Alabama ‘definitely made a big jump’ for a five-star receiver after his official visit
Kaliq Lockett was a relatively unknown name to Alabama fans until about two weeks ago, with little talk of a visit or the possibility of him joining the Crimson Tide.
However, the situation changed when four-star quarterback Keelon Russell from Duncanville, Texas, switched his commitment from SMU to Alabama. Soon after, plans were made for an official visit from the five-star receiver and fellow Texan, Lockett.
VIP BOARDS: Stay updated with the latest news ahead of a busy official visitors weekend
“Keelon Russell going to Alabama is big,” Lockett told 247Sports’ Mike Roach when confirming his trip. “We had a conversation about us potentially playing together.”
Bama247 offers the latest insights from Lockett’s midweek visit to The Capstone.
How First Year Alabama Football Coaches Have Fared
No matter how knowledgeable a sportswriter is about football, their understanding is often far less than that of a football coach, as reflected by the difference in their paychecks. A sportswriter’s hard work and long hours cannot match the expertise of a football coach.
This brings us to Xen C. Scott, who coached Alabama from 1919 to 1922. Before 1919, Alabama had 13 different head coaches over 25 seasons. Interestingly, Scott was not a full-time coach; his primary job was sportswriting, covering horse racing in Ohio after the football season and returning to Alabama to prepare for the next season.
Scott seemed like an excellent choice when Alabama resumed football in 1919 after not playing in 1918 due to World War I. Under his leadership, the team went 8-1 with six shutouts, including the first five games. The following year, he led Alabama to its first 10-win season with a 10-1 record in 1920. Scott’s most significant achievement came in his final season in 1922, securing a victory that put Alabama football on the national stage.
At that time, the dominant teams were in the East, such as Penn. After losing to Texas the previous week in Austin, Alabama traveled to Philadelphia as significant underdogs to Coach John Heisman’s Penn team. The 25,000 spectators at Franklin Field were stunned when Alabama pulled off a 9-7 upset. The win made national headlines, similar to the reaction if Penn were to upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa today.
This victory solidified Alabama football’s prominence, establishing it as a national powerhouse.
Ironically, Scott had submitted his resignation before the Penn game and passed away from cancer shortly after the 1922 season.
This left Alabama with its first challenge of replacing a notable coach, a proverbial “hard act to follow.”
Wallace Wade, who had played for Brown in the 1916 Rose Bowl, was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt. His head coach, Dan McGugin, recommended Wade for the Alabama job.
Wade faced the challenge of replacing a beloved and successful coach with an inexperienced roster in his first season. Despite these hurdles, his first season in 1923 was commendable, ending with a 7-2-1 record. Wade would coach Alabama for eight years (1923-30), achieving a record of 61-13-3, and lead the first Southern team to the Rose Bowl. In the 1926 Rose Bowl, Alabama upset Washington 20-19, completing a 10-0 season and winning a national championship. Under Wade, Alabama became the pride of the South, participating in two more Rose Bowls, including a tie in the 1925 game and another 10-0 national championship season with a victory over Washington State in 1930.
Wade became the first Alabama coach inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The challenge of replacing a top coach was met successfully with Wade following Scott, but it would not be the last such situation.
Any sportswriter could attest that the performance so far has been impressive.
Currently, the national college football scene is abuzz with discussions about Kalen DeBoer replacing Nick Saban. Saban, often regarded as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), boasts an Alabama record of 206-29, six national championships, and nine Southeastern Conference titles over 17 seasons.
Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne quickly found a successor in DeBoer from Washington, where he had revitalized the Huskies program in just two years.
In his nine seasons as a head coach, DeBoer has amassed a 104-12 record, including a 25-3 record with Washington and three NAIA National Championships at Sioux Falls.
DeBoer holds a 12-2 record against top-25 teams over four seasons at Fresno State and Washington. His overall record in one-score games is 24-6, including a 12-2 mark at Washington.
In 2023, DeBoer led Washington to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with a victory over Texas in the Sugar Bowl. That year, the team won the Pac-12 Championship and set a program record for most wins in a season (14). DeBoer was named national Coach of the Year by multiple organizations including the Associated Press, AFCA, Eddie Robinson, George Munger, Walter Camp, Sporting News, and Home Depot.
DeBoer became the first Washington coach to win 11 or more games in consecutive seasons, going 11-2 in 2022 and 14-1 in 2023. He was also the first Washington coach to win a bowl game in his first season, earning back-to-back Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. His Washington teams had a 10-1 record against ranked teams and an 18-3 record in playoff games, including his time at Sioux Falls.
In the 2023 season, along with winning the Pac-12 and the Sugar Bowl, Washington secured two top-10 victories over Oregon and wins against No. 12 Oregon State, No. 13 Utah, and No. 24 USC. However, the focus now shifts to DeBoer’s new challenge with Alabama.
