief per dose, Aleve keeps you going with long-lasting body pain relief to get you through whatever the season brings.

Chilly days or cozy nights, Aleve gives you that long-lasting body pain relief you can count on this winter. Try Aleve. Use as directed for minor aches and pains. With Progressive customer service, there are lots of ways to connect with us, so you never have to miss a second of your favorite sport. Because you'd much rather watch a ball go through a net 124 times in 48 minutes when you don't really have to pay attention until the last two, and then somehow those two minutes will take an hour.

You don't want to miss all that. Luckily, you can chat with Progressive on our app, online, or over the phone without missing a single one of those times the ball goes through the metal circle. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers not available in all states or situations. Rich Eisen here. For small businesses, every hire counts, and so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming, from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro helps. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates, not managing the noise.

Hire right the first time. Post your job and get $100 off towards your job post at linkedin.com slash Eisen. That's linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today. It's a daily update on Bama sports, and it's brought to you by Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, streaming live at 2 p.m. Central on all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Thursday's Crimson Drive, we'll be joined by the head coach of the Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Christy Curry.

Yeah, you know, it's awesome to always be home and excited to be, you know, a little warmer weather and just, you know, back on campus in our regular routine. I think as coaches, we're routine oriented, and anytime you can, you know, be in your environment and prepare for another opportunity to defend your home court, it's exciting for us. And we've got some areas that we've really worked on this week and tried to get their attention. You know, February is about a sense of urgency, and as we head into the opportunity Thursday night, we have to have an urgency and a purpose and correct a lot of little things.

I think little things make a big difference. I'll have more in a moment. You can watch on YouTube, Facebook and X with all conversations archived as well on the Alabama Insider Podcast. Roll Tide with Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Join us tonight for Alabama women's basketball against Ole Miss. Tip-off from Coleman Coliseum is set for 8 p.m. central, with our coverage on the network starting at 7.45 p.m. You can listen on our full radio network, the Varsity Network app, as well as watch the basketball booth cam presented by NASCAR on all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN.

Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure for us to say hello to Caleb Suggs, who's got it all covered there at the Decatur Daily. Caleb, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing good, guys. How are y'all? Hey, man. Well, the question is, are you ready for some post-season basketball in the state of Alabama, Caleb?

Yeah, you know, I think I've said it multiple times, always enjoy this time of year, especially once we get down to regional tournament time at Wallace, which is, I think, one of the best events, you know, in any post-season sport in high school. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. That's funny to me. It always seems like, you know, Christmas and everything, it just seems like the first couple months of the season will take a while, and then you get to January, and it's gone and flashed.

[20:53] But here we are again. We talk about some of the teams who have had a good season, who's playing well going into the area tournaments, and we'll do that, certainly. But two programs that both boys and girls have had a very good year, East Limestone Girls are 18 and 6, number 9 in Class 5A. In fact, the top 10 dropped in. I think the final one, certainly final one of the regular season, East Limestone Girls doing well. The East Limestone Boys are 23 and 4, number 3 in Class 5A. In the West Morgan Girls are 20 and 6, number 6 in Class 4A.

In the Boys are 21 and 6, and number 5 in Class 4A. Boy, I know both schools are excited, boys and girls playing well going into the post-season. Yeah, I think it's always cool. You know, you have your school, both teams are doing really good. I think that's exciting. You know, if you look at it, we've talked about East Limestone Boys. They've been so good this year. Did suffer their first loss since November earlier this week, but it was to James Clemens by two points. You know, a top 10 team for 11 A's.

That just goes to show you how good they are. The girls, East Limestone, I mean, I think that's one of the teams to really watch close. They were, you know, not as good to start the season, but they've really come on late. Won, I don't know, several games in a row. They've just been really, really good here late in the season. And then, yeah, with Morgan, you know, the boys, you know, they've come to the Elite Eight twice in the last year. You know, they're going to push forward again, and it's going to be a tough road.

You've got Brooks and Deschler and some other teams that are going to be in that path. It's really stacked in the Northwest path. So, you know, but it's going to be pretty exciting, and I think they have a really good shot at it. They play a really fun brand of basketball, and they're really deep, and so, and they can, you know, they like to score points. But as we saw this past Saturday in the Orange County tournament, they can play a rock fight, too. So, we've got some really good teams, and I'm looking forward to what they can do with the postseason.

Caleb Suggs, the Decatur Daily. It's always a fun question to ask. A lot of times you look at records, and everybody say, well, this team's not going to go far. Look at the record. But what you don't see always is who they played. They play a tough, challenging schedule for the sole purpose of getting ready for this time of the year, and I think that's why sometimes these teams that come in with, quote, bad records, they surprise people in the postseason when it comes back to playing folks in their own classification.

Who would come to mind of the teams that we cover here in North Alabama that might fit that description, and who is, let's face it, basketball is like any other sport. Big Mo is always a fun thing to have. Who's got the momentum heading into this part of the schedule? Yeah, I think I would just say that the number one team that jumps out of my mind without a doubt is Tanner. You know, a team, obviously, a rich history. They've been in the late eights, like two or three years.

I can't remember. They're just a team that, you know, and they've never seen, at least in the last few years, they've never seen to have the best record, but they always turn it up, you know, in February. And that seems to be the case again this year. They've won five in the last seven. They beat Dakota Heritage, who was at the time ranked number one. And, you know, actually, you know, that won them their chance to host the area tournament. They tied in the area with Dakota Heritage, won the points off, and so now they're hosting.

And so, you know, you look at, you know, a team that's 14, 14, and 500, and now they're hosting the area tournament with a team, you know, that was ranked number one. That just goes to show you all you need is to win a few games. But it's not just about them playing good late in the season. They got Cade Dorney back, who, you know, missed a good chunk of the season with entry. He's back now, and that's just a huge piece to have back, you know, to pair him with Ricky Spage Jr. and a couple other guys that they have.

So that's going to be a team, I think, that you really need to watch. It's kind of been flying in the radar all year. Like you said, they've played some really tough teams. They've played these losses all like three times. So, you know, they've played some good teams and have, you know, quality losses. And so, you know, people may not be looking at them, like you said, because of the record. But I think they're going to be a team that's going to make a push at 2A.

Yeah, you had an article about East Lawrence about that. They got back several players about four or five weeks ago, and now they're playing well. Let me ask you about a couple of the areas. Class 7A, Area 8, James Clemens. You mentioned they beat East Limestone. That's going to be a very competitive region. Austin and Bob Jones, now they begin play a little later, a week from today, I believe. And then the second game, James Clemens at Florence. Florence actually upset James Clemens earlier in the year.

James Clemens in the AL.com Power Poll. Your thoughts on Austin, Bob Jones, James Clemens, Florence, and that Class 7A Area 8? Yeah, I mean, that's the area where you just don't know. I mean, here we were last year. Austin was hosting the area tournament playing the fourth team in Florence. And, you know, Florence goes on to upset Austin, and then what did they do after that? They go all the way to the state finals. So, I mean, you know, that area is stacked. You know, I think any of those teams could come out on top.

[25:56] And, you know, you look at it, Florence has kind of had an up-and-down year because they had to replace so much from last year's team. And Austin, you know, they've been a little disappointing compared to what I thought they were going to be, but they still have the talent. So, they certainly could, you know, beat Bob Jones and Morgan and beat, you know, one of the other teams and win the area, but definitely make it to Wallace. So, yeah, I mean, that's a fun region to just, you know, some regions you don't get that where you get all the games that are just fun and exciting.

You know, there's usually a weak team somewhere in there. That's one of those regions where, you know, both the semifinal games are going to be great, and the final game is going to be great, and it's going to be a great all-around area tournament. So, if you're looking for basketball around the area to go to, that's for one, for sure. Yeah. Ken, it's always fun when you have folks from not necessarily right under each other's noses, but still close enough that you can have some fun with it.

The Class 6A Area 15 at Muscle Shoals, Decatur, Hartzell, Muscle Shoals, Athens. Your thoughts about the matchup. Who comes out and who rocks from that area of play? Yeah, I think, you know, when you look at Muscle Shoals in Athens, Athens has got some talent, so I wouldn't be surprised if they could pull that set. But right now, it just feels like Muscle Shoals has been the most consistent team in that area all year. I think the most intriguing game is definitely Decatur and Hartzell. It feels like Hartzell has been the better team all year, but they've lost both times.

They've played Decatur both times. They were close losses. The last one came down to a last shot at the buzzer. So, you know, but then again, you look at it, you know, yeah, they've lost two times, but it's hard to beat a team three times. So, that's going to be a really interesting game, which is basically for a spot in the sub-regionals, that game is between two of our area schools. So, I'm really looking forward to that one, see what happens in there. But, like, you know, to answer your question, I feel like it's Muscle Shoals to lose, especially being the host team.

They've just been the most consistent. But I will say that area has kind of been, you know, I don't know what the way it is. I don't know. But it's been hard to predict this year. So, it isn't surprising to see any of those teams, kind of like the Austin, Bob Jones, Florence region, to see any of those teams come out on top. Yeah, you're right about Muscle Shoals. They've won 14 out of their last 16 games. They lost to Albert Bull, who's, I think, number two in power rankings.

Congratulations to the Priceful Girls. You had an article about the Morgan County Tournament. They had Good Hope Tuesday night, Madeline Williams, Abby Langlox. We've talked about those ladies the entire season, and also about the Decatur Girls. They beat Columbia 72-42. But we talked about this last week. They're 24-5 and will host the area tournament for the first time in 25 years. But don't you know Decatur's excited about that? Yeah, you know, it's been just an amazing year for them. You talk about a program that was absolute dominance between 1990 and 2000, and then, you know, basically disappeared overnight.

