re: Bama Football Tidings

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Continued from above...
It’s your moment

A few players have either waited their turn or had injuries that derailed their career to this point. This is the time for them to bloom or face the prospect of losing their moment.

Running back Najee Harris tops this list. The former No. 1 recruit has been the third option for two years and now there’s a clear hole for the Californian. Mastering the ancillary skills like pass blocking has been a big part of the offseason checklist since Jacobs and Damien Harris had quietly filled those roles previously.

Defensive linemen Raekwon Davis and LaBryan Ray also fit this mold. Davis has been a started but was overshadowed by first-round picks like Quinnen Williams and Daron Payne. Ray has been a rotation player but not a starter at end and he’s flashed that five-star potential.

Should Anoma be out of the plans this fall, the return of Terrell Lewis would be even more crucial at outside linebacker. Uber-talented but often injured Washington D.C. product missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Limited still in spring, Lewis will be one to watch closely this August.

At middle linebacker, Dylan Moses gets the keys to the playcalling role that’s produced a handful of NFL stars in Saban’s tenure. With little depth returning or arriving, he could be among the most important two or three players on this roster.

And the quarterback?

For a change, there’s no competition here. Tua Tagovailoa’s the guy as long as he stays healthy after a Heisman runner-up debut as starter last fall. He’ll have something to prove after finishing slower than he began last season. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is the quarterback with the buzz this summer and for good reason. These two figure to be the frontrunners for the Heisman should things play out as most expect.

Having Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle back give Tagovailoa an edge if only for the depth and variety of talent at the receiver position. On the other hand, he won’t have the matchup nightmares of Jacobs at running back and Smith at tight end to mystify defensive coordinators.

Either way, this is the year for these receivers and their left-handed quarterback to prove their point will all but Waddle (because he’s a sophomore) as potential first-round picks next spring.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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Nick Saban will soon lecture the Alabama football media on ‘organizational grouping’ charts. We offer the pre-camp, Bama Hammer Depth Chart

All Alabama football fans know Nick Saban is never wrong. When he says there is no pre-camp depth chart, that is technically correct. No player begins a fall camp assured of anything. Every session, other players will be trying to beat out presumed starters.

Beyond the presumed starters is a large group of players fighting for two-deep slots. The position battles will not end when Duke game week begins. The first two games will be auditions for many players. After that, reps will be reduced for the guys outside the two-deep.
Suspensions (Deonte Brown for four games) and future injuries will allow a few players to move up in the pecking order. Incoming freshmen (other than special teams play) will get their best playing chances in the second half of the season. The four-game redshirt rule will influence the game activity of a few players.
‘Bama Hammer’ Pre-Camp Depth Chart

We promise nothing more than a starting point. Some positions are no-brainer choices, a few others are hunches. If we just don’t know, we admit it by using a question (?) mark. All projected starters are in bold.
Alabama Football Offense

Quarterback – Tua Tagovailoa
QB2 – Mac Jones
QB3 – ?
Running Back – (1A) Najee Harris, (1B) Brian Robinson
RB2 – Chadarius Townsend and Trey Sanders
Wide Receivers – Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle
Backup WRs – John Metchie, Xavier Williams, Tyrell Shavers, Slade Bolden
Tight End(s) – Miller Forristall and Cameron Latu
Backup TE – Major Tennison
Left Tackle – Alex Leatherwood
Backup LT – Scott Lashley
Left Guard – Emil Ekiyor
Backup LG – Evan Neal
Center – Chris Owens
Backup Center – Emil Ekiyor
Right Guard – Matt Womack
Backup RG – Landon Dickerson
Right Tackle – Jedrick Wills
Backup RT – Tommy Brown

The interior of the offensive line could end up being very different. Owens, Ekiyor, Womack, Dickerson and Deonte Brown, after his suspension, may offer enough depth for the center and guard positions. If so, Evan Neal’s time might be better spent as a backup tackle now and as a future starter.
Alabama Football Nickel Defense

