Alabama wide receiver plans to enter the transfer portal

Alabama WR Shazz Preston: 2023 Crimson Tide Player Spotlight

Shazz Preston, Alabama’s redshirt freshman receiver, plans to enter the transfer portal, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Preston played 17 offensive snaps this past season, with 10 coming against Chattanooga in November, while also working on special teams. As a true freshman last season, he played 19 offensive snaps. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

The Saint James, La. native was considered a 4-star recruit and a top-100 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot, 202-pounder initially picked Alabama over Texas, USC, and Arkansas, among others.

Preston is the fifth known Alabama player to enter the transfer portal, joining quarterback Tyler Buchner, defensive linemen Isaiah Hastings and Anquin Barnes, and wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks.

Shazz Preston, Alabama, Wide Receiver

‘Do or die, man. We needed it’: Wolverines show trust, desperation in the drive of their lives

As the Wolverines’ offense huddled up for what history will now remember as one of the greatest drives in Michigan football history, captain, fifth-year senior and starting left guard Trevor Keegan spoke up.

Do or die, man. We needed it': Wolverines show trust, desperation in the drive of their lives

PASADENA, Calif. — As the Alabama section of the crowd roared, sensing blood in the water, the Michigan football team huddled up.

Dusk had turned to night at Rose Bowl Stadium, and the Wolverines appeared to have one last chance to keep their dream season alive. The Crimson Tide had scored 13 straight points, held Michigan to 44 yards on its last four drives and held a 20-13 lead over the Wolverines with 4:41 to go.

After a promising first half, Michigan’s grip had loosened. Special teams mistakes and offensive ineptitude were adding up, and even the Wolverines’ stout defense was struggled to hold the line. After 13 wins in which Michigan never trailed in the second half, the Wolverines were in uncharted waters. The Crimson Tide, on paper the most talented and athletic team in the country and with six national titles in the last 14 seasons, looked like they were going to do what they so often do to undefeated, highly ranked teams in the College Football Playoff.

“I would just say credit to a great defense,” JJ McCarthy said of Alabama’s defense. “They played tremendous. They had a great game plan for us.”

As the Wolverines’ offense huddled up for what history will now remember as one of the greatest drives in Michigan football history, captain, fifth-year senior and starting left guard Trevor Keegan spoke up. Looking in the eyes of an offense with nine seniors in the starting lineup, he made a commitment that that drive wouldn’t end without a fight.

“I told the guys ‘it’s our last drive together, and I’m going to give you guys everything I’ve got,’” Keegan said from the locker room after the game. “I knew they were going to have my back, and I was going to have their back.

“We just needed to get a first down, and I felt we were good.”

“I would just say credit to a great defense,” JJ McCarthy said of Alabama’s defense. “They played tremendous. They had a great game plan for us.”

“We just needed to get a first down, and I felt we were good.”

Do or die, man. We needed it': Wolverines show trust, desperation in the drive of their lives

Keegan’s approach was simple.

Give everything you have to get a first down, and Alabama’s less-experienced, tired defense would succumb to the moment. But after two four-yard runs to the left, and an incomplete pass attempt to Colston Loveland, Michigan faced a fourth-and-two just three plays into the drive.

With 3:19 to go and on their own 33-yard line, the Wolverines technically could have punted. As defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said after the game, “almost every coach in the country would have punted.” But Michigan’s coaches had trusted their offense to make fourth-down plays all season — the Wolverines rank third nationally with an 81-percent conversion rate on fourth downs — and believed they had the play to make it happen.

“We weren’t really getting things going,” said McCarthy. “But that never bothered us because it’s all in the past and we are focusing on staying in the present and controlling the future.”

Running back Blake Corum jutted out of the backfield and to his right. When Alabama’s linebackers didn’t follow, JJ McCarthy found Corum for an easy completion, and Corum took it 35 yards to put Michigan in Crimson Tide territory.

“Do or die, man, we needed it,” Keegan said of the fourth-down conversion. “It’s Blake, man, I saw it in his eyes.”

But like much of Monday for the Wolverines, there was a mistake that could have proven costly. As Corum took off downfield, Roman Wilson had shoved his defender in the back to prevent him from tackling Corum. The first down still counted, but on a drive where every yard counted, Wilson’s 10-yard penalty put the ball at midfield, still 50 yards from a tie game with 2:51 to go.

Now, it was Wilson’s turn to talk to his fellow seniors.

“I had made a really bad play, a really bad mistake, and the team … the guys on the field forgave me,” Wilson said. “And I told them the only way I could make it up to them is by going out and making a big play.”

And boy, did Wilson do that. Two plays later, after a 16-yard scramble by McCarthy, a pass attempt to Wilson was tipped at the line of scrimmage. It still went in the same direction, but was floating about a foot higher than expected. Wilson, however, was determined to make the play and keep Michigan’s comeback hopes alive.

“When he threw it, I was — in the most non-cocky way, I was the most confident I was going to come down with that ball,” Wilson said postgame. “He threw it up — that was God, bro. He tipped the ball, it kept spinning. It was a little higher and I thought I was gonna one-hand it. God kept me up there. I just reached both hands up, perfect catch. This is unbelievable.”

Wilson’s catch went for 29 yards, bringing Michigan’s drive to the five-yard line with 1:45 to go. Two plays and two timeouts later, Michigan again went to Wilson, this time on a short pass to the left flats for a four-yard score.

Over the span of eight plays and 3:07 of game clock, Michigan went 75 yards to save its season. The Wolverines came up clutch on fourth down, took some late hits and made a catch of the year-caliber reception on a tipped pass. An offensive line with five senior starters, a veteran skill group and a quarterback who has an NFL Draft decision to make saw the end of their time together coming, and turned it away for another week.

Do or die, man. We needed it': Wolverines show trust, desperation in the drive of their lives

“I think that was on our minds, like, we didn’t want to go out like that,” sophomore receiver Tyler Morris said. “Especially them, I’ve still got two years, but I don’t wanna let them down. We needed to do this for them.”

An offense that made mistakes all game knew every play was a knew play, and trusted each other to make those plays.

“We depended on each other,” Keegan said. “We trusted our coaches, our game plan and each other.”

The result was a drive for the ages, one of Michigan’s greatest comeback wins in history and College Football Playoff redemption in a Rose Bowl win no one in that huddle will ever forget.

“It feels great,” Wilson said. “What happened to us these last two years, what this team has built and overcome, I just love this team so much. And that last drive, it was unbelievable, just so grateful for that.”