They've really had some hard times in the last 15, 20 years. So, to see them just, and they've been slowly building towards it, but to get to see them kind of break through and have that success, especially for a community that, you know, and have had some rough luck with athletics recently, just to put it bluntly. So, it's really cool for them. It's cool to see the support that they're getting. So, you know, hopefully it continues for them. Absolutely. Well, you've got the area tournaments covered, and there are a lot of them.

It's going to be some great basketball. I know you'll have the stories in the scores on Twitter, online, in the paper, et cetera. But where can we get online and get the best post-game coverage in North Alabama? Yeah, you can get online at DecaturDaily.com. We've got a few teams playing tonight, but mostly we'll kick off tomorrow, and area tournaments will run all the way through next week, and then we'll hit regionals and all the way to state until it finishes. I see Hansel right around the corner.

Meantime, enjoy. Caleb, stay safe out there, and thanks so much for your time today. All right, guys. Thanks for having me. Thank you, bud. Caleb Suggs, the Decatur Daily. Coming up, Talking Tigers with Logan Fowler on deck on the Boom on Bunk Show. Stay with us. Check us out first by calling our office at 256-766-3131. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Hey, Falcon fans. This is Keith at Cypress Creek Indoor Range.

At Cypress Creek Indoor Range, we prepare you to provide your own safety. The Cypress Creek Indoor Range team provides you with the knowledge and the right equipment to defend yourself and family, and our state-of-the-art indoor shooting range gives you the perfect place to practice. You can take your skills to the next level through our extensive training classes or private lessons. At Cypress Creek Indoor Range, your safety is our number one priority. 50-60, Highway 157, or on the web at cypresscreekrange.com. Garnet Electric Company has been serving the shoals and the surrounding areas for over 79 years in commercial, institutional, and heavy industrial construction and maintenance.

[31:13] Garnet Electric has a tradition of successfully completing major electrical projects for state, federal, transportation, utilities, commercial, and industrial markets. We build strong relationships with owners, general contractors, engineers, and architects. We take pride in our reputation and prove an ability to complete projects within time, budget, and safely. Garnet Electric Company, a winning tradition since 1946. Straight Talk Wireless presents Pickup Truck Wisdom. If you're only good to your new friends, you're not going to have any old ones. Straight Talk gets it. That's why new and existing customers get free 5G phones on Verizon's 5G network.

Pretty simple, really. You keep good people by being good people. Find us at straighttalk.com and Walmart. Straight Talk Wireless. Straightforward. Always. Taxes and fees apply. Plan purchase required for free phone offers. Copyright 2026 Verizon. Hi, I'm Michael from the Warren Treaty. You know the jingle. Now discover the facts about Ozempic, a GLP-1. Only Noble Nordisk makes FDA-approved Ozempic. Learn about the real thing. Talk to your healthcare professional today. Call 1-833-OZEMPIC or visit ozempic.com to view the medication guide and to learn more about Ozempic.

Semaglutide injection 0.5 milligram, 1 milligram, and 2 milligrams. Ozempic. Tim collects bobbleheads. A lot of bobbleheads. Baseball bobbleheads. Race car bobbleheads. Little chihuahua bobbleheads. He's got an entire room strictly for bobbleheads. Does he need them? No. Is his wife mad about it? A little. But Tim works with Empower, and he got good at money. So he can be a little bad. Ooh, horse bobblehead. Classy, Tim. Empower. Invest well. Live a little. Start today at Empower.com. Hey, it's Rich Eisen for Pella Windows and Doors. Sometimes teams take a timeout to regroup and call the right play.

When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always has the winning game plan. They're not just window and door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs, and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them. Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, the score.

College basketball, North Alabama lost on the road to Central Arkansas. Wins tonight 81-60. Lions fall to 7-14, 2-8 in the Atlantic Sun. Dante Baskus with 21 points. Central Arkansas pulling away in the second half. They outscored the Lions by 20. UNA back in action Saturday in Clarksville against Austin Peay. Alabama, they beat Texas A&M and Tuscaloosa wins tonight 100-97. Crimson Tide improving to 15-7. They take down the top team in the SEC standings. Aiden Holloway, 20 points. LeBaron filling with 17. Alabama knocked down 16 three-pointers in the win. Auburn will host Alabama Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers are 14-8 after last weekend's loss to Tennessee that snapped a four-game win streak. They're currently 5-4 in the SEC. The sports update brought to you by Progressive. Bundle auto and home, rankers, or condo and save with Progressive. I'm Tony Dezzeri on 93.9 The Score. Working as a dedicated Fidelity advisor, I always ask, what's important to you? I'll look at those priorities and goals alongside your full financial picture to build a comprehensive plan designed to help grow and protect your wealth. With proactive portfolio insights and an eye on taxes, I'm here to help you make the most of your money.

I'm Laura Maxwell, and I'm a dedicated Fidelity advisor. Learn more at fidelity.com slash wealth. Investment minimums apply. Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC, member NYSE SIPC. I'm Ed Evans, CEO of Consumer Cellular. You know, the big wireless companies say they have discounts for people over 55. But unless you're willing to sit on hold and ask, you're probably paying more than you should. At Consumer Cellular, there's nothing to hunt down. We're built for people 50 plus with plans starting at just $20. And our 100% U.S.-based customer service actually answers the phone.

Call 1-888-FREEDOM or visit ConsumerCellular.com today and get your second month free for a limited time. Taxes, fees, and other third-party charges will apply. See website for additional details. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. Really appreciate free ride around the valley. And for Logan Fowler to take time out of his busy schedule following Auburn Tigers at 1819 News and Telgate Auburn. That's T-A-L-E, Gate Auburn. Logan, welcome in. Happy Thursday to you. How are you? Doing very well, guys.

How are you? I'm good. I would imagine, are you enjoying kind of a break? I mean, obviously, National Signing Day, both parts are now finished. Auburn getting a break on the high school schedule this week as far as weekdays. Are you enjoying a little break there? I am enjoying a little midweek rest from basketball. You know, it's kind of funny. We talked about National Signing Day yesterday, and I'll be completely honest, guys. Up until Monday of this week, that totally slipped in my mind that National Signing Day was this week.

[36:34] It did a lot of folks. Logan, obviously, as the late Pat Dye, speaking of Auburn, we'll save the haze in the bar. And your thoughts now, it's always fun to see how these so-called experts, they evaluate the class. They come out with a number in December. And then when we get to this point, they say, well, here's the final number. They do some reevaluating. Correct us if we're wrong, Logan. It depends, I guess, what service you use. Auburn finishing number 30 in the 24-7 rankings with 16 commitments.

Your thoughts about that, and like every school, your thoughts about the mix now between the old route of high school kids coming in and a ton of transfers coming in. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Look, I think, you know, all in all, I think the goalish and the staff, considering the, you know, whirlwind of the past two months has been for them, I think they did pretty well. In the high school recruiting class, they ended up, like you said, 30th in the 24-7 rankings. They brought in 16 kids.

They don't necessarily have that, I guess you could say, star-studded pickup, if you will. I mean, they picked up Jacquez Wilkes, a linebacker, Shadarius Toodle was a guy who was a key piece in that class. Both of those guys are the highest-ranked commits in this class on the defensive side of the ball. You know, they got some late additions there from the wide receiver, Brady Marquise, from Michigan, and then obviously splashed in a couple of offensive line additions. Bear McWhorter was a late pickup there in that class.

So, all in all, I think, you know, with the time that they had to hit the high school trail, I think they did pretty well. I think that you will continue to see, and goalish talked about this yesterday, speaking with the media, you know, Obviously, the portal has kind of taken over the last two months, attention and talent acquisition. But, you know, he's been able to mix in calls and texts and meets with these 2027 kids. Going ahead and getting a jump start on that. They had a junior day over the weekend where they hosted, I mean, tons of 27, 28, 29 recruits.

Lots of buzz, you know, heading in for that 27 class. Obviously, I think one of the biggest names there is Elijah Haven, who seems to be trending towards Alabama at the moment. But you're already seeing goalish in this staff, you know, make waves with high-level kids in that 27 class. I think they're going to really attack the Southeast region pretty hard. I think they're going to get national at some positions, like he noted yesterday. But all in all, I like the high school class that they sign. And then, obviously, you know, we've talked already before, you know, in the past couple meetings with you guys, the transfer portal has, I guess, largely come to a close for the most part.

I guess he's probably left some room for some, you know, late Juco additions and such. But I think, for the most part, out of the portal, you're done. They're 39 commits, 13th in the transfer portal rankings there in 247. Talk about a couple of crucial pickups already in that room, obviously, or in that regard, Bryce. Byron Brown is huge. I think they filled up the trenches pretty well. One thing that, you know, Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon both harped on yesterday when speaking to the media was just the, they harped on the importance of the continuity within the staff and the players that they brought over from USF.

There's 13 former Bulls who are going to suit up in Orange and Blue next year. 11 of them are on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, you look at that wide receiver room, lots of production coming over there. And then you add Cole Best and Cole Skinner on the offensive line. And Joel Gordon specifically mentioned Cole Best on how, you know, crucial he's going to be to this Auburn offense throughout the offseason, kind of slotting in. And that role that Conor Liu had, he's a six-year guy.

