re: Bama Football Tidings

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Fall camp is officially underway for the crimson tide, which means we are inching ever so closer to the return of meaningful football in our lives. It’s an important time for the incoming freshman to get their toes wet in the process and also for the new coaches to build on their roles from spring practice.

But with a lot of the attention going towards guys like quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis or even youngsters like rising freshmen Tre Sanders or Emil Ekiyor, it’s very easy to forget about the other sophomores and upperclassmen who may be on their last chance to give a good impression.

These are players who have either patiently waited for an opportunity or who need to finally play to their potential so they can carve out roles on the team before it’s too late.

If there’s one thing everybody knows it’s that at nearly every position on the roster there is competition and some players more than others will need to really impress during camp.

Here are a couple of players who need to have big fall camps on the offensive side of the ball:

Junior QB Mac Jones

After an impressive spring game where he bounced back after throwing an early interception, junior quarterback Mac Jones needs to continue to gain momentum through fall camp. This past recruiting class brought in some extra competition in Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson but Jones seems to have separated from them.

But that’s not to say that Jones should be content if anything he needs to continue to push himself. If last season showed Alabama anything it’s that the team will need to have a pair of quarterbacks ready to play should anything happen to Tua.

Junior RB Brian Robinson

Brian Robinson is the classic case of a guy who caught a raw deal with the types of players who have come through Alabama at the running back position. From players like Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, Bo Scarbrough and Najee Harris, running back has been a very saturated position for the crimson tide. But that’s not to say that Robinson isn’t worthy of playing time.

The Tuscaloosa native was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school and has shown flashes of being a very talented player in mop-up roles. But like I said before, Alabama will always have a ton of talented running backs. Which is why Robinson needs to work to separate himself from the incoming freshmen Tre Sanders and Jerome Ford. Nick Saban hasn’t been afraid to play young players recently which gives Robinson all the more incentive to earn his carries.

Junior OL Deonte Brown

The Decatur product has had a rather chaotic year, to say the least. He earned a starting spot halfway through last season and showed a ton of promise. His physical play was a welcomed addition to one of college football’s top offenses. But just before the College Football Playoff semi-final game against Oklahoma Brown was suspended along with two others for rules violations within the team.

As of now, Brown is not projected to start for the crimson tide as freshman Emil Ekiyor is slotted in to start at guard instead. The redshirt junior is also facing a four-game suspension at the start of the 2019 season so the odds are not exactly stacked in his favor. Despite all of this working against him, a solid fall camp will push the coaches into making a tough decision after his suspension is over or if he wins an appeal. Regardless, it wouldn’t be the first time Brown wins a starting spot during a season.

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The University of Alabama held its first football practice of the 2019 season in muggy conditions on Friday, working without pads and with only a couple of notable absences.

Defensive end LaBryan Ray, who had been battling foot issues all summer, and tight end Miller Forristall, who suffered a broken foot earlier and required surgery in the summer, did not participate in drills. Freshman defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher was on hand but was slowed by possible heat-related issues.

Alabama coach Nick Saban will address the media Saturday morning as part of UA’s Media/Fan Day.

There was one significant number change on the opening day roster as redshirt freshman Cameron Latu, who moved from inside linebacker to tight end in the spring, is now No. 81 after wearing No. 20 last season.

There were 20 players listed at 300 pounds or more on this year’s roster, with freshman guard Evan Neal having the highest listed weight at 360 pounds. One of the players who cleared that mark was former Florida State starter and grad transfer Landon Dickerson, who looked trim at 309 pounds. Also looking trim at 312 pounds was 6-foot-7 senior defensive end Raekwon Davis.

Defensive end Terrell Lewis (252) was released for full action after being limited due to knee surgery rehabilitation in the spring.

Alabama’s Saturday practice, which starts at 2:30 p.m., at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be open to the public.

Video of 1st Day of Practice - LB's Coach Sal 1:20

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.

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Football is back in the air. Alabama kicked off its fall camp on Friday with its first practice. Today, BamaInsider wraps up its positional series by taking a look at the Crimson Tide’s special teams.
Biggest question: How much of an impact will Will Reichard make?
It’s a telling sign that in one of the top signing classes in Nick Saban’s tenure, the most anticipated member might be a kicker. Will Reichard comes to Alabama as the No. 2 kicker in this year’s class and will be a welcomed addition to a Crimson Tide team that missed nine extra points last season, the most among all 130 Division I teams.

Reichard, a Hoover, Ala., native, was 27 of 31 on field goals and made all 109 of his extra-point attempts during his high school career. He helped solidify the hype surrounding his name this spring, hitting a 43-yard field goal while connecting on all four of his extra-point tries during the A-Day game.

“I think the guy’s a really talented guy,” Saban said on Early Signing Day in December. “I mean, he’s a really good person, hard worker, really good specialist in all regards. He can punt. He’s a really good kicker.”

While Reichard might be the answer to Alabama’s extra-point problems, the Crimson Tide’s struggles in the kicking game were a bit overblown. Due to its high-powered offense, Alabama attempted just 20 field goals last season, its lowest total since 2013. Of those, the Crimson Tide’s primary field goal kicker, Joseph Bulovas, made a respectable 14 of 18 (77.8 percent) of his attempts. Still, Bulovas was inconsistent at times, missing three kicks inside of 40 yards. His two misses on A-Day did little to endear him to the Crimson Tide faithful. Meanwhile, Reichard appears to be the more trustworthy option at the position.

Depending on how things play out, the freshman could actually provide more value in the punting game where Alabama ranked No. 128 in the nation, averaging just 35.76 yards on 42 punts.

After struggling last season, sophomore punter Skyler DeLong seemed to conquer his demons on A-Day. He averaged 47.5 yards on four punts and boomed two of his kicks 50 or more yards while twice pinning his opponents inside the 20. While those numbers are encouraging, Reichard could provide insurance if DeLong reverts back to last season’s struggles. The freshman was also used as a punter on A-Day and averaged 42.2 yards on a team-high six punts with a long of 47 yards.
How we expect Alabama to line up
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