re: 2018-19 Roster/Depth Chart breakdowns and updates

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One of Alabama's young, promising wide receivers is set to miss practice time this spring. Rising sophomore Jerry Jeudy confirmed via Twitter, a report that he recently suffered a meniscus injury that required surgery to repair the injury.

AL.com's Matt Zenitz was first to report to the news and said it is possible Jeudy will return before the end of spring practice, which is April 21’s A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

A former 5-star recruit in 2017, per the 247Sports Composite, Jeudy appeared in all 14 of the Crimson Tide’s games a season ago and finished second on the team in receiving yards.

He totaled 14 receptions for 264 yards to average 18.9 yards per catch, while also hauling in two touchdowns in his first season with the Crimson Tide. The Deerfield Beach, Fla., native was selected as an offensive player of the week against both Ole Miss and Auburn.

This spring, Jeudy ran routes as the first slot receiver in drills for Alabama in its first five spring practice sessions. He was spotted on the field to start Thursday’s viewing period, but he disappeared before the quarterbacks and wide receivers began working together.

Alabama will return to the practice field Tuesday, April 3, at roughly 3:30 p.m. CT, and head coach Nick Saban will address reporters afterward during a 6 p.m. press conference.

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But there are still changes for the Crimson Tide tight ends. However, one way Hentges and company will benefit from the offseason differences is by the addition of position coach Jeff Banks and his background as a special teams coordinator. Banks, the fourth tight ends coach of Hentges’ tenure at Alabama, brings extensive experience with him to Tuscaloosa.

Banks spent the last five years as the tight ends and special teams coordinator at Texas A&M where the Aggies ranked third nationally in net punting (42.29 yards per punt) and second in punt returns with a 17.1 average and two touchdowns. Banks’ units were also No. 1 nationally with eight blocked kicks a season ago.

“He’s been great for us,” Hentges said of Banks. “He’s doing a really good job. Obviously at Texas A&M, he was very good for them. They were always one team, especially on special teams, that always gave us a lot of trouble. So, he kind of brings that same fire, energy and passion to our team. And he’s done a really good job for us.

“I like how intense, how fiery and how vocal he is. I really have enjoyed working with him. I think he’s got a wealth of knowledge, and overall he’s just done a really good job for us. So, I’m excited to be working more with him. I really just think we’re going to have a really good relationship and it’s going to be a good time for us.”

It’s a new year for Alabama’s tight end group, but there are a lot of familiar, key contributors on offense and special teams in 2018. And despite the departure of tight end-friendly offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Hentges believes the promotion of former wide receivers coach Mike Locksley will allow the tight ends to continue to be heavily involved in the passing game.

“We’re obviously never satisfied as a team, especially as a tight end unit,” Hentges said. “We’re always looking forward to contributing more to our offense. Obviously, run blocking has been something we like to hang our hat on but as a tight end unit, we want to do more than that. As a tight end unit, we want to help out in every aspect that we can.

“For us, it’s a bigger role in special teams and ultimately getting more involved in the pass-catching game. I think with Coach Locksley, we’re really seeing more opportunities to do that. More opportunities where we’re playing more two-tight end sets and overall more balls targeted at us. That’s something we’re really excited about, and we’re really going to have to show we’re reliant in that area.”

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Alabama practiced Tuesday afternoon, working outside on an 80-plus-degree day in Tuscaloosa. Here are some notes from the media viewing period:

-- As expected, sophomore wide receiver Jerry Jeudy wasn't practicing. AL.com reported on Monday that Jeudy will miss some time due to a knee injury.

-- Tua Tagovailoa threw during drills.

-- Alabama worked on some goal-line pass plays during the viewing period, and redshirt freshman quarterback Mac Jones stood out while working against the Tide's top defenses. (video)

Granted, it's just a drill during the early part of practice. But Jones, who was the only QB taking part in the drill, threw touchdowns on all but about four of the 10-plus plays we were out there for, including on each of the last four plays of the media viewing period.

One was a nice ball with some zip that he got to tight end Kedrick James for a touchdown despite tight coverage from linebacker Jamey Mosley.

Tight end Irv Smith beat linebacker Mack Wilson for a touchdown earlier in the drill after Wilson had a nice pass break-up on the previous play.

-- Sophomore linebacker VanDarius Cowan was practicing again after missing two practices last week due to an academic issue.

-- The top three defensive linemen in line for drills were Isaiah Buggs, Raekwon Davis and Quinnen Williams. Next up were Johnny Dwight, LaBryan Ray, Phidarian Mathis and Stephon Wynn.

-- Ronnie Clark continues to work at running back.

-- The first-team offensive line remained the same -- Jonah Williams at left tackle, Josh Casher at left guard, Ross Pierschbacher at center, Lester Cotton at right guard and Jedrick Wills at right tackle.

-- Jared Mayden continues to work at safety during the open portions of practice.

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Alabama’s three starting receivers from its 2017 campaign are no longer part of the program and will look to land on an NFL roster as draft hopefuls later this month.

A returning wideout expected to fill one of those first-team vacancies spent some of the Crimson Tide’s first six spring practices with the defensive backs, helping provide depth for a thin position group, while another suffered a knee injury that will sideline for some time.

But all the goings-on in the wide receiver room has allowed one redshirt freshman to take advantage of the opportunity awarded to him this spring. And that is Tyrell Shavers.

“He’s a talented guy,” head coach Nick Saban said of Shavers on Tuesday.

“He’s getting a lot of reps, now especially, and I think it’s a work in progress for him to learn the position because he hadn’t played it before. But he’s got some talent. He’s one of those guys that we need to develop and create a role for him because he certainly has the ability to contribute, and we certainly are going to work really hard to try and help him do to that.”