He's going to come in. You know, I don't necessarily know that he's maybe as talented as Conor Liu, but he can certainly come in and be a leader. He knows the culture. He knows the system. It's going to make this transition, you know, as seamless as possible, as easy as possible for all of these newcomers on the offensive side of the ball. And, Logan, that's the point that you brought up there. That's the difference in modern coaches when they change as opposed to, let's face it, we mentioned Pat Dye earlier, that generation of coaches.

Because when you came in in that situation, it was because the team was bad, which means you inherited a bad roster. But now, two things on this. You can come in and put all your chips on the portal to have instant success as best you can control. And it looks like that's what he's done. He's put all his chips on South Florida to come in and get out the shot next year and then start building after that. Is that a fair assessment? Because fans are not going to sit here and give you that long.

In the old days, it was three years, then he went to two. And now, in some cases, once you get through the first year, halfway through the second year, they're ready to pull the slip out from under you. It's just safe to say that Goldish is going ahead and saying, I'm putting all my chips on next year and we'll worry about everything else after that. Yeah, you know, I mean, I think he's, like you mentioned, I mean, it's nowadays you can certainly come in and you should expect results.

[41:46] I mean, and especially in Auburn's case with Auburn fans, you know, they've endured five straight losing seasons. Like, it's time for them to taste a winning season. It's time for them to, you know, I don't want to put eight and four out there as a record that he has to meet, but, like, it's time for them to taste a seven, eight, nine win season at Auburn. I think Goldish can certainly do that in year one. I think that it's obviously going to be expected of him to at least make a bowl game.

You know, you're going to see, you obviously want to see improvements in that regard. I think that, you know, again, Gordon, Joel Gordon talked about it a lot yesterday, just the importance. He said, you know, you can't really even quantify how important it is that we brought over all of these guys from USF. You know, specifically talking about the offensive side of the ball and that offensive staff. They both talked about how it's just a collective effort. There's no egos in that room. You know, it's Joel Gordon's probably going to man the offense, the offensive play calling.

But, you know, Alex Goldish speaks up. He said he has a pretty high hit rate on touchdowns when he speaks up. You see, you know, when we come off the field in between drives, everybody is a collective group. Even young guys and GEAs will speak up. He talked about, you know, there's just two offensive guys on that staff and Larry Porter and Larry Scott, who were not in the system a year ago and in years past. But those two dudes, they're pros. They're vets. Larry Porter, obviously, he's been at Auburn.

He knows the program. Larry Scott's been a head coach, a highly regarded head coach at that. So I think that the transition for those two kind of meshing with all of the USF guys on that offensive side of the ball is going to bring great results. Speaking about the defensive side of the ball, obviously, DJ Durkin's back. He talked yesterday about how much he loves Auburn. You know, why leave a place that you love and you feel like home at? You've got, you know, loads of SEC experience on that defensive side of the ball.

Lots of talent coming back on that defensive side of the ball. I really do think that while Auburn, again, is not going to be quite as talented on paper as years past, I do think that this team is going to bring results that Auburn fans are going to like. I think that, you know, Alex Golas talked about it yesterday. It's finally football time. Like, he can put the transfer portal and the, you know, 26 high school recruiting behind him, and he can finally teach X's and O's.

I think that the staff, they kind of ping me as, I don't know how to say this without making it sound so obvious, but, like, they just ping me as football coaches, you know? Like, they really love the game. They love their players. They want to go out there and just punish the other guys on the other side of the field. And I think that they're going to bring pretty great results when the ball rolls around. Well, I'm sure Auburn fans are going to appreciate this staff, not trying to be professional golfers.

Pardon the pun. Alex Golich yesterday said, we're going to run the heck out of the ball. But Auburn really retooled the tight end spot. They've got seven. I know Jake Johnson has speculated he may be the projected starter, but Bordingham, Herring, you know, they're going to 12 personnel, have two or three when you get in goal line situation, and 12 receivers, Singleton, Coger, Nimrod, again, speculated to be starters. Man, they've retooled and beefed up tight end and wide receiver rooms. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, when you look at that tight end room a year ago, it's pretty much a major overhaul from a year ago in that room.

You bring in, you know, you lose Brandon Frazier. You lose Preston Howard, who really, really struggled a year ago. You lose Hollis Davidson, who was there for a year. I think the lone attorney in that room is Ryan G. So you bring in, I believe it's five or six newcomers in that room. You talk about Jake Johnson. I think he's probably going to be your, maybe your go-to guy in that room. I think that he brings kind of the most experience and production. I think Arlis Bordingham was a significant pickup.

When, you know, when I first saw that pickup, I was kind of interested. I didn't necessarily know what Auburn had gotten out of when they picked up Arlis Bordingham. He obviously brings SEC experience. He spent three seasons in Florida. I was reading through his accolades a couple weeks ago, and he's, you know, honorable mention, academic, a guy in Florida in his freshman year. So this guy probably has his smarts, and he can be a guy who comes in and picks up on the system and helps kind of these younger tight ends in that room kind of evolve.

You know, he obviously dealt with injuries at Bowling Green. So I think that he's another guy who could come in and produce in that tight end room. You bring over Xavier Newsome, who was with Larry Scott at Howard. So that could be an interesting pickup as well. He was highly regarded as a defensive edge rusher coming out of high school. I believe he was at 6'6", 250. So he could be a big target for you as well. And then Hunter Herring, the ULM tight end that they picked up, who played quarterback over at ULM.

[47:03] This was also an interesting one to me. You know, I was talking with Mike G of the War Report a couple weeks ago about this pickup. And, you know, this could be one where, yeah, he might produce some in that tight end room. And I think he certainly will also get some plug in in special teams. But he could be a guy who comes in, like I said, play quarterback. He could put the headset on on the sidelines, you know, and kind of be that Cord Sandberg type guy who is a little bit older, a little bit more experienced, knows the playbook, and he's helping maybe relay plays in.

Like, obviously that's just a hypothetical situation. But he could totally be that guy who, you know, these younger guys could lean on to kind of get some of that experience and help them kind of ease into this new scheme. Logan Fowler hooking up with us from 1819 News. Logan, I saw a number. You can see if you've seen the same numbers that we have. As far as everybody's wondering, what's my team spending? Did I see $30 million that Auburn is divvying up? I mean, I know that's Texas money.

Maybe I saw that wrong. And your thoughts about two things. Number one, this day and time, if you're going to win, you better have depth. Where's Auburn, in your opinion, as far as depth? And who is coming in behind Brown in a bad case scenario? Yeah, I did see the number, the $30 million number being thrown around there in that NIL talk. You know, I honestly, personally, I don't know. I do think that you're having to throw out that type of money now to compete in this day and age.

You know, we talk about it a little bit. And, again, I don't know specific numbers. But just for instance, I mean, if you've got to pay Byron Brown, you know, a few million dollars, you've got to pay a guy like Bryson Washington, Jeremiah Cobb, Malik Allstreet, like all these guys, it starts to add up very quickly. And $30 million, really, in the grand scheme of things, when we look at it, that sounds like a lot of money. But, you know, if you've got 105 scholarship spots and 105 guys on your roster, it really is kind of interesting to think about how many of those guys are close to the million-dollar range.

Do the math there, you would only have about 30 who could consume that type of money. So, that's very interesting. I personally know that, you know, I know that Alex Golesh in Auburn, he feels like he's got the resources at Auburn to succeed. He talked a lot about that yesterday in that media setting. And so, I believe he's got the support staff and everything he needs to be successful at Auburn. And that's crazy to think that we're throwing around that type of money now in college football.

Only $30 million. Right, right. And so, getting to your question about the depth, you know, with that, I don't think that there's really any team in college football nowadays who just has depth. You know, depth galore, I guess I should say. Like, when you think about those Alabama teams of the past, the Nick Saban teams, you would see teams that could match up with them maybe 11-on-11 talent-wise. But, when you get down and you're thinking about the 30, 50, 60 players that they have sitting over there on the sideline, that's what made them different.

And I just don't think that you're going to see teams nowadays with that type of depth. However, I do think that Auburn has some key depth pieces all over the field. I really do. You know, specifically talking about the offensive line, Alex Golesh mentioned yesterday, brought in 17 scholarship offensive linemen and three walk-ons. That's a lot of people competing for five spots. And every single one of them think that they're going to go in there and start. You know, he talked about how he's 100% convinced that the five he thinks is going to start right now is just not going to, that's not going to come to fruition when, you know, when they take the field in August.

So, yeah, you've got plenty of names to work with there. Speaking of quarterback, I do really like the Oregon State kid they brought in, Tristan. And I don't want to miss up his last name because I can't think of it off the top of my head right here, Tatia. And so, yeah, I do. I've watched a little bit of his film. I've looked at his numbers. I think that he's got a live arm. I think that he could be a guy who, once Byron Brown is out of the program, I do think he could come in and be a starter, especially under Joel Gordon, who seems to be, you know, a pretty good quarterback developer.

Golesh has really raved about him and his offensive mind and how he's brilliant on that side of the ball. So I think that he's going to be your first guy up. You know, they added a couple of guys there from USF and then the one kid they had committed to them down in South Florida in the 26th class as well. So I think that Tristan Tia could be a guy who would come in and give you some valuable minutes behind Byron Brown, which, you know, could.

You know, obviously, God forbid, Byron Brown get hurt or anybody get hurt. But Byron Brown's going to run the football a lot. He's going to be taking some hits. So you definitely do have to have a quarterback sitting there behind Brown, who you're confident in, that can go in there and give you some production. Absolutely. Good stuff, Logan. A little basketball game on the plains tomorrow, about 3 o'clock. I think it's on ESPN2 with Alabama and Auburn. Where can we get online and get all your great stuff as far as football and basketball?

