Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis to redshirt, transfer over playing time

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

Oatis started 13 games his first two years at Alabama and was a top 40 overall recruit upon his arrival in the Class of 2022. He’s considered a key member of the Crimson Tide defensive line rotation, as he’s got rare size and athleticism at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds.

Oatis’ snaps decreased this season, and he said the reason for leaving is playing time. He played 25 combined snaps against Georgia and Wisconsin and averaged 16 snaps a game in the four games he’s played this season.

“Getting the reps and looks that I’m getting,” Oatis told ESPN, “I feel like it’s better for me to move on somewhere new.”

In a news conference Monday, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said that injuries had hampered Oatis and he has “not been able to perform or produce the way that any of us would like.”

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 Monday. Since he’s played just four games, he’s able to redshirt and preserve the year of eligibility.

Oatis said he did not play in the Vanderbilt game because he’s dealing with a minor knee issue, which is not considered long-term. He’s officially listed as playing in the participation report in the box score, but he told ESPN he didn’t not play any snaps. He’s not listed as taking any snaps by Pro Football Focus.

Oatis missed this spring because of three surgeries — shoulder, knee and ankle — that found him limited at the start of training camp. He’s been fully healthy since the end of training camp, however, and is looking for a place where he can play more and produce for the NFL.

Oatis’ size, recruiting pedigree and experience with more than 600 career snaps will make him a top NCAA transfer portal commodity. He is a player all NFL teams were evaluating this year, as he brings a rare blend of size and athleticism. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he was a prospect that intrigued NFL teams because of his ability and early career production.

“I’m trying to make it [to the NFL] like everyone is 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 career deflected pass, a high number for an interior lineman.

Wommack was asked by the media about Oatis in late September and said he was “working to hit his stride” coming off the injuries in the off-season. He has two tackles and one deflected ball in his four games this year.

“I think there’s growth there, but certainly we want to continue to see him take steps in the right direction,” Wommack told reporters Sept. 30. “I think as he continues to take those steps, he has really high potential.”

Oatis grew up in Mississippi and said there’s some desire to stay in the SEC or transfer to a “big” school in the Big Ten or ACC.

He said he plans to finish out the semester at Alabama and is on track to earn his degree in sports management. He’ll look to work toward master’s at his new school.