Alabama DL Jaheim Oatis Reflects on Losing 97 Pounds, Talks Diet Ahead of 2023 Season

Defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis has lost nearly 100 pounds since leaving high school for the University of Alabama.

Oatis, who weighed 417 pounds at one point, said he's now at 320 pounds, with a goal of 330 pounds for the 2023 season. On Tuesday, he spoke about his weight loss.

"When I had all that weight on me, it was a lot. But now that I lost all of it, I feel better," he told Nick Alvarez of AL.com.

"In high school, I ate what I wanted. Miss Amy [Bragg, Alabama director of performance nutrition] though, it's a lot of baked food. She took away the bread and rice, so I eat a lot of vegetables, salad, baked chicken, shrimp and a lot of grilled food."

Oatis appeared in 12 games and made 10 starts for the Crimson Tide as a freshman in 2022, registering 24 tackles and a sack and earning Freshman All-SEC honors.

With Byron Young and DJ Dale both graduating, Oatis is going to be a key figure in the interior of Alabama's defensive line this season.