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

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kick 6

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I think Ronnie Harrison is going to be a monster safety this year.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The rain forced Alabama football inside for its fifth practice of fall camp on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide worked in full pads for the first time this fall.

Given the limited access, it’s tough to gather much information because reporters are only allowed to watch certain drills. Still, we were able to get plenty of video and a few notes from the workout.

What we saw

- Freshman VanDarius Cowan was the only player wearing a black, non-contact jersey.

- The first- and second-team offensive line remained the same: left tackle Jonah Williams, left guard Ross Pierschbacher, center Bradley Bozeman, right guard Lester Cotton and right tackle Matt Womack.

- The second group had Scott Lashley at left tackle, Dallas Warmack at left guard, JC Hassenauer at center, Deonte Brown at right guard and Alex Leatherwood at right tackle.

- Kedrick James worked with the tight ends for the fourth straight day. It looks like his experiment with the defensive line is over.

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A steady rain soaked Tuscaloosa on Tuesday, forcing Alabama inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

The Tide donned full pads for the first time since the team began preseason practices last week.

Here are some observations from the limited media access period:

-- Josh Jacobs led the running back drills. He was followed by Damien Harris, Brian Robinson, Bo Scarbrough and Najee Harris.

-- Alabama's first-team offensive line remained the same. Matt Womack lined up at right tackle, Lester Cotton at right guard, Bradley Bozeman at center, Ross Pierschbacher at left guard and Jonah Williams at left tackle.

-- Scott Lashley was Alabama's second-team left tackle. Next to him were Dallas Warmack at left guard, J.C. Hassenauer at center, Deonte Brown at right guard and Alex Leatherwood at right tackle.

-- Linebacker VanDarius Cowan remained in the black non-contact jersey he has worn since last Saturday.

-- Freshman Kedrick James, who was deployed at defensive line during the first practice, has been working with the tight ends ever since.

-- Several receivers dropped passes in "air" drills Tuesday, including senior Cam Sims.

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Robert Foster leaving the Alabama program seemed inevitable back in January.

The wide receiver even acknowledged that he was thinking about transferring at the national championship game Media Day. And, surely, there would have been numerous schools interested in landing the former five-star recruit with sub-4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash who posted 10 catches and two touchdowns in the first two-plus games of 2015 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

Yet, seven months later, Foster is still a member of the Crimson Tide and seemingly primed for his long-awaited breakout season.

"One thing I never want to do is quit," Foster said Saturday at Alabama's Media Day, his first time speaking to the media since the national championship game Media Day. "I want to be a leader, not just for my team and not just for my receivers or any of the offense. One thing I've noticed is quitting won't get you nowhere in life, so I hope my mentality will help everyone, the young kids and (everyone) in general."

This is a talented group with an established star (Calvin Ridley), a former five-star recruit set to break out as a redshirt senior (Robert Foster) and freshmen such as Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith who will make the competition for playing time very interesting during fall camp.

Foster is in line to start at the outside receiver spot opposite preseason first-team All-SEC selection Calvin Ridley.

After consistently producing big plays throughout the spring, Foster continues to make big plays early in fall camp.

During the Tide's open practice on Saturday, Foster caught a touchdown pass of about 40 yards from quarterback Jalen Hurts after beating starting cornerback Anthony Averett on a go route.

Foster said he's "100 percent" recovered from an incident earlier this summer, when he was hit by a car while riding his dirt bike and needed 27 stitches in his back and two in his wrist.

"Everything's going well," said Foster, who finished last season with just five catches for 45 yards. "We're just taking it one day at a time and working on our craft to be the best team we can possibly be."

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Foster is one of Alabama's fastest players and probably one of the fastest wide receivers in the country.

The Pennsylvania native ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds during the Tide's spring testing last year, which was tied for the fastest time on the team.

That speed was on display during Alabama's spring game when he beat first-team cornerback Trevon Diggs for two long catches -- a 65-yard touchdown and a 50-yard reception. It was then on display again Saturday when he caught the long touchdown on Averett.

"Certainly a guy who would be a real plus for us because of the speed that he has, the vertical ability that he gives us on the outside," coach Nick Saban said during the spring. "I think he's playing better than he did a year ago, and hopefully he will continue to improve and have a role on the team. I think we need for him to do that."

"Hopefully he will continue to improve and have a role on the team. I think we need for him to do that."

It looks like he will and like Foster's decision to stay at Alabama is working out well for both him and the Tide.

In June, Foster posted a Morgan Freeman quote on Facebook, "The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit."

"I swear this quote drives me everyday with pics of my (son) on my phone," Foster added.

Then, on Sunday, Foster published his most recent Facebook post. "To all the people worried about (their) situation," it read, "know your blessings are (about) to come soon."

"I've learned that things aren't (always) going to happen when you want it to happen," Foster said Saturday. "It's a humbling experience for me. Just when the time comes, take advantage of it."

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