Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 90 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 100-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.

This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. With today being June 5, that means we are only 90 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and then.

With opening week 90 days away, let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who has represented that number.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 61 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 90?

At this time, no one is wearing the No. 90 for Alabama. Stephon Wynn Jr. was supposed to wear it for a fifth straight season, but the redshirt senior elected to enter the transfer portal back on April 20. Then on May 22, the veteran defensive lineman announced his commitment to Nebraska.

“First off, I would like to thank Coach Saban and all of the staff associated with the University of Alabama for an amazing four years,” Wynn said in his statement. “You all have made a lot of my childhood dreams come true, and I am very grateful for the time that I have spent here. My family and I feel that it is in my best interest to enter my name into the transfer portal and finish my college career elsewhere. Thank you Roll Tide nation for all the love and support over the years. I will forever be an alumnus of the University of Alabama.”

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

Since there isn’t anyone currently wearing the No. 90 on Alabama’s 2022 roster, we decided to highlight two former players who wore it. Those players include two defensive linemen from the Nick Saban era, Quinton Dial and Jarran Reed.

Dial was the first of the two to don the number.

The former Birmingham (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville standout was supposed to be a part of Alabama’s 2009 recruiting class, but the 2008 6A Defensive Lineman of the Year was instead forced to spend his first two college seasons on the JUCO level. After two years at East Mississippi Community College, Dial finally found his way to Tuscaloosa.

In his two-year stint with the Crimson Tide, Dial logged 46 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks en route to being a fifth-round pick (No. 157 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFL Draft. In total, he spent five years in the league, four with the 49ers and one with the Green Bay Packers.

He played in 59 games with 34 starts, producing 145 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He last played in 2017.

Reed, on the other hand, didn’t get to Alabama until 2014. But oddly enough, he was another JUCO defensive lineman who came from East Mississippi. And while Dial was also a well-known, productive college defender, Reed was the more consistent and successful player.

In two seasons at Alabama, the 6-foot-3, 307-pounder had 111 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and 7 pass deflections. That success helped him become a second-round pick (No. 49 overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2016 NFL Draft. Here’s how he’s done so far in the league:

• 6 total seasons (89 games played, 80 starts)
• 225 tackles, 24.5 sacks — career-high 10.5 sacks in 2018
• 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries

After spending five seasons in Seattle and one with the Kansas City Chiefs, Reed signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Packers this offseason. He’ll only be 30 years old in December, so he should have a few good years left in him. Well, as long has he continues to get opportunities.

2022 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)

Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK

Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)

Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)

Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)