re: Official Fall Camp Discussion Thread - Who Wants to Wear Out That Trojan arse?

Replied to this because it is closest

Update: Bo Scar has something nagging him preventing his 100% attention, Harris took 1st team reps yesterday. Not sure if it sticks but watch closely as we may be in a Harris and fresh situation.

Has anyone heard/seen how Tim Williams has been holding up against the run, setting the edge, etc. now that he is full time and not just a pass rush specialist?

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Not getting my hopes up on Scarbo

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Me either. Hope he proves me wrong but between his injury history and then the NCAA stuff, he's seemed like one of those guys that just always seems to have something negative going on.

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Stewart was under appreciated last year due to Ridley's big numbers

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Stewart was under appreciated because he forgot how to catch in the first half of the season.

He did play well in the later games though.

From BOL via TSWSNBN (It lives. Sort of.):

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From BOL: TIFWIW. I will give you some information about what is actually going on since everyone was nice to each other in the last thread (amazing how much more I would say if I didn't get sick of the trolls).

I'm going to focus on a few....

Bo - - Everyone just shut up and enjoy the ride. The coaches don't need to see what Bo can do

D. Harris - - the easiest way for me to describe his running style is to compare him with K. Darby. I'm not saying this kid isn't an incredible football player because he is. I think he will be at his best in the fourth quarter when other teams are tired because if he isn't he might not see the field because......

Emmons/Jacobs - - these two guys are on a different planet. I will put it to you this way, remember when S. Alexander was redshirted? It had nothing to do with his talent running the football but had everything to do with his willingness and ability to block along with the experienced backs in front of him. When you get on your knees tonight to pray before you go to sleep ask God to answer your prayer that these two studs perfect their technique and become excellent pass blockers. They are so electric in the read option that I have asked myself multiple times who I would start. That is not an exaggeration.

WR - - we have three receivers on this team who could be first-round draft picks. Ridley gets all of the attention and rightfully so. I want to focus on the other two guys. Stewart is without a doubt the most underrated player on this entire football team. He does the dirty work, blocking for other receivers, giving up his body for the team. So many people will laugh at this next comment but I was told this by , "A. Stewart is the best all around receiver we have had since Julio and he might be one of the top five athletes I have ever coached." Does anyone remember what the knock on Julio was? AS dropped way too many balls last year but I will bet you right now that he wont this year. I wish someone would go back and watch all the games so they could comment on the separation he gets from his man. Remember also that Jake really struggled on mid-level routes. R. Foster is about to blow all of your minds. I will leave it at that.

Cotton/Williams - - I honestly don't know where to start. For all of the misses we had because of player evals for a few years we haven't had any in the last three classes. I hope I can say this in a way that doesn't cause everyone to totally lose their mind.... These two guys have a skill set that forces you to make comparisons to Hall of Famer's and only Hall of Famer's because at their size, with their skill set the only thing between them and the Hall of Fame is work ethic. And Nick wont let anyone come to Bama that doesn't have it.?

Now for what you have all been waiting for... Yes it is true. Jalen Hurts is the best quarterback I have seen in my lifetime at Alabama and he reminds me of Johnny football on the field. The great thing for us is that he doesn't remind anyone of Johnny off the field. He had an outstanding day yesterday and if he can carry that over for the next few practices then he will start. If he starts to struggle over the next week we will certainly see Cooper start vs USC but make no mistake about it he will still play and play a lot.

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Dear god...thats a whole new level of crimson koolaid.

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Good ole BOL.

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If you plugged all of the college football teams in America into a computer and simulated the 2016 season 100 times, it would play out in 100 different ways.

There are so many variables. It’s hard to know how that sophomore quarterback will develop and who knows if a coach will choose the right rotation for his defensive front.

On the field, anything can happen. Maybe it rains for a big game, rendering a team’s short-passing game less effective, or the wind blows a winning field goal wide right. A fumbled football can bounce back into the ball carrier’s arms — or into the path of a grateful defender.

