Alabama football 2025 season preview, predictions: Danny Lewis Jr.
A player who reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal this past offseason prior to withdrawing his name, Lewis has spent the last three seasons in Tuscaloosa to begin his collegiate career, but hasn't quite yet broken through as one of Alabama's top tight ends.
Advertisement
However, could that breakout campaign end up coming in 2025 for Lewis?
Here is everything you need to know about Alabama tight end Danny Lewis Jr. entering the 2025 college football season.
Danny Lewis Jr. player information
Position: Tight End
Jersey Number: No. 87
Height: 6'5
Weight: 250
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: New Iberia, Louisiana
High School: Westgate
Danny Lewis Jr. career stats
Lewis is entering his fourth season at Alabama this fall, each of which the tight end has seen action for the Crimson Tide. Primarily a backup option who has seen time on special teams, Lewis has recorded only one catch over those three seasons for five yards, as well as returned a kickoff for 14 yards.
Danny Lewis Jr. 2024 stats
As mentioned above, Lewis has not necessarily seen much time across his previous three seasons at Alabama. In 2024, Lewis did not record any stats as a redshirt sophomore, but did play a blocking role.
Danny Lewis Jr. recruiting ranking
Out of high school, Lewis was considered as the nation's No. 622 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings. A three-star prospect who committed to Alabama in February of 2022, Lewis also ranked as the nation's No. 31 overall tight end that cycle, as well as the No. 30 prospect in the state of Louisiana where he attended Westgate High School.
Danny Lewis Jr. 2025 season outlook
Simply put, Lewis is a player that Alabama likely needs to take the next step during the 2025 season.
Advertisement
As both CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts have moved on, Alabama will be relying on multiple tight ends to emerge in 2025, with Lewis as one of the biggest names in that conversation to do so. Should he do that as well, then Lewis would be set for career-high's in receiving, which he has not done much so far at Alabama, while also playing a key role as a blocking tight end.
Expect that breakout season to come for Lewis also, and for the Alabama tight end to emerge as a pass catcher in particular this fall.
Danny Lewis Jr. 2025 season prediction
2025 Prediction: 10 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football 2025 preview, predictions: Danny Lewis Jr.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trans athletes face uncertain future after Penn strikes deal with Trump administration
The University of Pennsylvania's decision this week to sign an agreement with the Trump administration committing to barring transgender athletes from its women's sports teams is raising questions about whether other schools might do the same faced with the weight of the federal government. Penn, President Trump's alma mater, is the first to sign such an agreement, which the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) proposed following an investigation that found the university violated Title IX, the federal law against sex discrimination in schools, when it allowed Lia Thomas to join the women's swim team for the 2021-22 season. Thomas broke three of the six Penn women's swimming and diving individual freestyle records that year, which the university removed from its leaderboard as part of its agreement with the Trump administration. An addendum to Penn's women's swimming all-time school records now reads, 'Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.' Penn's agreement with the OCR also required it to issue a public statement, to be displayed 'in a prominent location on its main website,' pledging compliance with Title IX, which the administration has said prohibits transgender girls from girls' sports, and specifying that it would not allow transgender women to participate in women's sports or enter women's athletic facilities, such as locker rooms. The Ivy League institution was also made to personally apologize to Thomas's former teammates and adopt 'biology-based' definitions of the terms 'male' and 'female,' consistent with two executive orders Trump signed during his first weeks in office — one that proclaims the U.S. recognizes only two unchangeable sexes, and another stating the federal government opposes trans athletes' participation in girls' and women's sports. The NCAA, which oversees sports at more than 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide, barred transgender women from participating in women's college sports shortly after Trump signed the order on trans athletes. The organization's president, Charlie Baker, had testified before a Senate panel in December that fewer than 10 known NCAA athletes are transgender. 'There is nothing legitimate about what the Trump administration is doing here in targeting trans-inclusive sports policies,' said Shiwali Patel, director of safe and inclusive schools at the National Women's Law Center. 'I don't think we should be giving any sort of legitimacy — I don't think institutions should, by signing these resolution agreements,' Patel said. In a letter addressed to the Penn community on Tuesday, J. Larry Jameson, the university's president, wrote that the school's commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for its students is 'unwavering,' but that it is also bound by federal requirements, including executive orders and NCAA eligibility rules. 'This is a complex issue, and I am pleased that we were able to reach a resolution through the standard OCR process for concluding Title IX investigations,' he wrote. Jameson added that Penn has never had a transgender student-athlete policy of its own and was in compliance with federal law and NCAA rules when Thomas was a student. But refusing to sign the Trump administration's agreement 'could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania,' he wrote. The administration had suspended $175 million in federal contracts awarded to Penn in March, citing Thomas's participation on the women's swim team three years ago. That money was released to the university after it signed the agreement,a White House official told The Hill. Patel said she worries Penn, by signing the agreement, is setting a precedent for other schools to follow, despite having what she said is 'a clear legal claim' to challenge the administration if it were to pull a college or university's funding over its trans athletes. 'I'm worried that other schools might follow, but I hope they push back,' she said. 