Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis to redshirt, transfer during the season

Alabama junior defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis will redshirt this season and enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN.

Oatis started 13 games in his first two years at Alabama and was a top 40 overall recruit entering the 2022 class. He is considered a key member of the Crimson Tide defensive line as he possesses rare size and athleticism at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds.

Oatis' snaps declined this season and he said the reason for the departure was playing time. He played a total of 25 snaps against Georgia and Wisconsin and averaged 16 snaps per game in the four games he played this season.

“I'm getting the reps and the looks that I'm getting,” Oatis told ESPN, “I feel like it's better for me to move to a new place.”

In a news conference Monday, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said injuries have hampered Oatis and he “hasn't been able to perform or produce the performance that any of us would like to have.”

In 2023, Oatis averaged more than 22 snaps per game and started three games. As a true freshman in 2022, he started 10 games and averaged more than 24 snaps per game.

Oatis informed Alabama coaches of his decision on Monday. Since he has only played four games, he is eligible to redshirt and retain his year of eligibility.

Oatis said he didn't play in the Vanderbilt game because he was dealing with a minor knee problem that wasn't considered long-term. He is officially listed as a player on the Box Score participation report, but told ESPN that he did not play any snaps. He is not listed as a photographer by Pro Football Focus.

Oatis missed this spring because of three surgeries — shoulder, knee and ankle — that left him limited at the start of training camp. However, he has been fully healthy since the end of training camp and is looking for a place where he can play more and perform for the NFL.

Oatis' size, recruiting experience and experience with more than 600 career snaps will make him a top product in the NCAA transfer portal. He is a player that every NFL team has evaluated this year because he brings a rare blend of size and athleticism. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 300 pounds, his skills and early career performance made him a prospect that intrigued NFL teams.

“I'm trying to make it (to the NFL) like everyone else is trying to make it,” Oatis told ESPN.

He has 57 career tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also has five deflected passes in his career, a high number for a center back.

Wommack was asked by the media about Oatis in late September and said he was working to get back into the swing of things after offseason injuries. In his four games this year, he has two tackles and one deflected ball.

“I think there is growth there, but we definitely want to continue to see him take steps in the right direction,” Wommack told reporters on Sept. 30. “I think if he continues to take these steps, he really has great potential.”

Oatis grew up in Mississippi and said there was a desire to stay in the SEC or move to a “big” school in the Big Ten or ACC.

He said he plans to finish the semester at Alabama and is on track to get his degree in sports management. He will try to work toward a master's degree at his new school.