The No. 12 wide receiver and 88th overall prospect in the 2017 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, Shavers stands at 6-foot-6, 213 pounds on Alabama’s online roster.

He did not participate in the Tide’s 2017 national title run that featured a 6-man rotation at wide receiver, but he was a standout on the practice field, earning Scout Team Player of the Week honors from the UA coaching staff seven times as a freshman last year.

Although he hasn’t yet displayed it to the public, what Shavers has shown behind the scenes, not only this spring but in the 14-game season, impressed those inside the Alabama program.

“He’s a very big, fast, physical wide receiver,” rising senior tight end Hale Hentges said of his teammate. “It seems like every day when you turn on the tape he’s making some sort of play where you kind of turn your head and you’re like, ‘Wow, that was really impressive.’

“So, he’s a big-bodied receiver who gives our DBs and linebackers a lot of trouble. Hopefully, we can see that kind of same energy and mindset in the fall.”

His last actual game action occurred at Lewisville (Texas) High School where he was a Texas all-district selection in both 2015 and 2016. Shavers caught a combined 64 passes for 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns during his junior and senior prep campaigns.

But why wasn’t Shavers able to get on the field a season ago like the other freshman receivers? BamaOnLine senior analyst Travis Reier provided insight as to why that ultimately happened.

“Watching Shavers work next to classmates Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III last season, it was clear that he was in need of polish,” Reier said. “While some of that had to do with his size -- getting in and out of breaks isn’t quite as easy for a 6-foot-6 receiver as it is for a 6-footer -- he was also in need of continued exposure to the nuances that come with playing the position at the SEC level.

“Being a ‘big target’ with ‘some talent’ at this level isn’t enough. Becoming more efficient in every aspect of his route running and all-around play will be the determining factors in how much of an impact Shavers makes in 2018 and beyond. When that happens, Shavers’ size will create a niche for him in a rotation that doesn’t lack playmakers.”

Shavers and Alabama will return to the practice field Thursday, April 5, for the Crimson Tide’s seventh session of the spring -- its final tune-up before Saturday’s first spring scrimmage.

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Alabama’s offensive line has featured several moving parts this spring. That will continue in the next eight practices. On Tuesday, head coach Nick Saban said there are “probably seven or eight offensive linemen that are all in competition for positions,” and redshirt senior Joshua Casher is one of them.

“We’re mixing and matching a lot of different guys on the offensive line, but Josh is certainly in the mix at one of the guard positions,” Saban said. “He’s very smart, he’s a great leader, he does everything the right way. He’s got good explosion and good power.

“One thing he works hard to overcome is his size, and I think he’s proving to us everyday, that that’s not an issue for him to be able to play.” At 6-foot-1, 291 pounds, Casher is the smallest offensive lineman on the Crimson Tide’s roster, but what he lacks in height and weight, he makes up for in both presence and personality.

“Oh, he’s just out of the world, man,” defensive lineman Quinnen Williams said. “He comes with a smile, he comes with a big voice every day. So, when he says stuff, everybody just listens. … When he speaks up, everybody listens. Everybody will recall what he’s saying. He’s always positive. He always speaks highly of everyone. Everyone loves Cash.”

Described as a hard-working comedian by linebacker Jamey Mosley, Casher said many people have told him he has a future as a politician with his projecting voice. But the Mobile, Ala., native isn’t worried about running for public office just yet. He’s focused on improving as a player, while also helping his teammates do the same on and off the field this spring.

“I want to be able to impact every last one of my teammates in the best way that I possibly can,” Casher said. “All of us, we’re in this together and we’re trying to achieve one goal. All of us want to be the best players that we can be and have a great team this year.”

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Alberta Head Start unity project

Last fall, Alabama’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee searched for potential ways for student-athletes to get involved to help use their platform to make an impact, promote positive dialogue, respect, tolerance, acceptance and compassion. It was at that meeting that Casher, then a junior, spoke up about Alberta Head Start.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee then voted unanimously to partner with AHS for its unity project as part of the University of Alabama’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. “Initially, it started out with me getting community service hours for one of my classes that I took, and I just fell in love with it,” Casher said.

“I continued to go back and back and I couldn’t shake them. They just had me. I have enjoyed every moment of going there. Getting to know the staff, getting to know the children. Just like when you come in, when they see a football player or a student-athlete’s face they are just so happy just for us to take pride and really let them know that we care. So, I have enjoyed every moment of it.”

Alberta Head Start, through the Community Service Programs of West Alabama, Inc., provides educational services to roughly 150 children between the ages of six weeks and five years. The program educates children from low-income homes and/or with disabilities.

Alabama Football @AlabamaFTBL

Twitter video
Joshua Casher and other Crimson Tide athletes created a memorable Easter egg hunt for the kids of Head Start: #OutServeYesterday#RollTide
3:24 pm - Apr 1, 2018

Although the unity project officially started Friday, March 30, with an Easter egg hunt, student-athletes and staff have already been making stops at AHS throughout the year, helping in both the classroom and the cafeteria. Future involvement opportunities include, but are not limited to, reading programs, facility projects, field days and donation drives.

And Casher has recruited his teammates to join him in his off-the-field endeavor. “Oh yeah, I stay spreading it to my teammates,” he said. “I have to let them know. ‘Hey y’all, let’s get it. Like I need y’all to come.’ I said, ‘These kids they would go crazy. The staff they would love to have y’all come.’ So, it’s really been a great ride. I’ve loved it.”

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