Happy Gump Day, everyone. A couple of days before Alabama takes the court in NCAA tournament action, Theodore Fernandez of SI notes that you should probably get to know the name Cruz Davis.
Davis is one of the best guards in the nation, regardless of level. The CAA Player of the Year averaged 20.2 points and 4.6 assists per game this season as a three-level scorer with elite instincts and a proven ability to deliver in big moments.
Davis was a four-star recruit out of the elite Huntington Prep in West Virginia, passing up higher-profile offers to go play for Rick Pitino at Iona. He was selected to the MAAC All-Freshman Team before following Pitino to St. John’s, where he played just four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Davis opted to transfer a second time after that lost 2024 season, landing just 15 miles down the road in Hempstead, NY. The decision was again based on coaching, as he cited the opportunity to learn from former NBA guard Speedy Claxton, which has paid dividends. The 6’3 Davis is a complete product, a player with the athleticism to compete in any conference who will be fielding significant portal offers at the season’s end.
Sounds like a dude that Nate may be looking at this offseason, but in the meantime we need to slow him down on Friday.
Want something to Gump about? How about this secondary, folks?
The Crimson Tide lost Domani Jackson to the NFL Draft, but returns two other starting cornerbacks in Dijon Lee and Zabien Brown. At safety, Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard both opted to return to school instead of test the NFL waters, and Red Morgan — who plays the nickel position that defensive coordinator Kane Wommack calls the “husky” — is also back.
When asked during Alabama’s first week of spring practice if he felt the Crimson Tide has the best defensive backfield in the nation, Lee answered in the affirmative.
“In my opinion we do, yeah,” he said. “A lot of returning pieces. Like I said, we got good chemistry together. We all are very sure tacklers. Very technical. Definitely just feel like, if we just put it together, we can definitely be the best secondary in the nation.”
This group is long and athletic. When the opposing secondary is elite, quarterbacks tend to hold the ball just a bit longer which helps the pass rush. It also helps when corners can be trusted on an island, which allows an extra defender to creep up into the box.
DeBoer and Grubb shared a bit about their offensive line philosophy. “Versatility” isn’t really what they’re looking for.
“You’re right, there is some versatility with a number of guys,” DeBoer said. “That’s nice, but you also don’t want to (fall) into the trap where you’re moving guys around, and now that continuity, that familiarity that I’m talking about, it’s something that you don’t see. And now you’re not making the strides we want.”
Versatility was at the center of Alabama’s story up front in 2025. Michael Carroll, the top interior lineman in the 2025 recruiting class, played more than 500 snaps at right tackle as a freshman, forcing now-Texas A&M transfer Wilkin Formby inside. Alabama also saw ongoing rotating at both guard spots between Formby, Jaeden Roberts, Kam Dewberry and Geno VanDeMark.
This sheds some light on the surprising announcement of Jackson Lloyd as the left tackle. He was always the succession plan and trained for the job all last season behind Kadyn Proctor.
Marlon Humphrey likes what he sees from Kalen.
Humphrey returned to Alabama last summer to speak to current players about the importance of little actions and how they can lead to impactful moments, a principle he learned from Saban’s famed process approach. Tuesday, Humphrey said he came away impressed from the visit, crediting DeBoer for maintaining Alabama’s culture.
“I was actually very surprised with at the atmosphere DeBoer built,” Humphrey said. “I thought it would have been a lot more Hollywood-type deal, more NFL feel. It still felt like college. It still felt like the roots of Alabama are still there amongst the players. … I was very impressed, honestly, with the character of the players at the university.”
While Humphrey still sees similarities in Alabama from Saban’s tenure, he noted today’s era of college football is vastly different from it was during his playing days.
Last, Jaylen Waddle was traded to Denver and fetched a first plus a third.
The Broncos receive Waddle and a fourth-round pick (111th overall), while the Dolphins receive Denver’s first-round pick (30th), third-round pick (94th) and a fourth-round pick (130th). Bo Nix gains an explosive weapon receiver as Waddle is one of the fastest players in the NFL.
During his tenure in Miami, Waddle finished with 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns. In the 2025 season, he racked up 910 receiving yards to go with six touchdowns. The Dolphins selected Waddle with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Remember when people melted down because we had to “settle” for Jaylen after Justyn Ross went to Clemson? Good times.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
