The Unlikely Hero Who Sparked Alabama's Comeback Win Over Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. –– Alabama football's season looked like it was coming to an ugly end on Friday night.

The Oklahoma Sooners led 17-0 early in the second quarter of the College Football Playoff first-round matchup, and the Crimson Tide's "road warriors" seemed silly. Alabama didn't even convert its first down of the game until there were 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

But that first down created a spark.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson connected with freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks on that play, which led to a 29-yard gain. Simpson and the offense had 12 total yards in the first quarter, but this first down was the beginning of a groove.

"I think I had two catches that drive," Brooks said after the game. "I just give thanks to Ty. He just keeps telling me to keep my head in the game, stay humble and the ball will find me in the right moments."

The Crimson Tide continued driving downfield, but came across a fourth-and-two dilemma at Oklahoma's 6-yard line. This would basically be an automatic way to cut the deficit to 14 points with a field goal, but Alabama went aggressive, as Simpson found Brooks once again, but the 5-foot-9, 191-pounder refused to go down as he dragged defenders into the end zone.

"I just give all credit to Ty," Brooks said. "During the game, he just said 'I'm going to find you. I'm going to find you. I'm going to find you.' The whole game he found me and we got a connection.

The spark turned into a flame, as Alabama's defense reciprocated shortly after with a blocked punt by co-captain and nose tackle Tim Keenan III and a pick-six by Zabien Brown, tying the game at 17 apiece at halftime.

Brooks led Alabama in both receptions (3) and yards (40) in the first half. He's tallied 40-plus yards for an entire game four times this season.

That said, the flame turned into a wildfire on his next catch, as Simpson connected with Brooks in the end zone for an incredible 30-yard score. One of, if not the best play of the night, and it was the one that gave Alabama its first lead after trailing 17-0.

Brooks' sixth and final reception in Norman wasn't flashy, as it was a five-yard play on second-and-long. Nevertheless, it was enough for Simpson to tuck the ball in and run for 13 yards and extend the drive. A few plays later, Talty converted another field goal attempt, and Alabama held a 10-point lead.

The Crimson Tide won 34-24 and move on to the Rose Bowl against No. 1 Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Jan. 1, 2026 in Pasadena, Calif.

Simply put, Brooks was the unlikely hero in this one. He's made some big plays this season, but none were as massive as some of the ones he made on Friday. Alabama has three receiver that have consistently been on the field throughout the season: Germie Bernard, Ryan Williams and Isaiah Horton. But Brooks was the one who stepped up.

"They teach me a lot," Brooks said of those receivers. "I've learned a lot from route running, catching the ball, learning plays. Not even football, just becoming a better man, finding God, stuff like that.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said in the offseason that he was a bit confused why Brooks was a three-star/low-end four-star recruit coming out of high school. He had flashed a ton of promise in practice, and in a win-or-go-home road game, he extinguished roughly 80,000 Oklahoma fans.

"He's got twitch, he's got the ability to separate, and then he's really good with the ball in his hands," DeBoer said after the game. "And so I think you saw a little bit of all that happening, whether it would be on third down, on a third down there in the first half, the touchdowns — winning before you catch the ball, the other one winning after you have the ball in your hands.

"And so love the energy he brings. He pretty loose, easy going, and sometimes I make sure I got to reel him in a little bit. But, man, that's when he's at his best. So, just let him be who he is. You know, kind of figuring out your players as you go through the season. He came out and had a great game. And you know, you see him and Ty really connecting and being on the same page."

In case you haven't noticed, this was the first time this season that Brooks has been available to speak to the media. UA said before the season that freshmen would not be made available, but Brooks' impact was so massive that they had to break the rule.

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