[52:33] Yes, sir. You're going to check out some written work over at 1819 News. You can also check out some exclusive podcasts at Tailgate Auburn and check out some more of our written work at Tailgate Auburn. We have newsletters and profiles and such going out over there at tailgateauburn.com. You can follow me on X at Logan F Fowler. Logan, enjoy the weekend. As the late Stevie Ray Vaughan will say, don't come knocking when you see the house rocking. And I think the house is going to be rocking Saturday when the Iron Bowl returns to your backyard.

Thanks so much for your time today. Absolutely. Thank you for having me on. You're good. Logan Fowler, 1819 News. Speaking of Alabama, in about three or four minutes from right now, guess what gets rocking? Alabama softball today against Villanova over in Atlanta. It's hard to believe. Meanwhile, coming up in the next hour, we're going to put a ribbon on the recruiting classes. The dean of everything, Tom Lemmy from CBS, is going to be checking in. Along with the Ryan Express, Ryan Callahan and Ryan Fowler, it's all straight ahead.

Stay with us. Getting the kids to practice on time. Remembering if it's your day to bring snacks. Making it to the game with a clean jersey. Why are simple things sometimes so complicated? Thankfully, with auto owners, insurance doesn't have to be one of them. Auto owners works with independent agents who answer when you call. So you can worry about more important things. Like whether your kid is going to run toward first or third base. That's simple human sense. Hennigar, Johnson & Layton Insurance, 120 East 5th Street, Tuscumbia.

Or call 256-383-3400. Well, good morning, kiddo. I love that you're home from college. I've missed you. Still taking your nature-made vitamins? Every day. A multivitamin and a probiotic. You better be taking yours. Still looking out for me, Mom. I'll never stop. Made to care for you every day. Nature Made, the number one pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. Find us in the vitamin aisle. Based on a survey of pharmacists who recommend branded vitamins and supplements. 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. Earn an accredited MBA in as few as 16 months for about $21,000 at University of Maryland Global Campus. Explore 10 specializations including finance, HR, cyber technology, and more. Plus, showcase the value of your MBA with a comprehensive learner record.

And digitally demonstrate in-demand skills and credentials to employers. No application fee if you apply by February 11th. Learn more at umgc.edu. Certified to operate in Virginia by show. Rich Eisen here. For small businesses, every hire counts. And so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro helps. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates. Not managing the noise. Hire right the first time. Post your job and get $100 off towards your job post at linkedin.com slash Eisen.

That's linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. My name is Whitney Allen and I'm a widow. My husband Ryan died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened. With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. No medical exams, and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I am grateful we were prepared. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game.

Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. 1819 News. A bill is being re-offered this year in the Alabama House that would officially recognize the Gulf of America in the state of Alabama. The bill would align with the executive order that was issued by President Trump last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. It did pass the Alabama House last year, but stalled out in the Alabama Senate. State Representative David Standridge is sponsoring the bill. Standridge says it's important for Alabama to come in line with other Gulf Coast states like Florida and Louisiana, which have already officially recognized and renamed the Gulf of America.

During a recent committee hearing about the bill, Democrat Representative Marilyn Land suggested that Alabama leaders consult with the leaders of Mexico before this renaming occurs, and she even suggested that more time be spent on other things that really affect people's lives in Alabama. State Representative Ernie Yarbrough then stepped in and solicited Land's complete support of the Laken-Riley Act, which he says affects a lot of Alabamians who are being harmed by criminal illegal aliens. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Some of the greatest blessings is just having the people that care about you, to have someone that's just going to love you and make you feel important.

[57:54] They encourage you to be in church. They encourage you to be in prayer. They encourage you to be in your Bible. Now it's a part of my day every day. My house parents planted seeds in me that you can see where those seeds have sprouted in my life and helped change my life. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. A bill has been passed by the Alabama House that would mandate a locking mechanism to be placed on the ignition of a vehicle that belongs to a first-time DUI offender.

The ignition interlock system will be placed on the vehicle for six months after the driver's license is restored to a DUI offender. There is an automatic 90-day license suspension for a first-time DUI. I'm Andrea Tyson. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, the Shores, Sports Radio 93.9, the score. The Seahawks are going to Super Bowl 60. It's a rematch with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara. Sunday, February 8th, complete coverage of the big game is on Westwood One.

Hi, everybody. I'm Scott Graham. Join Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Laura Oakman, Gene Steratore, Ryan Harris, and me for all the action. If it's Super Bowl 60, it's on Westwood One. The road back to the postseason begins at spring training. The Atlanta Braves are reloaded and ready to remind the league that you can't sleep on Atlanta. Into the chop-outs, a home run. As the Braves report to camp, they're dialed in for spring training and a return to prominence in the east. The biggest coverage from Florida and an epic opening day in Atlanta against the Royals on March 27.

All right here on the Atlanta Braves radio network. 93.9, the score, weather. Today, mostly sunny with a high around 40. Tonight, partly cloudy with a low near 30. Tomorrow, sunny with possible gusty winds and a high around 60. Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a low near 30. And if you're Saturday, sunny with a high around 50. 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 Tide, Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC.

Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, the score. Welcome back in. I'm here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley and for welcoming in a man who has to have a very, very high IQ. That's because he is now leaving Chicago and has been in Florida post the deep freeze leaving. And the Iguana is now back and sunning on the beach. That was the last at least 10-20 of Tom Lemming when he's not busy following everything when it comes to recruiting at the Lemming Report on CBS, the Sports Network, and his magazine is called Prep Football Report.

Tom, welcome in. Are you still in Florida? Yeah, I'm in the Tampa area now just kind of driving around. I'm not that bright, although I was smart last week. I was supposed to do a big get-together in Raleigh near NC State, and I called it off at 3 a.m. the day before because they were expecting 12 inches of snow. They got it. The interstates were closed because I was going to finish and then drive to Columbia, South Carolina, wind up in Savannah that night. I wouldn't have gotten off for three days.

They closed the interstates, the big accidents. And I did it really to keep the kids and their parents from driving three to four hours to meet me because we're going to be the top 70 players in all of the Carolinas. And all of them were going to show up. They were even called the day before. We're still coming. And if they did, they would have been stuck there. So I'm glad I didn't. My goodness. I'll do it in May when the weather is a little bit better.

There you go. There you go. Rain, sleet of snow. You still got the show. Tom, obviously, now both parts of the class, the old way of putting it together is now in the house. Tom, your thoughts. Who comes out, in your opinion, the winners now that the five recruiting classes and all the recruiting classes are in? Who is your top five, Tom Lemming? I have USC number one. They have by far the best high school because they have so many players and they're all four and five stars.

And then Alabama, they moved up quickly. Notre Dame had been number two. They moved down, even though they had a good NIL day when bringing in the transfers. But it's Alabama, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State. Georgia just, it was between Georgia and Ohio State. And again, it's all apples and oranges anyway. Those six schools all had great years. That top six was, in my opinion, head and shoulders above the rest. All right, Tom, obviously, you know our zip code. Indulge us, if you will. Why is Alabama, two ways of looking at it, number two in the country, and it doesn't take a smart fellow to figure it out.

[1:03:23] Number one in SEC, which is always important. You can finish from good class sometimes and finish seventh or eighth in the SEC. What makes Alabama number two, in your opinion? Well, getting Xavier Griffin was a big, big catch, too. Because he was one of my two finalists for the Buckets Award. Wow. Another kid went to Texas. They're both from Georgia. But Xavier is an impact ball player who I think is going to be a lifestyle guy right from the beginning because it's such explosive moves. But I thought, you know, he was big.

Everybody they got. Even they got a kid out of the Chicagoer, Max Sutter, tight end. In Alabama. As a matter of fact, Alabama was there a couple of days last week. Them and Georgia, I think, total, they offer like nine guys out of Chicago. Chicago is loaded. So they're hitting that. And obviously, a quarterback that I thought has five stars, and I gave him to him back in April, Jet Tamela. I thought he was big, big time when I saw him. And I sat down with him and his coach and watched him throw.

And you watch. He's going to be a big-time kid. And just everybody, when you go up and down their roster, you know, the Coral Wall kid, arguably one of the top two running backs in the country. And Jordan Edwards, one of the top two free safety. So Alabama just did a fantastic job at recruiting and obviously did a good job, too, just with transfers. So I think overall, the class. I don't know how many. What is it, 105 now you're allowed to have? 105. You can afford it.

Right. You know, back when I started in the late 70s, it was 105. And with that, the ball players, you know, the weaker schools, Vanderbilt, the Mississippi State for the conference, they really couldn't compete against Alabama or Tennessee or schools like that. But now at LSU, now with the transfer portal, if you're not playing one year, you're bouncing around to the next go right away. So everything's kind of equal and out. It's crazy. I'm having trouble keeping track of everybody because they may sign one day, like Duke quarterback, and then Miami comes up with a lot more money and say, well, Duke, we'll pay you money to let your quarterback go to us.

So it's a crazy world. I don't like this world, but I guess we've got to live with it until the NCAA and all the athletic directors put their heads together. And usually when they do it, the IQ still hasn't reached 100, but still you're hoping that they do someday get things figured out so it's more of a, you know, instead of the Wild West with these guys transferring everywhere left and right. And, you know, the kids are always going to get paid now, but I do think they need some rules, maybe NFL-type rules, and that might work out.