'If they don't challenge it, then I think that this is going to make the Trump administration think, 'Well, this is a winnable approach, you know, let's keep at it and be more aggressive.' I worry that they'll continue on this.' Since Trump's return to office in January, the Education Department has opened more than two dozen investigations into states, school districts and athletic associations that it says are violating Title IX by allowing transgender students to compete. In April, the department joined forces with the Department of Justice to establish a Title IX 'special investigations team' in response to what either agency described as a 'staggering volume' of new complaints. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also initiated Title IX investigations related to transgender athletes under the second Trump administration, one of which found the state of Maine in violation of the federal civil rights law. That investigation was later referred to the Justice Department, which filed a civil lawsuit against the state's Education Department in April. The Justice Department is also investigating California, whose funding Trump threatened in May over a transgender 16-year-old's participation in a state track-and-field championship. While several universities have also seen their federal funding threatened or frozen by the Trump administration, Penn is so far the only school to have its funding paused over its handling of transgender athletes. On separate issues, schools have challenged the administration: Harvard University and the Trump administration continue to lock horns in an escalating battle that began in April, when the White House froze more than $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard over the school's refusal to implement policies that it claims exceed the government's lawful authority and violate its constitutional rights. Penn's agreement with the administration on Tuesday signals that other schools may not have the desire, or the resources, to enter costly and high-profile litigation with the government. They may also lack the appetite to go to bat for transgender students at the risk of losing hundreds of millions in federal financial assistance. 'No school wants to lose their federal funding, so I do think that we're going to see schools probably adopt more restrictive eligibility policies around transgender athlete participation, particularly in states that already have laws that exclude trans athlete participation,' said Leah Reynolds, principle consultant at Distinct Consulting Solutions, which advises schools on Title IX compliance. Twenty-seven Republican-led states since 2020 have adopted laws that bar trans students from competing in line with their gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ laws. Court orders are blocking six of them, in Arizona, Idaho, Utah and West Virginia, from taking effect, and a narrow ruling in New Hampshire allows only the two students challenging the law to continue competing on their schools' girls' sports teams. A federal judge allowed the two high school students to expand their legal challenge to include the Trump administration in February. 'Right now, if you're following the industry, you can see there's a clear divide,' said Reynolds. 'Some schools, like schools in California or Maine, appear to be resistant to federal pressure to restrict trans athletes. There's probably going to be a divide until some of the court cases that are happening right now start resolving themselves.' On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to weigh during its next term whether state laws banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's school sports teams violate Title IX and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The court's conservative majority ruled last month that a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors does not violate the U.S. Constitution or discriminate based on sex or transgender status.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Savannah Sutherland is moving fast and breaking records
Canada's Savannah Sutherland now holds both the Canadian and NCAA record in the women's 400-metre hurdles. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters - image credit) For the last year, Savannah Sutherland has been moving fast and breaking records. But for the next week, the 21-year-old hurdles phenom is taking a well-deserved break from preparing for Canadian nationals and the world championships. She's in her hometown of Borden, Sask., spending time with her family – and working on a new role. Advertisement "I'm an aunt as of February," Sutherland told CBC Sports. "My nephew [is] about five months old now, so that's really special to me. Family is huge to me." It marks a slower pace than Sutherland had been operating at for the past year. That started with her Olympic debut last summer in Paris and wrapped up with a spectacular performance to end her collegiate career with the University of Michigan at last month's NCAA outdoor championships. Sutherland captured her second NCAA title in the women's 400-metre hurdles by running a record-breaking time of 52.46 seconds at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Not only did she better her own Canadian record (53.08), it was also an NCAA Championship meet record, a Big Ten record, and a new NCAA record. It was also the ninth-fastest time ever recorded in the event. Advertisement The previous NCAA best of 52.75 was set in 2018 by two-time Olympic champ – and current world No. 1 – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Sutherland and McLaughlin-Levrone are the only women's runners in NCAA history to break 53 seconds, and the Canadian is still coming to terms with being in such exclusive company. "Obviously, Sydney's the greatest to ever do it, so, it's kind of surreal to just have my name mentioned in the same conversations as hers, honestly," Sutherland said. "I don't think that that will ever fully sink in." Sutherland has already shared the track with McLaughlin-Levrone, when the Canadian reached the final in her Olympic debut, finishing seventh. That race marked another record-book moment for Sutherland, becoming the youngest-ever Canadian to reach an Olympic track final. Advertisement Records aside, making that final opened Sutherland's eyes to her own growing potential. "I think making the Olympic final last season really boosted my confidence," Sutherland said. "I think that that was the big difference this season, just knowing that the ceiling is higher than I expected it to be." "When I made the Paris Olympics, it sent the message to me that, today, no matter who's on the track, I belong there, I've earned my spot there because I've competed at the highest level. But now that I'm ninth all-time – typically there's nine lanes on the track – so now it's like whoever's on the track, I have earned my spot there." Not long after breaking McLaughlin-Levrone's record, Sutherland