Defensive Tackle – D.J. Dale
Backup DT – Phidarian Mathis
Defensive Ends – Raekwon Davis and LaBryan Ray
Backup DEs – Christian Barmore, Justin Eboigbe and Byron Young
Outside Linebackers – Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis
Backup OLBs – Chris Allen and ?
Inside Linebackers – Dylan Moses and Josh McMillon
Backup ILBs – Shane Lee and ?
Cornerbacks – Trevon Diggs and Josh Jobe
Backup CBs – ? and ?
Star Corner – Patrick Surtain II
Backup Star – Shyheim Carter
Safeties – Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter
Backup Safeties – Jared Mayden (would start in Dime) and ?

Five question marks in the defensive two-deep is a big number. Mostly, it is a reflection of an overall young roster. Guys to look out for to fill those openings are (in no particular order) Daniel Wright; Eddie Smith; Jalyn Armour-Davis; Jaylen Moody; Christian Harris, Scooby Carter and Demarcco Hellams.

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Alabama will hold its first practice of the preseason Friday, Aug. 2, at 2:30 p.m. CT.

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we all are awaiting the lights to come on for Ben.

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But these are the two you know about and there’s really no one else there with a lot of experience, so how can this article be titled an embarrassment of riches.

Tssk, tssk, tssk, you forget, this is Alabama, where it seems every year a freshman phenom comes in and shocks the world with their talent. Najee did it as a freshman and so did a long list of others. And this is a Nick Saban team, you know, the guy who pulls in top recruits better than anyone. So why is it hard to believe that he’ll pull another running back or two out of his hat?

One name you ought to get used to is Trey Sanders. Many thought he’d be the number one player overall in this year’s recruiting class, but he only wound up being the number one running back in the nation and number six overall and you can see why in these videos.

Folks, this is a star that will shine. Even as a freshman, he’s got the 6’0” 217 pound frame that can muscle yardage in the trenches and the quickness to break ankles in the open field. It going to be really hard to keep this young man on the bench this season and now you see that they aren’t worried if one of the starters gets a little banged up or needs a breather. You won’t be losing much if anything with him in the lineup.
It also wouldn’t be unlikely for him to make a grab for the number two running spot come mid season. Yes, he’s that good.

Another name you’ll get to know as the season goes on is Keilan Robinson. He had his knee scoped out and may not be at his best till August, so depending on others on the team perform, he might be red shirted this year. If not you’ll see him take on the fourth spot. He’ll get some runs and maybe a screen pass or two because of his really shifty moves in the open field. Look at these videos and you’ll see he’s also not afraid of and very skilled at blocking and picking up blitzes.

Right now Robinson is the smaller, shifty change of pace back. He’ll need to add 20 or so pounds to be a much better inside runner and pass blocker, but the talent is certainly there.

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Another incoming freshman is 6’0” 210 pound Cooper Bishop from Vestavia Hills, Alabama where he ran for 1285 yards and 17 TD’s as a senior. He’s got 4.55 speed and will likely get broken in on special teams where he tackles like a linebacker. It’s likely the Tide red shirts him this season.

There’s also a smaller, lighter slasher kind of freshman, A.J. Gates from Mountain Brook, Alabama. At just 5’7” and 170 pounds and with a 4.42 40 yard dash, if he gets through a crack he’s gone. He is electric as you can see in these videos from Hudl. He accounted for well over 1000 yards of offense and 11 touchdowns. He came to Alabama as a preferred walk on turning down full rides at other schools.

But wait a minute. Didn’t Saban have other top classes? Of course he did and Jerome Ford, a (5’11” 206 pounder who is a red shirt freshman this year is ready for his time to shine and is picked by this author to be the real surprise running back in this group.

He was the nation’s number six all purpose back coming out of high school and played in just the mandatory four games last season to preserve his red shirt status, so he’s not without experience from that and the scout team. He is a very capable back up indeed and might start on a lot of other teams, so this is the point where you really can start talking about an embarrassment of riches at this point, especially after seeing these video clips.