Tom, let me ask you about the line of scrimmage for Alabama. We talked about that a good bit this week. They brought in some guys. They got five offensive linemen, five defensive linemen. Jared Doughty from Atlanta. Chris Booker, a four-star interior offensive lineman from Hapeville. Charter in Atlanta, a Bear Fretwell, a three-star kid, a run of 4-7. Picked up Bryson Cooley, a four-star from West Jones High School in Laurel, Mississippi late. And then on the defensive line, Nolan Wilson from Picayune. Jamari Matthews, who transferred from Spartan and Harvest to Gainesville.

And Maury Johnson in our backyard for most of the shows. What's your thoughts on what appears on paper to be a very productive lineman class for Alabama? You know, Alabama is, without a doubt, still one of the best recruiting staffs in the country. I watch that. You know, being on the road almost the whole year, you watch it. And I didn't see much of a drop-off between Nick and the staff, the new staff, when it comes to work ethic and going out there. Alabama is everywhere.

I mean, you didn't really see Nick's guys up in Chicago like you see now or in New Jersey or in Ohio. So these guys are really going after the top guys. It's just a matter of they're not winning like Nick did. So the fans are a little upset with him. But I'm not upset. And, you know, guys like Nolan Wilson coming in, he's an outstanding player. Matthews is an outstanding player. They've done very well. They've got the horses to win a national title again. It just comes down to the, you know, the conference is super competitive.

And the whole nation is now super competitive. The Big Ten is coming in. Who would have thought Indiana would have won a national title? Oh, my gosh. I remember when Jerry Denardo was head coach, they were just happy to win four or five games. And now they've won a national title. And it's because of the money that the alumni put into the program, but also they've got a great coach in Kurt Cignetti. But also they knew how to hit the transfer portal better than anybody else.

Because Kurt has that eye for talent. He said, I'm not just looking for four or five stars. I'm looking for guys that can play in our system, but also play at a very high level. And I think other people are going to start looking at, hey, you know what, maybe we shouldn't go. I started the five-star system, and even I say the bogus. I mean, you know, look for guys just because they've got stars. You look for guys because they've got heart, they've got great production, and they've got the size that fits that position.

[1:08:34] When you look for those kind of guys like Kurt did the past couple of years, you're going to have great success. Great point. Tom Lemming hooking up with us. There's a Lemming report on the CBS Sports Network. Obviously, you mentioned it, Tom. A lot of folks are going to say, we live in a copycat world. We're not saying he's copycat. But you could make that assessment with what Goldish is doing at Auburn. He leaves a school, goes to another school, and basically has to get three Greyhound buses to bring everybody from Tampa.

Speaking of Tampa, right down the road from where you are now to Auburn. And your thoughts, I saw where Auburn got 16 with a traditional route of high school kids, 39 probably and counting with a portal. Your thoughts about the roster at Auburn, Tom? I knew him as a recruiting coordinator. He was very good. I didn't even know he was a coach until just recently. Yeah. He is a very good recruiter, and you watch. Auburn's going to do very well because this guy seems to know what he's doing.

And he's another guy that seems to bring in the right players. I saw a lot of the Auburn guys. Usually, you know, I see every one of Alabama's guys a person because they go up to high-profile guys. But I saw a good number of these guys. You know, the Wills kid is an instant impact player. It is the kid from Mobile, Doodle, I think that's his name, the linebacker. Yeah, it is. He was one of my 15 finalists for the Butkus Award. I really liked him on film.

And they got some, in my opinion, some really outstanding ball players that people like Parker Pritchett. I went to Carbert High School in Columbus, saw him. Really liked him. He's big. He's got great lengths and everything else. Adam Ali. I'd seen him at Cardinal Newman. I had all the players meet there. And I was just at that school two days ago, too. And Adam, a big-time guy. He was also one of our Butkus nominees. So they did well. Obviously, the class isn't really that close to Alabama's.

But for Auburn, with a new coach and everything, and with all the problems they had over the past couple of years with U-Free, I think it's an excellent. And I think it also bodes well for the future. You know, their top, I had them between 25 and 30. But I'd say next year, I bet Auburn has a shot at possibly breaking into the top 10, but for sure the top 15. Because I think he's going to have things going. He knows the recruiting. And to me, I'd watch guys develop.

Mack Brown, everybody said, well, I can't go. But he knew he was a great recruiter, as was Phil Fulmer, the best, really. Nick was the best. Hadn't showed up to everybody else. But after him comes Pete Carroll and Urban Meyer. They were all great. And Bobby Bowden the same way. Let me ask you about some of the prospects who visited Alabama and Auburn this past weekend. And everybody wants Elijah Haven, the number one quarterback, according to a lot of people. From Baton Rouge, John Meredith, considered to be a, quote, five-star from North Crowley High School in Fort Worth.

Monson Sales, out of Indianapolis. His nickname is Bama, which may tell you something. There are a lot of other ones here. But I'm sure you've seen all these guys by now in person. I've seen all of them. I just saw my number one player in the country, quarterback, Champ Mons from Vero Beach. Alabama's offered him. And Alabama, I think that's who he mentions first. He wasn't my number one. DJ Jacobs had been my number one. Now he's not my number two, the kid who's committed to Ohio State from Roswell, Georgia.

But I spent a couple hours watching this kid. Champ Mons is 6'3", 230, quarterback, threw for 3,000 yards, rushed for 700. Runs a 4'5", at 6'2", 230. He's got an arm. He's got terrific skills. I saw Elijah Haven. I went to his school. He's one of the nicest kids around. He's got length, everything. I don't think he's as good as Champ Mons. I watched them both. Champ plays Vero Beach, the best teams in the state of Florida. As a matter of fact, unfortunately, he was winning the state title for that one kid through the touchdown pass on a Hail Mary.

It was all over the Internet before that, and they beat Vero Beach on the last play of the game, a 45-yard Hail Mary pass. But this kid is outstanding. He's got great, done everything. Alabama's right all over him. That's the guy. And I know they want… If they get either Champ Mons or Elijah Haven, they're in business. Monchon Sales looks like the best wide receiver in the country. I've seen him several times. He's very obliging, good kid. They don't have that work ethic yet when you watch him.

But he doesn't have 10, 10, 800-meter speed. He's 6'5", 195. So I think at Alabama, he'll get it. He's got all the skills in the world to be a super five-star player. But play-wise, he's good. But he's not the knockout guy yet. There's two great running backs. Come on, Spell, who's already committed to Georgia. And David Gabriel George is from Baylor. When I saw that kid, I said, oh, he's from Montreal, Canada. Who thought they even played football up there? I know it's hockey, but this kid is outstanding.

Both of them. It's apples and oranges again for the great running back. And the best tight end is Ahmaud Hudson out of Ruston, Louisiana. He came down and met me at A&M. He's also a great basketball player. The best corner is a kid named Joshua Dobson. So I've seen all the top 100 kids already in person, several of them twice already. And now it's still traveling until late April. I'll probably see a lot of them three times. Those are the best guys I've seen. John Meredith is a good corner.

[1:13:54] But I thought Joshua Dobson is better than him. The more length, you know, Joshua runs like a 10, 700 meters. He switched now. He was the best player in South Carolina. Last week, he moved up to North Carolina to play at the best program in the Charlotte area. So he's going to be one. I think Alabama's offered just about every single one of them. So you'll be hearing that a lot this year. Let me ask you about two Alabama guys, defensive linemen, who have a tremendous amount of potential.

Of course, everybody wants them. Hueytown's Donovan Moore. Moore is 6'3", 285, considered by many to be the number one prospect in the state of Alabama. And Carlos May from Ramsey in Birmingham, 6'3", 305. But, again, just a host of schools that certainly want their services. Your thoughts, if you've seen them. Hueytown's Donovan Moore, a defensive lineman, and Carlos May from Ramsey in Birmingham. Just in the last couple of months, I went to both schools so I could sit down with them and their coach. And you're right, you're two great players.

Carlos May has become national as an interior defensive tackle. That's really the most difficult position to recruit. You get big guys, but most of them are moved on offense because they don't have the feet. Carlos has got great feet, as does Moore. They're both big guys. They're both impact ball players. And they're both nationally recruited. And it'll come down to NIL money with both these guys, I'm sure, because they're that good. And that's why it was great. I've been to Donovan's, what's his name, the quarterback, the NFL quarterback game.

I went and saw him years ago. I went to Florida State. And I came back and told the coach. That's the first time I've been there since he was there. And Donovan, watched him on film. And, you know, he's got great, violent-type hands. He's a natural athlete. Well, Carlos is more of an impact inside guy where he can really dominate. So they're both just big, big-time players. And you're right. They're, if not the two best, they're two of the top players in the state. Absolutely. Well, you're the best.

When I texted about Thamala, I couldn't help him. I nearly chuckled when I saw that, that, yeah, Thamala's a five-star on 24-7. He's been a five-star for nearly a year from you. I know you've been singing his praises. Yeah, I noticed when I told him I was going to name him five stars, he said, well, the website's got me a three. And one of them doesn't even have me. He said, don't worry about it. When I do it, you know, not that I'm a genius or anything, but everyone knows I'm the only guy that travel to see these guys in person.

