Last Call | Mick Gillispie & Jake Coker Break Down Alabama’s Brutal 2026 Schedule

What this episode covers

Mick Gillispie and former Alabama quarterback Jake Coker break down the biggest stories in Alabama athletics and the ever-changing world of college sports in this packed episode. The show opens with Alabama baseball and the Tide’s recent run of success, including a no-hitter against Florida and a sweep of Auburn, before turning to the growing chaos surrounding the transfer portal and the tough reality many players are facing in today’s college football landscape. Mick and Jake also dive into the modern NIL era, with Jake giving his perspective on what his own value might have been if he played today, while comparing it to the massive numbers current quarterbacks are commanding across the sport. The conversation then shifts to Alabama football spring practice, where the biggest focus remains the quarterback battle between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. They also discuss the development of key tight ends like Josh Ford and Caleb Edwards, along with the most important takeaways from Alabama’s eighth spring practice. From there, Mick and Jake take a deep look at the Alabama football schedule, discussing why it feels like a gauntlet and whether the Crimson Tide are more likely headed for 10-2 or 9-3. They hit the early games, dangerous road trips to Kentucky, Tennessee, and LSU, the huge home matchups against Florida State, Georgia, and Texas A&M, and why the Iron Bowl never follows the script. Jake also shares some great personal stories from his playing days, including getting dunked on by DeMarcus Cousins in high school and what practice was really like under Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin. They also touch on former Alabama basketball players Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, the state of college athletics as a whole, and what fans should be watching as spring football rolls on. This episode is packed with insight, stories, and analysis for fans of Alabama football, Alabama baseball, SEC sports, NIL, and the transfer portal. #AlabamaFootball, #JakeCoker, #MickGillispie, #AlabamaCrimsonTide, #BamaFootball, #AlabamaBaseball, #SpringPractice, #NIL, #TransferPortal, #SECFootball, #IronBowl, #CollegeFootball SUBSCRIBE: @NextRoundLive - / @nextroundlive FOLLOW TNR ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/c-7759604 FOLLOW TNR ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7zlofzLZht7dYxjNcBNpWN FOLLOW TNR ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-round/id1797862560 WEBSITE: https://nextroundlive.com/ MOBILE APP: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-next-round/id1580807480 SHOP THE NEXT ROUND STORE: https://nextround.store/ Like TNR on Facebook: / nextroundlive 267,216 Follow TNR on Twitter: / nextroundlive Follow TNR on Instagram: / nextroundlive Follow everyone from the show on Twitter: Jim Dunaway: / jimdunaway Ryan Brown: / ryanbrownlive Lance Taylor: / thelancetaylor Scott Forester: / scottforestertv Tyler Johns: /TylerJohnsTNR Sponsor the show: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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