Keith Holcombe came to the University of Alabama in 2014 with one speed, one focus and one mindset: to be a great football player. Despite the vision, the baseball diamond would ultimately pull him away from football.
While he was the first player under Nick Saban to experience this issue with the Crimson Tide, Holcombe will certainly not be the lone individual.
Tyrell Shavers, a rising sophomore, was recruited for football in the 2017 signing class, but is starting to take a liking to baseball. According to practice footage of the team via Zachary Tigert of WVUA 23, Tide’s baseball coach Brad Bohannon likes what he sees from Shavers.
Here is @AlabamaFTBL WR Tyrell Shavers at @AlabamaBSB practice this afternoon. Shavers is obviously a gifted athlete and played baseball in high school. HC @CoachBo_Bama says they’ll evaluate his status on the team after a few weeks. pic.twitter.com/td7C4CCvze
— Zachary Tigert (@ZachTigert) January 25, 2019
The 6-foot-6, 216-pounder from Lewisville, Texas was an elite four-star receiver and an exceptional baseball player in high school. He played in 14 games for Alabama football in 2018, but did not record any stats.
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His size makes him an ideal target in both red zone and third down situations; however, he has yet to find a role that suits him. Not saying baseball will pull Shavers away from Bryant-Denny Stadium and Nick Saban, but we’ll continue to track his progress.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
