re: Time to say goodbye to this thread - The season is here

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football opened fall camp on Thursday as the top-ranked team in the Amway Coaches Poll released by USA Today.

The team was scheduled to work for two hours in the 90-degree Tuscaloosa heat. With so many moving parts on the first day, it’s hard to keep up, but here’s what we gathered from the opening workout.

What we saw

- Defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand was at practice and leading his group through drills along with Da’Ron Payne. Hand was recently arrested for driving under the influence. Alabama coach Nick Saban should have a comment on Hand following practice.

- Safety Deionte Thompson was back at practice after missing the final two weeks of spring.

- The first offensive line group we saw at the end of spring remained the same: Jonah Williams at left tackle, Ross Pierschbacher at left guard, Bradley Bozeman at center, Lester Cotton at right guard and Matt Womack at right tackle. Anything can change between now and the opener, but that’s a positive sign in terms of this group gaining chemistry together.

- Minkah Fitzpatrick worked at safety, which is where he finished the spring. Fitzpatrick returns for his junior season as one of Alabama’s top defenders.

- Tony Brown and Anthony Averett led the cornerbacks through drills. Averett has the potential to be a lock-down corner for Alabama. Brown is a versatile defensive back who could play cornerback or star (nickel defensive back).

- With Fitzpatrick at safety, Trevon Diggs remained at cornerback. Diggs worked in the second group with Levi Wallace.

- Linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton, who missed spring practice due to a knee injury, was back with his position group. Hamilton and Rashaan Evans led the inside linebackers through warmups.

- Freshman Kedrick James, who was recruited as a tight end, was spotted working with the defensive linemen.

Led by Hand and Payne, Alabama’s defensive linemen went through a drill with a new sled on Thursday.

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Football is officially back in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama began its preseason routine with the first practice under sunny skies with hot (but been hotter) temperatures. We'll get right to what we observed in the periods open to the media.

-- Defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand was practicing in the first group less than a week after his DUI arrest. That's not a surprise since practice time isn't cut after something of that nature.

-- Shaun Dion Hamilton was in a full-contact crimson jersey working with the first team middle linebackers. He was limited in the spring after tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship Game.

-- Bo Scarbrough was also full go in the white jersey for running backs after his slow spring followed a broken leg in the national title game.

-- Perhaps the highest-profile newcomer not at spring is defensive lineman LaBryan Ray. The five-star from Madison, Alabama was working toward the end of the line with the group.

-- Freshmen Christopher Allen and VanDarius Cowan were working at outside linebacker.

-- Matt Womack was lined up with the first group at right tackle as he had been in the spring. Freshman Alex Leatherwood was in the next group.

-- Freshman Kedrick James is listed at a tight end but was working with the defensive linemen.

-- Jared Mayden was practicing with the cornerbacks.

-- Did a doubletake seeing a No. 93 on the defensive line as freshman Phidarian Mathis wore Jonathan Allen's old number.

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