With all that in mind, here are the best- and worst-case scenarios for each SEC West school in 2016:

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Alabama

Best case: The Crimson Tide continue their run of successful first-year starters at quarterback, with one of the contenders — Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett or Jalen Hurts — gaining an edge. At running back, Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris don’t match Derrick Henry’s record-breaking production from last season, but they come close enough to supplement a talented group of receivers.

The defense remains stout despite personnel and coaching losses. Jonathan Allen and Tim Williams have big seasons near the point of attack. A deep and talented secondary continues to force turnovers and put the offense in good field position. In short, the season plays out much like 2015, when the Tide won the SEC and captured the national championship.

Worst case: No one takes command at quarterback, and the inconsistency that follows puts too much pressure on the young running backs. Defensively, it takes a few weeks for six new starters and some new voices on the coaching staff to mesh.

As a result, the Ole Miss game comes too early. That loss, coupled with another one to either Tennessee or LSU, keeps Alabama from winning the West and defending its national championship.

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LINK

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — We’re 10 days away from Alabama facing USC in AT&T Stadium, and one big question remains for the Crimson Tide: Who will start at quarterback?

USC coach Clay Helton named redshirt junior Max Browne the Trojans starting quarterback last Saturday. Browne edged redshirt freshmen Sam Darnold for the job.

Alabama coach Nick Saban has yet to publicly name a starter despite reports and rumors that he would.

Saban didn’t name a starter prior to the season opener of the last two years when Blake Sims won the job over Jake Coker in 2014, and Coker won the job over Cooper Bateman last year.

There’s nothing to suggest that he won’t stick with tradition and keep the competition open as the games begin.

Bateman, redshirt freshman Blake Barnett and freshman Jalen Hurts are the competitors this time around. David Cornwell essentially is out of the race because of a foot injury he suffered this summer.

There has been a lot of talk about Hurts being the starter, but everyone should pump the brakes a little.

Hurts is the best quarterback on the roster from a talent standpoint. During Alabama’s scrimmages, Hurts has made great plays that impressed teammates and the coaching staff. But he also has made the “freshman mistakes” that can sometimes get a team beat. That’s to be expected to a degree as Hurts is less than a year removed from high school.

Barnett is the only former 5-star prospect on the roster. Barnett has shown a lot of improvement throughout fall camp. He’s put on some good weight and has a better understanding of the playbook.

His problem has been turnovers. Barnett struggles with turnovers during Alabama’s scrimmages. It’s the same thing that took him out of last year’s competition.

Saban demands that his quarterbacks take care of the ball so giving it to the other team is the fastest way to never play a significant down at Alabama.

Then there is Bateman, who appears to be the incumbent.

Bateman is the only quarterback on the roster with collegiate experience. He pushed Coker in last year’s competition, and even earned a start against Ole Miss.

Bateman probably is the quarterback the coaches could trust the most in terms of not making those catastrophic mistakes that would lose the game.

But one wonders if the offense would be limited with Bateman behind center.

Hurts and Barnett both have more upside and arm talent than Bateman.

When reporters have been allowed to watch practices, Bateman has been seen throwing balls at the feet of receivers and underthrowing deep routes so much that the receivers don’t have time to adjust.

Bateman would be able to get Alabama’s offense in the right play because of his knowledge of the system. But would Alabama truly be able to take advantage of the playmakers it has on the perimeter with Bateman running the show?

All three of these quarterbacks have their strengths and weaknesses. Hurts and Barnett both are young and have a tendency to force things.

Of the three quarterback competitions in the last three years, this may end up being the toughest decision for the coaching staff.

Do they go with Bateman and risk not having the offense reach its potential? Or do you plug in Hurts or Barnett and let them learn on the job while occasionally making freshman mistakes?

Barring a change in these next 10 days, look for Bateman to trot out for the first series against USC on Sept. 3.

Beyond that, anything is possible.

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LINK

Look at Raekwon Davis:



Hint: He's the guy in the middle.