The Alabama Crimson Tide are at a crossroads.
The Crimson Tide suffered one of the most shocking upsets in the history of college football on Saturday, entering the weekend as the number-one ranked team in the country before falling to the Vanderbilt Commodores 40-25. The Tide entered the game as 20-point favorites, but the odds didn’t matter one Saturday.
It seems like at least one player within the program was so disgusted by the loss he doesn’t want to be involved with the team anymore.
Alabama Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis is forgoing the remainder of his eligibility this season to redshirt and enter the transfer portal. The news was reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“Alabama junior DT Jehiem Oatis plans to redshirt and enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN. Oatis started 13 games his first two years and was a Top 40 recruit. He said the reason for leaving is playing time, as he played 25 total snaps against Georgia and Wisconsin,” Thamel wrote on Twitter.
Alabama junior DT Jehiem Oatis plans to redshirt and enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN. Oatis started 13 games his first two years and was a Top 40 recruit. He said the reason for leaving is playing time, as he played 25 total snaps against Georgia and Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/pksgmAWsGY
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2024
This is a huge blow to the future of the program. According to The Spun, Oatis was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and started over a season’s worth of games in his time with the Crimson Tide.
Oatis is still able to redshirt despite playing in games this season because college football players are allowed to redshirt as long as they don’t appear in more than four games.
Hopefully, the young talent lands somewhere that prioritizes consistency on the field and he is afforded more opportunity.