And I usually get a collective opinion talking to college. Sometimes NFL guys like Sean Payton, they'll tell me about the guys in their area. So after I'm finished, and I told them, I said, you watch the other guys, they'll start moving you up as soon as I put this out. Hey, guys. Well, we've been working with you for so long. Where can we get online? I know you quite busy, obviously, yesterday. Where can we get online and get all your good stuff? Just go to Tom Lemming, L-E-M-M-I-N-G, TomLemming, prepfootball.com, and then get it, or just the Lemming Report, which is the name of the show.

And my Twitter handle, or X handle, whatever they call it now, and then they can tell them how to get the magazines. It's always 240 pages. Then there's a 120-page underclass magazine that comes out right after that one. So that's why I have to now check out freshmen. Who was that 20 years ago? I'm looking at freshmen in high school now. It seems to be natural. They're getting offered by all the colleges. That's why you're still in business. You evolve with the times. Tom, safe travels out there.

Watch out for falling iguanas out of the palm trees down there, okay? I sure will. Take care. Thank you, Tom. Bye-bye, guys. Thank you so much. Tom Lemming, looking at what this vision there with the Lemming Report on the CBS Sports Network. Coming up, it's Ryan Callahan on UT on deck. Stay with us. Silicon carbide was discovered in 1893 when a meteorite crashed to the earth in Arizona. It was discovered by a French chemist named Henri Messon. And originally, he thought it was a diamond. When he realized it wasn't, he named it after himself.

That's right. Moissanite is meteorite. I know we've all kind of been divided here lately, but I think we can all agree from deep down in our soul that we all hate Valentine's Day. It is the most fabricated and made-up holiday ever. So, in celebration of that, I'm now declaring Moissanite the official anti-Valentine's Day gym. And at Medford Jewelers, we are going to be running one-carat emerald-cut Moissanite bezel set in both pendant and earrings for $75 each. Or you can get the pendant and earring pair for $125. At Medford's, we wish everybody health and love and happiness whenever and wherever you can find it.

And we are proud to be the anti-Valentine's Day headquarters since 1945. There are many advantages of doing business with an independent insurance agent. Page Borden Insurance in Tuscumbia and M.J. Carter & Company Insurance in Florence can show you. An independent insurance agent is not tied to just one company. In order to get you the coverage you need at a competitive price, go buy and see M.J. Carter & Company Insurance at 127 South Court Street. Or call 256-760-9999. Or in Tuscumbia, see Page Borden Insurance at 111 East 3rd Street.

[1:19:19] Or call 256-381-1334. Think switching to T-Mobile is a whole complicated thing? Nah, it's easy. You can do it almost anywhere in just 15 minutes. Even poolside like Drewski, you can switch to T-Mobile and unlock savings that are built to last. With T-Mobile's Better Value Plan, you can save over $1,000 a year versus Verizon and AT&T. Save on streaming, satellite, and more benefits that they leave out. Now I get all the VIP perks. Start saving from day one and for a limited time, get T-Mobile's Better Value Plan.

I know you love deals. Plus, switch right now and we'll even pay off your old phone up to $800. What do you think of all that, Drewski? Stay chillin'. Just switch. It's better over here. Check and have T-Mobile.com slash Better Value. Saving versus comparable plans at AT&T and Verizon. Plus, the cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas and fees vary. With three plus lines of Better Value Plan. Three plus new lines and two eligible ports or three plus lines in five plus years in T-Mobile postpaid plan required.

Qualifying credit required. Check out in 15 minutes or less per line. Get up to $800 per line via virtual prepaid card. Typically takes 15 days after rebate submission. Qualifying unlock device credit service ported in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. No cash access and card expires in six months. Card issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC. A Progressive home and auto bundle can protect you around the clock, but we can't protect you from those painful moments in sports. Oh, I can't believe we blew a five touchdown lead.

Sure, but you got to feel like they were going to win for almost the entire game. But I was about to buy playoff tickets. So you were prepared for a good time. That's pretty nice. It's the worst loss any team has ever had. And you got to witness history. Okay, we're done here. Well, at least your home and auto are protected with a bundle from Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurance not available in all states or situations. Smalls here. Life is full of choices.

Some big, some small. And when you choose an H&R Block Tax Pro, you're choosing the largest network of tax expertise to be in your corner. For when your big ambitions need help with the small details. For when your six figures come from six different places. For when your gaming stream becomes your revenue stream. For when your business's year one needs 70 years of tax know-how. At H&R Block, they've seen it all. And they're here to help you make the most out of your money for life outside the box.

Get started at hnrblock.com. It all comes down to this, folks. Yep, the entire season is on the line. But my throat has officially thrown in the towel. Sounds like you need Vicks VapoCool Drops. Their max strength and vaporized sore throat pain. VapoCool. Whoa! These VapoCool Drops hit fast. Speaking of fast, did you just see that play? Yeah, he vaporized that ball. That pun should have come with a penalty. Vaporized sore throat pain with Vicks VapoCool Drops. Use as directed. VapoCool. You still thinking job change in the new year?

Yeah, I need something that's in high demand and more stable in this economy. IT? Yeah, cybersecurity. Maybe even AI. 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. United Way of Northwest Alabama is thrilled to announce the return of its signature fundraising gala, Shoals Royale, on Saturday, February 21st, 2026, at the Renaissance Shoals Conference Center. This black-tie optional casino-themed event brings all the glitz and excitement of Las Vegas to the Shoals, complete with live entertainment, gaming tables, prices, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar, and all for a great cause. Now in its fourth year, Shoals Royale has become one of Northwest Alabama's premier charity events, uniting local businesses, community leaders, and residents for a night of luxury and purpose.

Proceeds directly benefit United Way of Northwest Alabama and the 12 local nonprofit partners and 22 community programs and funds. Individual tickets are $125 or $200 per couple, or go in VIP style for $350 or $600 per couple. Shoals Royale, 2026, Saturday, February 21st, at 7 p.m., at the Renaissance Shoals Conference Center. Tickets are available now at givebutter.com slash ShoalsRoyale2026. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in, the man who never sleeps, rain, sleet, or a lot of snow like this past weekend in his backyard. Ryan Callahan got it all covered there when it comes to UT at GoVols247.

Ryan, welcome in. Has the snow begun to melt yet in your backyard? Yeah, I'm actually looking at a pretty clean yard and clean streets, but we were out of school yet again here today. We've been, Knox County has been out of school all week so far, over a total of about three and a half inches of snow. So it's been a few weeks. Yeah, I know the kids hate that, Ryan, so much. Oh, I know. Are the parents all bald from pulling their hair out, trying to stay inside with those kids?

Oh, yeah. No question. Ryan, obviously, talk to us about National Signing Day Part 2. I'm looking at some numbers here. Is it true that, Ryan, that UT finished with a No. 8 class on National Signing Day Part 2? They did. And really, the only movement there was the result of recent rankings updates. Tennessee just finished, I believe it was .09 points behind No. 7 Texas. They had predicted No. 7, flipped behind Texas as a result of those updates and a recent addition by Texas. Tennessee did add a running back yesterday that helped the team score a little bit.

[1:24:47] So not a completely quiet National Signing Day, but it's clearly not the event that it was years ago. But, yeah, Tennessee with a strong class, their highest-rated class clearly since 2015. So, you know, massive progress there. You know, to go from 10 to 12 is a little bit harder than going up two spots lower in the rankings. So their highest class had been No. 10 before that, under Josh Heifel, now up to No. 8 in the 2026 class. So a strong effort led by three five-stars. First time they've done that also since 2015.

So a lot of really good players toward the top of the class. And then, you know, we'll kind of have to see over time how the bottom half grades out. But even some guys with, I think, pretty high ceilings in that part of the class. Brian, talk to us about the recipe just how it puts together. You see Lane at LSU. You see Golesh at Auburn. I mean, they're just basically just writing checks and bringing people in. Then you got Alabama and Georgia. They're going the old slow route.

You know, we're going to bring in primarily a foundation of high school kids, try to develop them, and then supplement with the portal. Or what, as far as where it's been and where it is now with this staff, as far as their recipe? Yeah, Tennessee, to this point, under Josh Heifel, it's been mostly about the high school players. And that's not to say they've not taken advantage of the portal when they've needed to or when they've had a need to address. But, yeah, they tend to prefer most of the roster to be built that way.

I think there are a couple reasons for that. One, good for culture, good for continuity, good for learning the system. If you're constantly bringing in first-year guys, there can be so much turnover that sometimes it leads to a down year sometimes when you've got all new starters at a certain position group or anything like that. And then on top of that, a lot of people believe it can be easier to retain your own players in terms of saving money in regard to revenue sharing and things like that, as opposed to, quote-unquote, buying a player out of the transfer portal where you're competing against everyone on the open market.

So there's a logic to that. But yet, for better or worse, Tennessee has not been as heavy on the transfer portal as most other teams. This is the first year they've even taken double-digit transfers since, I believe, Josh Heupel's first year. They were up around 20, 21 in this class in terms of total transfers by far the most they've taken. We'll see if that's kind of the norm going forward, but definitely would expect them to be at least a little bit more transfer-heavy just because of the 105-man scholarship roster limitation now with being able to have that many scholarship guys just to keep the numbers sort of maxed out.

You're going to have to bring in some depth guys and things like that out of the portal most likely to patch things up. But, yeah, they've been a little heavier on the high school recruiting, and I think they'll kind of keep it that way. I think that's the way they ideally would like to build. But you've got to get some key players out of the transfer portal every year, too. Ryan, that was the first thing I noticed when looking at this class last night was the – it was the best finish in 11 years, 31 players, three five-stars.