was named the NCAA's women's outdoor track athlete of the year. That made her Michigan's first athlete to ever earn a national honour in track and field. Advertisement "Michigan is definitely more of a distance [running] school, historically," she said. "You know, Saskatchewan isn't really a big track place either. So, I kind of have always been from a place where maybe it was a little bit more difficult, or maybe you had to work a little harder, drive a little farther, or compete indoors for a longer amount of time, than other places. "So [I] just kind of leaned into that and it kind of felt familiar in that sense." WATCH | Sutherland on NCAA record, going pro ahead of Tokyo worlds: Hometown support 'pushed me to the next level' Sutherland grew up in the village of Borden, which is about 50 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. The population only numbers about 300 and Sutherland credits the "tight-knit community" with helping her get to where she is today. Advertisement "Everybody knows everything that goes on in each other's life – which can be both a blessing and a curse at times – [but] for me it was mostly a blessing because I always had the support of the entire community behind me," Sutherland said. "I think that it was a driving factor because it pushed me to want to represent these people that I know are supporting me. I think it just pushed me to the next level, knowing that I was running for everybody else and accomplishing all of these things for the entire community and not just myself." While she was aware of track and field sports from small meets in elementary school, Sutherland really took the first steps in her career by following in the footsteps of her older brother, Cole. "He's five years older than me, and I really looked up to him and was chasing after him in a lot of aspects," Sutherland said. "So, I would find myself enrolled in the sports that he was passionate about. I did volleyball as a result of that, then he also did track and ended up winning provincials one year as a discus thrower. Advertisement "And I said, 'hey, that's pretty cool. I want to try and do that.'" It was at a high school track meet in 2016 where a coach from a neighbouring town noticed Sutherland's raw talent and approached her with an offer. "[He] said, you know, 'hey, you're pretty fast. You should check out this track camp in the summer.' And I did, and then it ended up being selections for Team Saskatchewan," she said. "I ended up going and being selected for U16 nationals and doing the [100], the [200], the [300], and then both relays." The 13-year-old Sutherland made the final in the 100 at that event, but was mostly memorable for her because it was when she bought her first pair of track spikes and learned how to use the starting blocks. Advertisement Sutherland wasn't immediately drawn to the event she's now known for, but her talent was undeniable. "Yeah, hurdles in general was something that I didn't really want to do," she said with a laugh. "First, my coach [Lee Wolfater] told me to just check it out. So, I was very hesitant. "He said, 'we'll do it for two meets. And if it goes horribly, you never have to see a hurdle ever again in your life.'" Sutherland won both of those races in Saskatoon and would see many, many hurdles again, as she began to specialize in the 400m hurdles. It wasn't long until both Sutherland siblings made their mark in Saskatchewan track and field, evidence of which is still visible in their high school gymnasium. Advertisement "Now it's funny because our provincial banners are hanging next to each other on the wall of the gym," she said. "That's pretty special. I would definitely say [my brother was] the driving factor." Canada's Savannah Sutherland is shown in this 2023 file photo while competing in the women's 400m hurdles semifinal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. (File/AFP via Getty Images) Her brother and parents still live in Borden, but Sutherland has a tangible connection to her family when she runs, in the form of a silver St. Christopher necklace. That "lucky necklace" is around Sutherland's neck every time she races, and she said it serves as a reminder of why she competes. "I look at it every time I'm in the blocks and just remind myself who I'm running for and why I'm doing what I do." Advertisement World championships on the horizon Sutherland's 2025 season will continue with a few more meets, including Canadian nationals, before culminating with September's world championships in Tokyo, where her goal is clear. "Honestly, [I'm] trying to keep my expectations low. [The] first thing is to make the final like I did last year," she said. "It's a super competitive event, right now and I feel like anything can happen, especially when there's hurdles involved. So I'm just kind of trying to keep my head on straight and hopefully finish higher than I did last year. "Just as long as I'm making forward progress, I think that's enough for me."
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Alabama Star Mark Sears Reveals Jersey Number for Rookie NBA Season
Former Alabama Star Mark Sears Reveals Jersey Number for Rookie NBA Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former Alabama star Mark Sears was not selected in the 2025 NBA draft. He went undrafted, but shortly after, was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as an undrafted free agent. Per an announcement from the Bucks, Sears signed a two-way contract with the team. Advertisement Now that Sears knows what the immediate future of his basketball career looks like, he is able to focus on some fun things. Notably, he picked his jersey number for his rookie NBA season. He will be wearing No. 19 for the Bucks next season. However, Sears will likely spend most of his time in the G-League, only earning significant minutes with the Bucks if there are several injuries. Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) dribbles the ball against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Mark Sears is one of the most accomplished players in recent history for the Bucks. While the former Alabama star played his first two seasons with the Ohio Bobcats, he blossomed into a star with the Crimson Tide. Sears played three seasons with the Crimson Tide, emerging as a star scorer in his second season with the team. This past year, Sears averaged 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Advertisement Sears is now joining a Bucks team that is going through a period of uncertainty. While they still have one of the best players in the league in Gianna Antetokounmpo, there are rumors that he could be traded this offseason. Related: Kevin Durant's Thoughts on Ace Bailey Comparison Earn a Big Reaction from the Rutgers Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
