Over the past couple of days, we’ve talked about a pair of FBS players who’ve decided to give up other sports at the collegiate level to focus solely on football. At Alabama, one member of the reigning national champions has decided to spread his athletic wings this spring.
According to Michael Casagrande of al.com, Keith Holcombe (pictured, No. 42) has recently joined the Tide’s baseball team and will presumably compete with the stick-and-ballers for the foreseeable future. A linebacker in football, Holcombe is listed as an outfielder on the baseball roster. What impact if any this will have on Holcombe’s availability for spring football is unknown.
Holcombe had enough baseball talent that, in spite of signing with ‘Bama just a few months earlier, he was drafted in the 37th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Obviously, he eschewed that opportunity, at least for now, to pursue football.
A three-star member of UA’s 2014 football recruiting class, Holcombe was rated as the No. 31 outside linebacker in the country and No. 16 player in the state of Alabama. After redshirting as a true freshman, Holcombe was a consistent contributor on special teams during the Tide’s run to the national championship.
“His blocked punt early in the SEC Championship Game win over Florida set the tone in a low-scoring first half,” Casagrande wrote of Holcombe’s timely special teams prowess.