re: Spring Football News & Info

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JAYLEN WADDLE, ATH, ALABAMA



2018 numbers: 45 catches, 848 yards, 7 touchdowns; 14.6 yards per PR, TD

The Waddle file: There aren't many players nationally who move like Waddle, a shifty sub-6 foot wideout who moonlights as a lethal threat in the return game for the Crimson Tide. Whether he's getting to the sticks on a bubble screen or taking the top off the secondary, Waddle can do it all as sometimes Tua Tagovailoa's fourth option in Alabama's talent-rich core of wideouts. This guy has some of the quickest feet in the SEC and has no problems getting open off the line.

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Spring practice is underway across the country. This is the time of year depth chart change can occur in earnest. It’s a stretch where underutilized players can prove their worth and starters are potentially exposed. It’s also a time when formerly hyped recruits can get back into the mix. Or, if they’re not careful, be buried.

With that in mind, 247Sports is using this week’s Thursday 10 to look at former five-star recruits who need an outstanding spring showing to avoid the dreaded “bust” distinction.

BEN DAVIS, LB, ALABAMA



247Sports Composite Rank: No. 10

Davis’ push for playing time is already off to a bad start. The Alabama native is expected to be limited this spring, and he missed the Tide’s opening practice. That’s restrictive for a player who’s struggled to even find a role on special teams. Davis, a rising redshirt junior, has appeared in just three career games and is yet to see action in SEC play.

Davis began his Tide career as an inside linebacker, but he moved to the outside last year. Given Alabama’s depth issues in the middle, especially with Ale Kaho out for an unspecified amount of time, there’s a possibility Davis can help there. It’ll be tough for Davis to find a spot on the outside, where players like Anfernee Jennings, Terrell Lewis, Eyabi Anoma and many others will compete for playing time.

Can Davis still turn things around? Of course. He’s a freak athletically, and Alabama’s had a long history of players sitting for an extended period of time before exploding. But Davis must show signs this spring he’s ready to emerge. Otherwise, he’ll get passed up for good.

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From Saban's presser: "From an injury standpoint... Ben Davis will probably be limited throughout the spring... shin splint-type injuries that had to be fixed."

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247Sports Composite Rank: No. 10 Davis’ push for playing time is already off to a bad start. The Alabama native is expected to be limited this spring, and he missed the Tide’s opening practice.

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Returning Reserves:
Joshua McMillon
The redshirt senior will likely get the first shot at replacing Wilson. He was the top reserve in 2018 and is entering his fifth year in the system. There’s also no heir apparent at inside linebacker like there has been in previous years. While McMillon does have the longevity working in his favor, he doesn’t have much more playing time than the other returning reserves. In his four seasons, he’s played in just 18 games, notching 19 tackles.
Markail Benton
After McMillon, redshirt sophomore Markail Benton has been with the program the longest. Again, though, it’s different when it comes to his playing time. Benton redshirted his first season before playing in 13 games last season in mop-up duty and on special teams, making 14 tackles.
Ale Kaho
Though Nick Saban said he wasn’t sure if Kaho would be back with the team, Kaho later promised, like Douglas MacArthur before him, that he shall return. While we certainly hope he returns, his well-being is the most important thing; and hopefully the young man is doing okay. Fans do have reason to be excited for him. Kaho, a 4 star recruit and the #7 ILB in the Class of 2018, joined Alabama in the middle of August last year after a high-profile departure from Washington. Despite missing the start of fall camp, he impressed enough to play in all 15 games, primarily on special teams. Kaho was named special teams player of the week against LSU and Mississippi State, and he led the team with 7 special teams tackles while adding 4 more on defense. He also recovered a fumble against Mississippi State.
Jaylen Moody
Alabama turned to the 3 star Moody fairly late in the recruiting cycle after missing out on a couple targets, and it certainly worked out. He played in 14 games, mainly on special teams like Kaho, and the staff named him special teams player of the week against ULL and Arkansas.

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Newcomers Shane Lee
Lee, listed at a dense 6’0, 248lbs now, was a 4 star recruit from Maryland - St. Frances Academy, like sophomore Eyabi Anoma (OLB), fellow freshman Darrian Dalcourt (OL), and Class of 2020 committ Chris Braswell.
Lee played in the Under Armour All America game, and here’s what Brent had to say about his performance. Shane Lee played for most of the game at middle linebacker, and looks like the second coming of Reggie Ragland. He’s a built, compact dude that can really fill the holes and plug things up in the middle of the line. If the other team tried to run it up the gut, you could be sure he was going to be right in the thick of the carnage. He also showed good awareness in pass coverage and got a breakup early in the game. Also like Ragland, though, he lacks elite speed. When chasing someone to the sideline, he’d often have to run backwards and give up a few yards to get a safe angle. Even in shorter distance lateral tackles he still had to drop a little before making tackles or he wouldn’t be able to catch the ball carrier. He’ll never be a heat-seaking missile linebacker like Mack Wilson or Reuben Foster.

Projected Depth Chart
Mike: Dylan Moses, Markail Benton, Shane Lee
Will: Joshua McMillon, Ale Kaho, Jaylen Moody
With his experience, Moses will be the field general out there. For the other spot, I’m going with McMillon right now. He should be the starter at least in the early parts of spring practice because of his experience/seniority. Now, I’m much less confident about whether he will be the starter come kickoff time against Duke. I think Kaho is a wildcard here, and I could easily see him doing enough to supplant McMillon. But, for the time being, I’m sticking with the redshirt senior.

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The other good news is Terrell Lewis and Chris Allen should also be important players. Both would have been in the two-deep in 2018, but injuries prevented either from playing a snap. That created opportunities for some young players, like Eyabi Anoma. He should play a larger role as a sophomore, giving this group four solid options for two spots. There could be some heavy rotation here to keep talented players on the field.
To be determined: Lewis has missed almost all of the last two seasons with an injury and needs to stay healthy. The other players providing depth, like Ben Davis and Jarez Parks, are talented but unknown quantities. Anoma and Parks look like they’ll have the potential for strong careers but it’s too early to tell what kind of players they’ll be. The same goes for Cameron Latu, who was working with the tight ends when spring began after redshirting with this group in the fall.
Sal Sunseri is a proven coach, so this group is in capable hands. But Tosh Lupoi did an excellent job of creating a fearsome pass rush for four seasons. It’s worth keeping an eye on this group to see how the young players develop.

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To be determined:
Tight end might be the least settled position group on the roster. Hale Hentges and Irv Smith Jr. filled different roles for Alabama in 2018 but both were important parts of the roster, and both have moved on. The confidence level for the wide receivers alone might be a 10/10, but the tight ends might be closer to 5/10. Miller Forristall once appeared to be on equal footing with Irv Smith Jr. at tight end, but an ACL injury in 2017 set him back. Another year to recover and the prospect of more playing time might mean he’s due for a big season. The other tight ends will also have chances, particularly if they’re capable enough blockers to fill Hentges’ job. One thing to keep an eye on will be whether Alabama’s personnel groupings shift to reflect the strengths of the roster.
The Crimson Tide has four excellent receivers, and it may be that there are more packages with all four on the field at one time. That could limit opportunities for some tight ends, particularly if only one player can emerge there as a reliable contributor. It could also be the case that the offense continues to feature one or two tight ends, but their skills mean their responsibilities won’t line up exactly with what Smith and Hentges did in 2018.

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So, I guess there have been more amazing turn arounds... not sure who they were; but, I am sure there are dozens on this board that will bring example after example to the forefront.

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