Foul sign Brandon from North Carolina, T.K. Keyes from Henniesburg, Mississippi, and Gabriel Ossenda from the Baylor School in Tennessee. Did they go heavy on the line of scrimmage, skill positions? You know, it's the old proverbial, did Tennessee meet their needs? Any position that you felt like they may have come up short with? I'm going to have a little bit of a hiccup there with Ryan. Ryan Callahan, go balls 24-7. Ryan, when you get back, just to jump in. In the meantime, one thing we want to find out from Ryan, too, is it seems like everybody spends as much time in a courtroom these days as they do either on a football field or basketball court.

So, Ryan, are you with us now? I am. Sorry about that. Go ahead, Brad. Repeat your question, Brad, if you will, and then we'll get to Joey Aguilar here. No, I would just say, if there is any positions that Tennessee, in your opinion, may have come up a little short with as far as meeting their needs. Well, I think they sort of addressed that one yesterday a little. Well, both of them yesterday, I would say. Both of them probably on the offensive side at running back and wide receiver.

They were down the four scholarship players at running back and added a pretty nice late pickup yesterday. And Will Rejecti out of Canton, Georgia, a guy with nearly 30 offers, played in the Navy All-American Bowl, or was chosen to play in that and didn't get to participate in the game. But, you know, pretty decent late pickup there. A guy who chose Tennessee over Georgia Southern and Arkansas. Georgia was also involved for a while last month before going a different direction. So, yeah, an intriguing pickup, at least, for a nice depth option there at running back.

But before that they were a little bit short on numbers and wide receiver as well. They, you know, kind of adding to the back end of the class and the roster, took a few local, essentially what they view as preferred walk-on level players just to kind of fill out the roster and added a local receiver yesterday to sort of fill out the numbers there. But, yeah, not really stacked in terms of scholarship receivers. You know, guys that are likely to contribute on offense this year. So that's maybe one where they could have used one more.

[1:30:12] They had a couple commitments, including Legend Bay, who flipped to Ohio State, actually got out of a signed letter of intent with Tennessee and ended up at Ohio State. So some defections like that late kind of cost them a couple of the numbers they'd like to have there. Obviously, we alluded to it, Ryan. Your thoughts, what's the latest with Here Come the Judge? We know that Alabama and Ole Miss, they spend a lot of time in the courtroom with their respective stories. What's the latest with Joey?

Yeah, so Tennessee has actually gotten some relatively good news on that front here in the last day or two, with yesterday Joey Aguilar being granted a temporary restraining order in his recently filed lawsuit. And this has come together pretty quickly for him in a Knox County court. So sort of taking a page out of Alabama's playbook, I think, with the Charles Bediacos case, they decided, you know what, let's find a local case here, put it in a more friendly venue, and see if we can get a favorable judge that might give us a better chance of getting this approved.

And so he's been granted the temporary restraining order. Now he'll have a hearing, it sounds like, next Friday, and that will at least be the beginning of that process. Don't know that we'll get a hearing or get a verdict on that next Friday. But either way, seeking an injunction beginning next Friday. And whether he gets that injunction, you know, we'll see. But it certainly looks much more favorable for him to get that. So I think the odds of Joey Aguilar being Tennessee's starting quarterback in 2026 have improved pretty significantly over the past few days alone.

So it's been an interesting week in that regard. And, you know, certainly the decision to withdraw from the Diego Pavia lawsuit that he had previously attached himself to as a plaintiff and seek his own court case separate from everyone else in Knox County court might end up being a nice strategic move on his part. So we'll see how that plays out, but Tennessee hoping to get some clarity on that before spring practice if possible. So it's something that they're, you know, certainly pushing for some sort of resolution here in the next few weeks.

Yeah, I also noticed Rick Barnes, Tennessee's men's basketball coach, smiling a little bit more lately. They beat Ole Miss this week 84-66 and had an impressive win over Auburn. Dwayne Brown from Hoover really showed up in that game and helped them. But Tennessee is playing well right now. We'll get into that a little bit more with you next time. Be it basketball, transfer, recruiting, that's beginning to come to an end. Tennessee baseball going to begin next time we turn around. Ryan, where can we get online to get all the good stuff?

Yeah, GoWals247.com, you know, get on right now for two months for $1 or 50% off your first year for an annual subscription. So great time to check out all that. Yeah, basketball in full swing, Tennessee playing at Kentucky this weekend. Still some recruiting coverage as we look ahead to the 2027 class. Now that 2026 is pretty much put to bed. So lots to check out. And spring practice, of course, just around the corner as well. So good time to join GoWals247.com. And the question, Ryan, which is going to come first?

Football spring practice or schools reopening for your kids there? It better be the latter or we'll have to go. I was going to call Matlock. Hey, listen, thanks. Good luck up there. Thanks for your time today. Absolutely. Thanks, guys. Thank you, Ben. Ryan Callahan, GoWals247. The Ryan Express continues. Ryan Callahan to Ryan Fowler on deck. Stay with us. For 26 years, Sam's Sports Grill has been a Florence favorite. Known for quality food, friendly service, and consistency you can always count on. From game day to lunchtime, Sam's is the place locals keep coming back to.

Monday through Friday from 11 to 3, you can enjoy our $9.95 lunch specials. Dine-in only. Big flavor. Great value every time. Join us at Sam's Sports Grill in Florence and make our place your place. Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal? Yeah, this isn't that. I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot. I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking, and have a positive balance.

That's it. A 20% scholarship to UNA. When Bank Independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and the future of our community. Bank Independent. We're invested in your future. Member FDIC. What if your instincts could pay off? With Robinhood Prediction Markets, you could put your knowledge to work on the events that matter to you. Prediction Markets isn't just sports. It's the Fed rate decision, your favorite awards show, and so much more beyond the playing field. Trade events with Robinhood. Visit Robinhood.com slash predict.

That's Robinhood.com slash predict. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. This is the story of the one. As an HVAC technician, he and his digital multimeter are in high demand. So when a noisy office HVAC turns out to be a failing blower motor, he doesn't break a sweat. With Granger's easy-to-use website and product information, he selects the product he needs to keep everything humming right along.

[1:35:35] Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Do you owe $10,000 or more in credit card debt or personal loans? With credit card debt at all-time highs, Debt Relief Advocates is urgently notifying consumers of debt relief now being made available designed to aid consumers with out-of-control credit card debt. Those who qualify and enroll for this relief program will only have to pay back a fraction of what they owe. This is not bankruptcy or a debt consolidation loan.

This is a relief program that credit card companies would rather you not know about, as it ends your debt nightmare and saves you lots of money. Consumers owing at least $10,000 in credit card debt or personal loans can now take advantage of this debt relief as the cost of living skyrockets. Debt Relief Advocates has established a relief hotline for you to call to learn what debt reduction you may qualify for, so don't wait. For this free information, call the relief hotline at 800-499-6744. 800-499-6744. 800-499-6744.

Determined to end veteran suicide, K9s for Warriors is the nation's leading nonprofit providing service dogs for veterans. To learn more, visit K9sforWarriors.org. That's K9sforWarriors.org. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, the score. College basketball, Alabama ticking down Texas A&M at Coleman Coliseum wins tonight, 197. Crimson Tide hit 16 three-pointers in the win. They go to 15-7. Aiden Holloway at 20 points. LeBaron fill in with 17. North Alabama, they lost on the road in Central Arkansas Wednesday, 81-60. They go to 7-14 at 2-8 in the Atlantic Sun.

Dante Vasquez, 21 points for the Lions. Central Arkansas pulling away in the second half as they outscored UNA by 20. The Lions will face Austin Peay on Saturday in Clarksville. NASCAR, Ryan Priest won the clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Wednesday night in North Carolina, capturing the preseason exhibition race. William Byron finishing second. Ryan Blaney third. Next week will be Speed Weeks at Daytona with qualifying on Wednesday. The Sports Update brought to you by Progressive. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo and save with Progressive. I'm Tony Dazzieri on 93-9, the score.

You still thinking job change in the new year? Yeah, I need something that's in high demand and more stable in this economy. IT? Yeah, cybersecurity, maybe even AI. That's what I did. Really? How? Went to My Computer Career. You don't need any prior experience and you can 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. Well, 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. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93-9, the score. The score. Welcome back in. It is always a pleasure for us to open the door and say hello to Ryan Feller. He drives you home afternoons down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as host of the game on Tide 109. Ryan, welcome in. How are you? Well, a little cold, to be honest with you. Here in T-Town, it's only about 48 degrees. Wind's kind of blowing up, but I bet it's a little colder up there on the mountain where you guys are at.

And, hey, we're still celebrating. It's still, you know, Nadeau's kind of warmed us up a little bit. Got back on the way to the side. That was good. Kind of felt good. So, and we're waiting for a trial, which courtroom could be a little hotter tomorrow. Who knows what that's going to produce? Yeah, Ryan, talk to us about this team this year. I mean, it is truly a Forrest Gump special. It's not like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. They can knock off good teams.

They can get embarrassed by other good teams. And then they can take on the number one team at the time in the SEC and win a shootout in a track meet. Ryan, your thoughts. And not only that, that win last night to me is so pivotal because you're about to go down to Auburn. You were 4-4 coming into that game. Here's a team that started out in the top 10. They've slid out of the top 25. Very critical, to say the least, about that win last night. But your thoughts overall about this team?

Yeah. I mean, I think it's, as you said it, you don't ever know which team is going to show up, right? I mean, they've got plenty of guard play. They've been able to score some points. But, you know, if this team, you know, I've watched Nadeau's before, and I feel like his teams almost at times will peak a little bit too much, right? Yeah. Too early. And maybe this one is just peaking just right because here you are. You've got about a month. What is it?

