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Not a single starter on offense is from the state of Alabama...
Posted on 9/6/23 at 5:34 pm
Posted on 9/6/23 at 5:34 pm
Call me a boomer, call me a Karen, I don't care. I was at the Alabama-MTSU game on Saturday and when they announced the starting line-ups there were only two or three starters on defense from Alabama and not a single one from Alabama on offense. I realize that we are a national power and thus our reach extends nation wide, however it would be nice if there were players from the state of Alabama representing The University of Alabama on the field. It's one of the reasons why I watch the sport. There are boys from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana playing for their state schools, playing for state pride. You just don't see that anymore.
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Posted on 9/6/23 at 5:37 pm to RollTide1987
What recent prospect from the state of Alabama is tearing it up elsewhere?
The state has had several highly rated guys over the last couple classes that haven't panned out in college, either at Alabama or other schools.
The state has had several highly rated guys over the last couple classes that haven't panned out in college, either at Alabama or other schools.
This post was edited on 9/6/23 at 5:37 pm
Posted on 9/6/23 at 5:58 pm to RollTide1987
I railed on this very fact in recruiting for years. But I’d also like to win. But I think you’re going to see a lot more in-state kids taken due to NIL and the portal as time goes on.
Posted on 9/6/23 at 5:59 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
it would be nice if there were players from the state of Alabama representing
I know exactly what you mean.
As kids, a buddy and I couldn't wait for the rosters to come out, and we would put a special emphasis on where each player was from.
Getting a Derrick Lassic from New York or even a Shaun Alexander from Kentucky was the exception, not the rule (or at least it felt like it).
In fact, I still root especially hard for guys like Will Reichard and Roydell Williams for that reason.
And it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see one of those good ol' Town Creek boys every now and then.
Posted on 9/6/23 at 6:03 pm to RollTide1987
Couldn't give a shite where the players are from if they can play
Posted on 9/6/23 at 6:11 pm to RollTide1987
I definitely see where you are coming from. It doesn't bother me all that much, but it is nice seeing an Alabama born and raised player start at Bama.
Posted on 9/6/23 at 6:39 pm to RollTide1987
Idgad if they’re from Timbuktu. Let the best man play
Posted on 9/6/23 at 7:05 pm to RollTide1987
I'd imagine a lot of schools not in California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida have to reach outside their respective states to fill their rosters.
Wonder what the numbers are for Auburn, Tennessee, an# UGA
Wonder what the numbers are for Auburn, Tennessee, an# UGA
Posted on 9/6/23 at 7:08 pm to paperwasp
quote:
Getting a Derrick Lassic from New York or even a Shaun Alexander from Kentucky was the exception, not the rule (or at least it felt like it).
In fact, I still root especially hard for guys like Will Reichard and Roydell Williams for that reason.
And it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see one of those good ol' Town Creek boys every now and then.
What was even rarer was getting a 4 or 5 star. I remember back in the early aughts wanting that kid out of Homewood who went to Auburn and was a 4* receiver. I thought he could turn us around. I remember when LSU had 4 or 5 times as many 4 and 5 stars as we did. We tried to make a bunch of 2 and 3 stars work. Stallings did, but few others were really successful. A few 10 win seasons thrown in with a bunch of 8 and 9 win seasons.
The last 15 years have been really sweet.
Posted on 9/6/23 at 7:08 pm to RollTide1987
Some of the greatest players to ever put on crimson, staples of the program even, had no ties to the state. Don Hutson, Shaun Alexander, Joe Namath, BEAR frickING BRYANT, Derrick Thomas…..the list goes on. It’s nice having Bama dudes that have a passion for their team as the core of the program, but for a team like Alabama, that doesn’t matter.
Maybe 20 years ago that would have. Having a large majority of the team knowing about what the iron bowl or 3SIO means to the fans before coming in gives an extra motivation here and there….but ultimately….the program isn’t run that way. Alabama isn’t run on passion for the team. It’s run on execution and betterment of the young man. That means you have less seasons like Brian Kelly where one game you beat the best team in the nation and the next you get rolled by a mid major.
EDIT: You should consider it a blessing every single one of our heisman winners was from a different state than Alabama. Michigan, Florida, Louisiana and finally California. That means that over 15 it doesn’t matter what circumstance, Nick Saban is able to pull in and develop the top player in the country. Not only that, but he also has a Heisman from every major skill position. That’s insane dude.
Alabama was never built on Alabama and I don’t want it to be. Being fundamentally dependent on your state leads to good ole boy systems like you saw with Dubose all the way to Shula because the administration just couldn’t stand not helping one of our own out.
Maybe 20 years ago that would have. Having a large majority of the team knowing about what the iron bowl or 3SIO means to the fans before coming in gives an extra motivation here and there….but ultimately….the program isn’t run that way. Alabama isn’t run on passion for the team. It’s run on execution and betterment of the young man. That means you have less seasons like Brian Kelly where one game you beat the best team in the nation and the next you get rolled by a mid major.