But to sound like a late night infomercial, but wait, there’s more!

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Going to be hot! Good thing they have the new Cryo Tent to help with that.

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Alabama updated its online roster ahead of preseason camp, and there were a few additions. 

Former Florida State offensive lineman  Landon Dickerson is now on the roster. Graduating from FSU, Dickerson will be immediately eligible. He is listed at 6-foot-6, 308 pounds and will wear No. 69. 

A former 5-star recruit, according to 247Sports, Dickerson started at right guard for the Seminoles in 2016 as a true freshman but injured his ACL after making seven starts, missing the remainder of that season. Dickerson returned to the field in 2017, but injuries plagued him once again, forcing him to miss the last nine games of the season. He played in two games during the 2018 season before missing the rest of the season with an injury and ultimately redshirting.

Former Pac-12 wide receiver  Drew Kobayashi was also added as a walk-on. This is noteworthy because Kobayashi attended the same high school in Hawaii as current Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Kobayashi recorded 34 receptions for 695 yards and four touchdowns as a senior at St. Louis High School with Tagovailoa as his quarterback. A former 3-star recruit, Kobayashi signed with California in 2016 but left the team in 2017 and went to Washington State as a walk-on. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound wideout then left WSU back in May. 

Alabama also added a couple of in-state players to the roster as walk-ons in sophomore defensive lineman Landon Bothwell (Oneonta) and senior receiver Joshua Lanier (Tuscaloosa Academy).

As far as number changes, there was only one with  Cameron Latu changing from No. 20 to No. 81. Listed as a tight end Latu is expected to compete and contribute at a position with little depth.

On Thursday, BamaOnLine noted the removal of linebacker Eyabi Anoma.

Alabama will hold its first practice of the preseason later this afternoon at 2:30-pm CT.

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Alabama will have its first practice of fall camp Friday afternoon.

Here’s an educated guess at what the team’s depth chart looks like entering fall camp:

Quarterback

1. Junior Tua Tagovailoa
2. Redshirt sophomore Mac Jones
3. Freshman Taulia Tagovailoa
4. Freshman Paul Tyson

The only question here is whether Taulia Tagovailoa can overtake Jones for the backup quarterback spot. Jones is the clear leader in that competition heading into fall camp.

“Mac has made a lot of improvements,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said recently. “He’s matured very nicely at the position. He’s a very bright guy. He’s got good knowledge of the position. ... We’ve been pleased with his progress. We’re confident that he’s capable. It’s our job to be able to get him to a point where he has enough consistency to be able to play if we need him to.”

Running back
1. Junior Najee Harris
2. Junior Brian Robinson
3. Redshirt freshman Jerome Ford/freshman Trey Sanders
5. Freshman Keilan Robinson

Sanders seems to have gotten off to a good start at Alabama this summer. The five-star recruit is expected to be a major factor in the competition for playing time at running back.

It sounds like redshirt sophomore Chadarius Townsend, who worked with the running backs during the spring, will probably now shift back to doing more with the wide receivers.

Wide receiver
Z — 1. Junior Henry Ruggs, 2. Redshirt freshman Slade Bolden, 3. Freshman John Metchie
X — 1. Junior DeVonta Smith, 2. Redshirt sophomore Tyrell Shavers/redshirt freshman Xavier Williams
Slot — 1. Junior Jerry Jeudy, 2. Sophomore Jaylen Waddle, 3. Redshirt sophomore Chadarius Townsend

Jeudy isn’t the only Alabama receiver who could end up going early in next year’s NFL draft. Ruggs, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds during the Crimson Tide’s junior pro day, enters the season with a second-round grade from one of the NFL’s scouting services, according to a source.

Overall, this group — with Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith and Waddle — should be as good and dynamic as any wide receiver crew in the country.

As far as the backups, Bolden has been mentioned as someone who stood out during the summer.