[1:41:01] I think the final game is March the 7th. Yeah, hey. Auburn, excuse me, Auburn's here. And you've got to go play them all on the road on Saturday. But getting a chance to kind of walk your way up. Now, listen, and I hate to drag it right back to the courtroom because I pick up that the audience just hates, you know, this discussion as far as the NCA and, you know, whether it's true or whether it's false. But, I mean, tomorrow is going to determine, I think, a lot for this team, especially if they can get healthy.

But if they get this temporary restraining order that goes their way and the hearing tomorrow. Now, you know, we've seen some other cases really not go as favorable. But you have a new judge, and Judge Pruitt, he's not an Alabama booster, but, you know, I would imagine if we went through his closet, we could probably find an Alabama shirt or two. I mean, everybody's in Salusa. Some has to. Yeah, Auburn folks, I mean, I think he went to undergrad here. Everybody went to Faulkner Law School, but he's not officially as a booster.

He's also, you know, an elected position, right? I mean, those are elected positions here in Tuscaloosa. I mean, these are things you have to discuss. I mean, because it's like he's not an appointed judge. He's an elected judge now. But they start, you know, doing all this terminology. But, you know, the NCA could show that they've got some teeth if they win this tomorrow. I mean, guys, that important hearing tomorrow, because I promise you, if Charles Pattiaco wins his case and he continues to play, that will open the flood doors for what we will see in college basketball.

Because I promise you, there's somebody out there that needs a rim protector just like Alabama. And they're willing to go a lot of different levels. And it may open the door for the NFL. I mean, that's the other part that we're not discussing is, you know, a guy that goes to the draft, he's not drafted where he thinks he's going to draft or be drafted. He doesn't sign a contract. Does he have the chance to go back to the college ranks? If that case tomorrow goes Charles Pattiaco's way, there's probably going to be a pretty good argument that that can exist.

I think we saw a little bit of that in Dan Wetzel's article today on ESPN, kind of describing that that could be the future of where we're headed if this judge rules tomorrow and Charles Pattiaco's favor. Right, right. People don't follow this stuff as religiously as some. The question, I guess, that just the typical layman wants to know is, is this thing finally going to be put to rest? In other words, it's like it's been like a library book or like Congress trying to decision to get a budget bill.

Three every two weeks, they have to come back and do it again. Whatever happens tomorrow, is that it going forward for the foreseeable future? No, I mean, there's always appeals. I mean, you know, I mean, you know, you look at any time they get from a local level, if the NCAA is not pleased with it. But the problem is time is not on their side, right? I mean, we talked about a couple of seconds ago. I mean, if you get an appeal, that's probably going to take some time.

I mean, we saw it in a local courtroom get drugged out once, and they tried to drag it out again today, and it got rejected. Now, but that was on a different side. I think Alabama wanted to drag it out a little bit. That could tell me that Alabama doesn't feel maybe as confident. And I'm saying Alabama, Charles Pattiaco, that they don't feel as confident as maybe they did. Because I still think it was bogus. The NCAA pretended like they didn't know that weather was coming.

Guys, we talked about weather for, I mean, two weeks. Over a week. Yes. So they act like they couldn't get down here because of weather. They knew the weather was coming. You know, if I've got an appointment hearing, and I know I've got to be somewhere, I think they did it purposely. I think that was disingenuous. You know, and I'm not saying weather didn't cause them. But I think when you look at it, that was a convenient excuse that they used to kind of drive that thing home.

And, you know, but who knows what this, because they asked for a recusal the same day they said they couldn't get here for weather. So I think that was the focus all along. And we'll see. But I'm telling you that the next 24 hours could decide the future of college sports. I mean, when you really get to looking at it and thinking about it, I mean, this thing could be a big discussion with the world of collegiate sports. It will be a big, and I can't, I'm going to hear in the mark 930.

I'll be curious how much national attention gets pulled in here. You know, will you see a, you know, a Jeff Goodman? Will you see a, you know, a Dan Wetzel who loves to cover this type of legality side of things? I mean, I think it could be a very busy, you know, media contingent here because I think this could be a future landscape decision. Because, you know, in the courtroom, many times you use a case. If it goes your way, then it'll be a part of the arguments for other cases.

[1:46:07] And I'm not an attorney, but you hear them so many different times. Well, they'll use an example of why this judge ruled the way that he did. And so we will find out. I've called a couple of different attorneys just to kind of pick their brain. And they felt like initially that Judge Roberts would not have ruled the temporary restraining order if he didn't think that he was going to grant it to have, you know, on the premises that this thing would be surpassed, like, in other words, pass the temporary restraining order.

So, but this is a different judge. I don't know the way that he interprets the law. And I think that's a lot of it is how do they interpret this rule. And I know that Nate Oates has made his argument multiple times. You know, I think he made it yesterday on a show, Field of 68, talking about the European pros and people that are out of college seven years that are still playing in college basketball. I mean, guys, it's a little bit of a mess. Yeah, that was Joe Goodman's show.

Ryan, Alabama didn't beat Texas A&M last night because of beating uncle. Quite frankly, he has not played as well in the last two games. They've struggled with two areas, in my opinion. One, the four transfer guys have basically given Alabama nothing. Taylor Bo Bowen is injuries, the ones from Florida State. Bristow's been hurt the majority of the year. Noel Williamson from Bucknell is just not physical enough to play in the SEC in Jalil Pathea. The transfer from Miami plays about two minutes and jacks up two 30-foot shots and goes to the bench.

Alabama beat them because they out-rebounded A&M by eight. They only had six turnovers versus 18 against Florida. And they had 22 bench points from Houston, Millett, who had 12, and London Jimson, who had 10. And they played defense last night. When they played defense and rebound, they didn't beat anybody in the league. Yeah, and obviously they did. I mean, the number one team there, when you look at it and you begin to consider it. But it kind of goes back to, I don't want to say the NIL, but you brought up the portal a couple of minutes ago.

And I continue to reference Emily Smarr's article in Tuscaloosa News where they spent $2.9 million in collegiate revenue share. Now, and you could say, well, hold on, they got other NIL deals. Well, guys, I live in Tuscaloosa. I don't see as many basketball players endorsing advertisements as I do, like Ryan Williams or Ty Fimson. I don't see it. Now, I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but I look up at the billboards and I'm not seeing, you know, like Caden Proctor. I think he did a deal with like Morgan and Morgan Law or something like that.

I saw the billboard. I don't see it there. So you tell me, I mean, I'm not saying it's not happening, but from a revenue share standpoint, it seems like from that standpoint, it just, that may be the limit. And so you may be limited with what you can get out of the portal. I think Kevin Sampson earlier in the day talked about, you know, that you just kind of have to do what you got to do. And some of these programs may not have the money that other programs have.

And I think that's where you're at is, is you, it's what can you get out of the portal? And I think that's probably led them to the Charles Bediaco to even consider allowing him to come back is probably what we just talked about right there is trying to say reason we took him is because they didn't really do that well in the portal. So going back to the European players, that is one of the reasons why, I mean, those guys charge a lot of cash. I mean, you got to spend pretty heavy cash to go get some of those professionals from the European, you know, the pro league.

So, so to go and get those that there's a, there's a big cost right there. And so that's, that's kind of something that you, you do spend a little time thinking about is, is where the amount of portal. And I wish this stuff was public because I think we'd have a little bit better barometer of how to judge these coaches, because at this point, I don't really know how you judge a coach. It's kind of like, you know, do we judge an NFL coach based on, or a major league baseball team based on a salary cap, the New York Yankees?

Do we just judge them the same way we do the Kansas City Royals? I don't think so. I wish this was public, but it's never going to be public. It's never going to be public. It's just what it is. Yeah, absolutely. Well, listen, you got to go do a show. I always enjoy the conversation. We'll talk a little bit more about killing the boar in the spring whenever they decide to do one. I noticed they decided to have Texas A&M as homecoming. They decided last year to have Oklahoma headed that turnout.

[1:51:16] And I wonder if they could have gotten a little lower profile for homecoming. I'm sure Texas A&M is going to use that as fodder once the season begins. Who else have you got on the show today, and where can we get online and listen? We got Brooks Austin at 2.15. We've got Hugh Miller, the old NFL quarterback. He's going to talk about Alabama's rushing attack at 5 o'clock. And then we've got Amari Sapp is going to be with us. And we've got a big famous concert. Ronnie McDowell, the old country musician, is going to be a part of our show at 5.30 to promote a concert here in Tuscaloosa.

So, we're going to try to throw it around here for the next four hours starting in just a couple of minutes on Tide at 109.com. I appreciate you guys so much. You guys have a great rest of your day. Same right back at you, Ryan Fowler, host of the show down in Tuscaloosa, 109, about to get cranky. BB, your thoughts coming up as far as Mediaco tomorrow. What do you expect from the judge? Harold, it's 50-50. I know that's a compound answer, but, again, you've got a different judge and a different mindset.

Now, if they'd have kept the same judge that he was smart enough to accuse himself, right now, well, I said 50-50. I think I might go right now 55-45 that he will not get the injunction and continue to play. Just one of the many questions to be answered tomorrow, including the Friday for the Super Weekend. That is all straight ahead. But, for now, on behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. So, that's doing it again tomorrow, noon to two for the Boom on Bug Show, back here on Sports Radio, 939 to score.