EDIT: You should consider it a blessing every single one of our heisman winners was from a different state than Alabama. Michigan, Florida, Louisiana and finally California. That means that over 15 it doesn’t matter what circumstance, Nick Saban is able to pull in and develop the top player in the country. Not only that, but he also has a Heisman from every major skill position. That’s insane dude.
Alabama was never built on Alabama and I don’t want it to be. Being fundamentally dependent on your state leads to good ole boy systems like you saw with Dubose all the way to Shula because the administration just couldn’t stand not helping one of our own out.
This post was edited on 9/6/23 at 7:14 pm
Posted on 9/6/23 at 7:37 pm to RollTide1987
We've been getting the top recruits in the state for the past several recruiting cycles so I guess its up to them whether or not they plan on beating the others out at their respective positions. This year seems to be one where the barn has leveraged NIL with heavy success
I expect us to head to the portal for WR unless there's a few flips we don't know about yet
I expect us to head to the portal for WR unless there's a few flips we don't know about yet
Posted on 9/6/23 at 7:50 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
Not a single starter on offense is from the state of Alabama...
Maybe you would prefer a bunch of 3*'s from in-state and lose?
I don't give a shite where they are from.....just win baby
This post was edited on 9/6/23 at 7:53 pm
Posted on 9/6/23 at 8:06 pm to Vulcan Materials
quote:
Some of the greatest players to ever put on crimson, staples of the program even, had no ties to the state. Don Hutson, Shaun Alexander, Joe Namath, BEAR frickING BRYANT, Derrick Thomas…..the list goes on.
True...but they were surrounded by players who were from the state of Alabama. Don Hutson and Bear Bryant were two players on that '34 national championship team who were from out-of-state, but they were starting right alongside All-American Dixie Howell from Hartford, Alabama and All-American Bill Lee from Eutaw, Alabama.
Joe Namath was taking snaps from All-American center Paul Crane from Prichard, Alabama. Derrick Thomas learned the ropes of the linebacker position from All-American Cornelius Bennett of Birmingham, Alabama. Finally, let's not forget that Shaun Alexander's life was made easier running out of the backfield by All-American left tackle Chris Samuels from Mobile, Alabama.
I love winning just as much as you guys do. However, we are The University of Alabama. It would sure be nice to see players from Alabama on the depth chart.
This post was edited on 9/6/23 at 8:10 pm
Posted on 9/6/23 at 8:31 pm to RollTide1987
Just looked at our roster in my sport... 50% more Australians than Alabama kids
Posted on 9/6/23 at 9:24 pm to CapstoneGrad06
quote:
I railed on this very fact in recruiting for years. But I’d also like to win. But I think you’re going to see a lot more in-state kids taken due to NIL and the portal as time goes on.
The defense should be stocked with Alabama grown talent over the next couple seasons.
Russaw, Pierre, James Smith, Hurley, Mitchell, Kite, etc.
Ryan Williams is the next truly elite in-state offensive guy and he might be on the roster next year.
Posted on 9/6/23 at 9:35 pm to TideSaint
quote:
What recent prospect from the state of Alabama is tearing it up elsewhere?
Judkins at Ole Miss
The QB at Duke looked pretty good
Posted on 9/6/23 at 9:40 pm to Riseupfromtherubble
quote:
Judkins at Ole Miss
I know rankings don't mean much, but he was a mid-level 3-star coming out of Pike Road. He was ranked the #53 RB in the country.
We signed #2 and #4 in Emmanuel Henderson and Jamarion Miller in that class.
Posted on 9/7/23 at 8:09 am to TideSaint
quote:
What recent prospect from the state of Alabama is tearing it up elsewhere?
Riley Leonard at Duke is projected by some as a first round draft pick. He didn't even get an offer from Alabama or even auburn.
Posted on 9/7/23 at 8:24 am to TideSaint
i find myself cheering the same, regardless of where their from. sure i grew up seeing bama guys on bama's roster. but just like everything else, things change.
i never yell Roll Tide, with an asterisk
i never yell Roll Tide, with an asterisk
Posted on 9/7/23 at 9:48 am to RollTide1987
This has even become the case for teams that don't have much of a national reach. I just picked a random mediocre team, Maryland, and looked up their depth chart. They had about as many out of state starters as they had players from the talent rich DMV area. The recruiting services keep evolving and they've really nationalized recruiting for everyone. The state/local pride element of the game has been declining for a long time and is totally dead in the NIL and transfer free agency era. Playing college football is now as transactional as the NFL, arguably even more because NFL players can sign long term deals to stay in one place. Conference realignment has also made it clear that regionalism doesn't matter to athletic departments, so you can't really blame the players for going all over the country. But as a viewer, the downside is that the players care much less about their school and put in noticeably less effort.
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