Alabama football started preseason camp right Wednesday, especially on its defensive line.
Jeheim Oatis, a junior defensive tackle, practiced at Thomas Drew Field. The native Mississippian worked alongside Tim Smith and Tim Kennan III in the first wave of linemen. Oatis, a former four-star, missed spring practice because of an injury.
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It means a lot for the Crimson Tide to have its beast back in the middle of the defensive front. Oatis came in over 400 pounds as a freshman, but got his weight down to 360 to earn a starting spot. After getting Freshman All-SEC honors in 2022, he continued his body transformation — dropping 40 more pounds.
The 6-foot-5 specimen played at 320 pounds last year, which improved his breathing and stamina.
He totaled 26 tackles, a tackle for loss, half a sack, two quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama’s head coach, updated Oatis in his interview with the media after practice.
“He was almost ready at the end of the spring,” DeBoer said about Oatis.
“And so, he’s had a good summer and I am excited about what he will bring to the table for us. He was right on the verge. If we had one more week of spring ball, we would have made sure he got out there.”
This is huge for Alabama fans when it comes to Oatis. He could have played the final week of spring practice, but the coaching staff held him back for precautionary reasons. Oatis is now full go as a veteran upfront for Alabama defense in fall camp.
He will be a force for opposing offensive linemen, especially if he consistently wins his one-on-one matchups.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
