re: Bama Football Tidings

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Reviewing some comments and an attempt at reading between the lines following Alabama head coach Nick Saban's comments on Monday.

Saban on safeties Jordan Battle and Daniel Wright having prominent roles against NMSU: "I thought those guys both played well. It was an opportunity for them to get experience. And they did. And, you know, we sort of rotated guys around back there quite a bit in the game. I think there were seven or eight guys that were playing in different circumstances and situations. There’s nothing really that led to it other than I wanted to get those guys a chance to play some."

What we think it means: It's kind of been a tale of two paths to the rotation for Battle and Wright. As one of UA's top signees for the 2019 cycle, Battle was expected to contribute early on in his career, with the question having more to do with where than when. As for for Wright, he's bounced back nicely from a forgettable 2018 campaign that saw him serve a suspension and undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

As much as anything, this is good news for 2020 and beyond. Not that Battle and Wright won't continue to show up early in games, by the way, because the manner in which Alabama can utilize Xavier McKinney (money in the dime) and Jared Mayden (star in nickel and dime) allows for as many as four safeties to be on the field at once.

If there was a surprise, it was that Shyheim Carter wasn't one of the Crimson Tide's top four safeties heading into Week 2. Along with the offensive line, the back end of the defense will be a focal point for practice observers this week.

Saban on South Carolina true freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski: "He played great. The guy was, I don’t know, 26 of 30 or whatever and they had a lot of yards. He certainly didn’t look like a freshman quarterback out there. He’s a good athlete and he has a good arm. He was very accurate. He made good decisions. He got rid of the ball. He got the ball out of his hand quickly. And he executed the offense extremely well. So no disrespect because we think Bentley is a really good quarterback and certainly an experienced guy, but they didn’t miss a beat in this game in terms of the quarterback position."

What we think it means: The insertion of Hilinski into the starting lineup following a foot injury sustained by Bentley in the Gamecocks' season-opening loss to North Carolina seems to have at least semi-reinvigorated a Carolina fanbase in need of a reason to believe.

Hilinski's first start involved all the ingredients Will Muschamp could have wanted for the California: overmatched opponent, strong running game and assistance from skill players who didn't exactly light it up against the Tar Heels. In turn, the Gamecocks rolled up school records in total offense (775 yards); rushing offense (493 yards) and first-half points (44) while also adding more than a mere dash of Hilinski (282 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown) in their 72-10 win over Charleston Southern last Saturday.

With the palatable Buccaneers of North Charleston reduced to a satisfactory, post-meal belch, the roux (opposition) for the upcoming pot of gridiron gumbo won't be exactly the same. Instead of FCS, it'll be an SEC stretch of Alabama, (at) Missouri, Kentucky, (at) Georgia and Florida that gives us a little better understanding of just how advanced the Californian is in comparison with the litany of other true freshmen quarterbacks who are getting starts around the country.

How Hilinski and the rest of the South Carolina offense perform over the coming month might also determine the narrative for Muschamp's employment status moving forward. Get through the gauntlet at even 2-3 and that might be enough to keep the wolves at bay, especially if Hilinski plays well.

Exactly how things will play out on the football field is anyone's guess. But here's what I do know: I'll be pulling for the Hilinski family.

After the tragic passing of their son and brother, Tyler, who was a quarterback at Washington State at the time of his death in January 2018, the Hilinskis have become advocates for increased awareness of mental health wellness among student athletes. After seeing the emotional toll the passing of University of Hawai'i football player Scheyenne Sanitoa on July 4 had my daughter, Savannah, and her UH sports family, I witnessed firsthand the impact a tragedy like the one involving Tyler can have on a close knit group of young people.

Ironically, Ryan's first start for the Gamecocks came one day before the start of National Suicide Prevention Week and in the same month that hosts National Suicide Prevention Month. With that, if you or someone you know is in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255).

Saban on the last time UA visited South Carolina: "What year are we in now, 2019? So most of our guys were in grade school when that happened. But what I remember from it is we got the lining kicked out of our britches. I don’t know if you know what that means, but that means you get your butt kicked so bad you got no seam in the back of your pants. So, yeah, I remember that, but I’ll ask the players today, 'When you were in sixth grade, do they remember?' But we’ll see. And if they don’t remember it then I don’t know how it motivates them. But I know this is a tough place to play and we have a lot of respect for the team we’re playing. I think that the players on our team need to have the proper respect in terms of what they need to do to prepare to play a good team like this."

What we think it means: Things I remember about Alabama's trip to Columbia in 2019:

* My then-12-year-old son, Evan, thought the pre-kickoff "Sandstorm" was really cool.

* Stephen Garcia morphed into Stephen Orr Spurrier circa 1966.

* With three future starting NFL running backs on its roster, Alabama either couldn't or wouldn't run the ball.

* It wasn't hard to see that Julio Jones and Alshon Jeffery were going to make a lot of money catching passes.

* By the end of the third quarter, my then 12-year-old son didn't think "Sandstorm" was really cool.

* Thinking a freshman by the name of Marcus Lattimore would go on to become an All-Pro running back. Sadly, knee injuries sustained in each of the two years that followed had everything to do with keeping Lattimore from his professional ceiling.

* An Alabama team that one week earlier thrashed UF and it's part-time head coach, Urban Meyer, didn't pack the same level of intensity it displayed the previous Saturday (something I certainly expect Saban to reference to his team as it prepares for the last SEC Eastern Division team to beat Alabama). Consistency in performance, as Saban likes to call it, would be a reoccurring issue for a three-loss club that produced four first-round picks for the 2011 NFL Draft.

* South Carolina fans who began the game cursing Garcia suggesting a statue be erected in his honor before sundown.