Tight end
1. Redshirt junior Miller Forristall
2. Senior Giles Amos
3. Redshirt freshman Cameron Latu/redshirt sophomore Major Tennison
5. Freshman Jahleel Billingsley

This group is a significant question mark for Alabama, even more so with Kedrick James now gone and with Forristall working back from a broken foot he sustained earlier this summer.

Forristall is expected to be limited through at least the first couple weeks of fall camp.

Billingsley, who arrived this summer, will add to the competition for playing time.

Offensive line
Left tackle — 1. Junior Alex Leatherwood, 2. Redshirt junior Scott Lashley
Left guard — 1. Redshirt freshman Emil Ekiyor, 2. Freshman Evan Neal
Center — 1. Redshirt junior Chris Owens, 2. Redshirt sophomore Hunter Brannon
Right guard — 1. Redshirt senior Matt Womack, 2. Redshirt junior Deonte Brown
Right tackle — 1. Junior Jedrick Wills, 2. Redshirt freshman Tommy Brown

The biggest wild-card here will be Neal, the 6-foot-7, 360-pound five-star recruit who got some first-team reps during the spring. Neal is looked at as someone who has the potential to be a first-round left tackle down the road. For now though, his best shot at playing time is at guard with the Tide having Leatherwood and Wills at tackle.

Another player to keep an eye on is Florida State graduate transfer Landon Dickerson, a redshirt junior who was a starter for the Seminoles each of the last three years when healthy. Dickerson saw time at both guard and tackle at Florida State.

Defensive line
Defensive end — 1. Senior Raekwon Davis, 2. Redshirt sophomore Phidarian Mathis, 3. Redshirt freshman Christian Barmore
Nose tackle — 1. Freshman DJ Dale, 2. Redshirt freshman Stephon Wynn, 3. Senior Tevita Musika/freshman Ishmael Sopsher
Defensive end — 1. Junior LaBryan Ray, 2. Freshman Justin Eboigbe, 3. Freshman Antonio Alfano

Ray is working back from ankle surgery and, like Forristall, is expected to be limited through at least the first couple weeks of fall camp.

That could lead to Eboigbe getting a decent amount of first-team reps early in camp. Word is the four-star recruit got first-team reps at defensive end during the summer with Ray out.

Outside linebacker
Jack — 1. Redshirt senior Anfernee Jennings, 2. Redshirt sophomore Chris Allen
Sam — 1. Redshirt junior Terrell Lewis, 2. Freshman Kevin Harris

It sounds like Lewis is feeling and looking better after sitting out most of the spring while continuing to work back from the ACL injury he suffered last summer.

Depth is a serious issue here, especially with former five-star recruit Eyabi Anoma no longer being a part of the program.

Inside linebacker
Mike — 1. Junior Dylan Moses, 2. Freshman Shane Lee, 3. Sophomore Jaylen Moody
Will — 1. Redshirt senior Josh McMillon, 2. Redshirt junior Markail Benton, 3. Sophomore Ale Kaho

McMillon remains the leader in the competition for the Will linebacker job.

Defensive back
Cornerback — 1. Senior Trevon Diggs, 2. Redshirt junior Nigel Knott
Cornerback — 1. Sophomore Josh Jobe, 2. Redshirt freshman Jalyn Armour-Davis/freshman Scooby Carter
Star/nickel back — 1. Sophomore Patrick Surtain, 2. Senior Shyheim Carter
Free safety — 1. Junior Xavier McKinney, 2. Redshirt sophomore Daniel Wright, 3. Freshman Jordan Battle
Strong safety — 1. Senior Jared Mayden, 2. Shyheim Carter, 3. Sophomore Eddie Smith/freshman DeMarcco Hellams

It sounds like Surtain is still the man at Star, so he’ll continue to slide inside whenever the Tide has five or more defensive backs on the field, which will be most of the time.

As far as the young guys, the two summer enrollees at safety — Hellams and Battle — both apparently did some good things this summer.

It seems like Alabama will start out another one of the young guys — four-star freshman Brandon Turnage — as a cornerback.

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.

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