Former elite Alabama recruit explains abrupt departure: ‘The new staff wasn’t for me’
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Former Alabama defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis shared some thoughts on his exit from Tuscaloosa in a recent interview.
Oatis spoke with On3’s Pete Nakos about his decision to leave Tuscaloosa for Colorado this past offseason. Oatis, a former top-100 recruit, initially remained with Alabama through the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer but he decided to enter the transfer portal back in October of 2024.
“I left Alabama because I came in with coach Saban, I took it to heart. That was one of my biggest dreams: To play in college football for coach Saban and win a ring,” Oatis told Nakos. “The new staff wasn’t for me. And once I found out that they didn’t mess with me, I knew it was time to get up and get out of there.”
Oatis played significant snaps during his first 2 seasons at Alabama. He recorded 55 tackles from 2022 through 2023 including 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 2 pass deflections.
Oatis was also an elite recruit for Alabama once upon a time. He was the No. 71 overall player and the No. 12 defensive lineman in the country for the class of 2022, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Because Oatis departed Alabama before playing in a 5th game last season, he was able to take a redshirt year in 2024. He will have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining at Colorado.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