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The inevitable by-product of seeing 87 players selected in the NFL Draft over the past 11 years is that the amount of turnover on the Alabama Crimson Tide depth chart is always high.

And with 10 players making the jump from Tuscaloosa to the pros in the 2019 draft, there was quite a bit of playing time available for talent rolling in via recruiting. Factor in preseason injuries, too, and Alabama has had 7 true freshmen and 1 redshirt freshman start in the first 2 games of the season.

Because those games were against Duke and New Mexico State, which the Crimson Tide won by a combined 104-13 score, 18 true freshmen have played so far this season: Marcus Banks (DB), Jordan Battle (DB), Scooby Carter (DB), Darrian Dalcourt (OL), DJ Dale (DL), Christian Harris (LB), DeMarcco Hellams (DB), Shane Lee (LB), John Metchie (WR), Evan Neal (OL), Will Reichard (PK), Keilan Robinson (RB), Taulia Tagovailoa (QB), Byron Young (DL), Jahleel Billingsley (TE), King Mwikuta (LB), Pierce Quick (OL) and Tanner Bowles (OL).

For this article, we will grade the freshmen who have made the most impact through 2 games:

MLB Shane Lee (6-0, 246)
Coaches didn’t anticipate the highly-touted Lee to start in just his first season, but he has shown he is up to the challenge of replacing Dylan Moses just a couple of days before the Duke game after Moses tore his ACL. Coach Nick Saban called Moses’ loss a “character check” for his team, and especially for Lee — who responded with 2 solo tackles and 4 tackle assists against the Blue Devils. Lee followed with 2 solo tackles, 3 tackle assists, 1 tackle for loss and 1 fumble recovery against New Mexico State. Simply put, he is a future star in a constellation of Alabama linebackers.
Grade: A

WLB Christian Harris (6-2, 244)
Like Lee, Harris wasn’t expected to be thrust into the mix so soon. He made a meteoric move up the depth chart during preseason, and was penciled in to start when 5th-year senior Joshua McMillon suffered a season-ending knee injury during Alabama’s first preseason scrimmage on Aug. 10. Harris also shined against the Blue Devils, totaling 2 solo tackles and 4 tackle assists. Harris had a quieter afternoon against New Mexico State, recording just 1 tackle assist. Nevertheless, Harris is poised for a big season and will be relied on from start to finish.
Grade: A-

PK Will Reichard (6-1, 180)
Reichard was the nation’s top-rated kicker coming out of Hoover, and beat out incumbent sophomore Joseph Bulovas — who was 14-for-18 on field goals last season (77.8 percent) but missed 6 extra points. So what does Reichard do against Duke? Only doink 2 FG attempts off uprights to trigger fresh nightmares among Alabama fans. Saban was encouraged by Reichard’s overall game against the Blue Devils, though, as he provided 6 touchbacks, and Reichard came back strong against Duke — nailing field goals of 48 and 49 yards with room to spare.
Grade: B+

NG DJ Dale (6-3, 308)
Dale is a 4-star prospect from Clay-Chalkville High School who won Class 6A first-team All-State honors his senior season. He started his career against Duke with 3 tackle assists and 1/2 a tackle for loss, and followed with 2 tackle assists and a QB hurry against New Mexico State. As part of a unit that allowed 107 rushing yards to Duke and 101 to New Mexico State, Dale appears to be a fixture already at NG.
Grade: B

SS Jordan Battle (6-1, 201)
One of the nation’s top-rated safeties out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, Battle earned his first career start against New Mexico State over senior Shyheim Carter primarily because the Crimson Tide started in their “dime” defensive set. Battle recorded an interception against Duke as a reserve in the final minute of the 4th quarter. Against the Aggies, Battle had 3 solo tackles and 5 assists as part of a secondary that allowed just 161 yards and 1 TD in the air.
Grade: B-

RB Keilan Robinson (5-9, 190)
Robinson is the lone freshman graded who has yet to earn a start in 2019. The 4-star recruit from Washington, D.C.’s St. John’s High School played in the 4th quarter against Duke and finished with 2 carries for 5 yards. But his real impact — and why he is on the list — was because of his effort against New Mexico State. Robinson took his first handoff against the Aggies late in the 3rd quarter and raced 74 yards for a touchdown. He finished as the Tide’s leading rusher, with 5 carries for 80 yards, and solidified himself as a solid change-of-pace back moving forward in 2019
Grade: B-

LG Evan Neal (6-7, 360)
Weighing as much as 390 pounds as a elite offensive tackle prospect from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Neal showed the kind of power, strong hands and quick feet that amazed coaches, and his athleticism and versatility meant he could play several spots along the offensive line. With Alex Leatherwood entrenched at left tackle, Neal beat out Emil Ekiyor Jr., for the starting nod alongside Leatherwood against Duke and New Mexico State. Alabama has struggled to establish a strong running game so far in 2019, but Neal will continue to grow and mature in his role.
Grade: B-

RB Jerome Ford (5-11, 212)*
Ford gets the asterisk because he isn’t a true freshman, instead a redshirt freshman. He earned his first career start against Duke because Najee Harris and Brian Robinson were serving suspensions. Ford finished with 10 carries for 64 yards and his first career rushing TD against the Blue Devils, but his fumble on the Tide’s second possession of the game earned a bit of negative notoriety. Undeterred by the turnover, though, Ford remained in the mix for carries all game long — even as the discipline of Harris and Robinson was lifted. With just 1 carry for 5 yards against New Mexico State, however, it is clearer that Ford will be a fourth or fifth option as the season rolls on.
Grade: C+

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But, I would wonder what it would be like to be told you are all that most of your life, then move a long way from home, and be able to indulge in all that is available at Bama. And on top of that, learn that you may not be all that, sans chips.

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UGA vs Notre Dame will be CBS’s 1 night game this year.

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