Jumbo Package: Saban shopping the portal for DB depth

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Not much going on today, but here’s what we got.

Alabama is clearly shopping the portal for DB depth.

After hosting UAB safety Jaylen Key on a visit last week, Alabama is pursuing a second defensive back in the NCAA transfer portal.

Louisiana cornerback Trenayvian “Trey” Amos announced Monday evening he had entered the the NCAA transfer portal, and tweeted less than an hour later that he he had received a scholarship offer from Alabama.

Amos has since reported offers from Florida, Miami, Michigan State, LSU, Ole Miss, Illinois, Auburn and Oregon. A senior this fall, Amos has two seasons of eligibility remaining because of the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver for his freshman 2020 season.

Chris Low has a pretty fair assessment of Alabama’s key issues this season.

Yes, there’s the obvious question about quarterback. It’s a fair one: If the Crimson Tide can’t win a national title with Bryce Young (they did win an SEC title), is it realistic to expect them to win with Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson, and now, last-minute Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner? How well Alabama is able to run the football this season will be a key, and look for the defense to be much more aggressive in forcing turnovers and negative plays. It also helps that just about all of Alabama’s toughest opponents (LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas) have to come to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2023. So probably best not to sleep on the Tide.

The Athletic has hired a new Alabama beat writer.

My name is Kennington Lloyd Smith III, or as SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum called me in January 2021, “An award winner and the best name in the industry.” I’m a suburban Atlanta native who has spent the past two years in Iowa City, Iowa, covering University of Iowa football and men’s basketball. My time in Iowa was amazing, but returning to my native footprint to cover SEC football was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.

An Alabama AD staffer has pretty much fired himself and will be lucky if he doesn’t do prison time.

Self, the administrator for the Crimson Tide football program, was placed on a 24-hour domestic violence hold with a bond set at $300. BamaOnLine reported that he was not listed in the inmate database Monday afternoon.

“Alabama Athletics is aware of this incident,” a University of Alabama spokesperson said in a statement. “We take such matters seriously and will continue to gather more information to address this personnel matter.”

AL.com reports that Self was previously arrested in Tuscaloosa in 2010. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge, paid a fine and received a suspended 10-day jail sentence. He was employed by the University of Alabama at the time.

Last, you may have seen this odd news about Alabama baseball yesterday.

Schuler wrote that the emergency order was in response to a report from an independent integrity monitor. On Friday, U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based firm that monitors the betting markets, issued an alert to its sportsbook clients regarding “suspicious wagering activity” involving the Alabama-LSU game.

Because there is no national gaming regulator, a halt on wagering typically happens on a state-by-state basis.

Sportsbook FanDuel has removed Alabama baseball games from its betting menu in all jurisdictions as a precautionary measure.

ESPN has reached out to the Ohio Casino Control Commission for comment.

This was something that a single state decided to do, and there is no indication as of now that any other state responded to whatever the concern was. Very strange, and we will update if any new information comes to light.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.