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re: Spring Football News & Info
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:47 pm to TidalSurge1
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:47 pm to TidalSurge1
quote:
To summarize the week, I thought the players were really good on Monday,” Saban said. “We had to go inside because the field was a little too wet. Today, every now and then, as a coach you feel like people get the ‘Poor mes.’ If you know what the ‘Poor mes’ are, they’re exactly what I said. ‘Poor me, my leg hurts. Poor me, my shoulder hurts. Poor me, it’s hot out here today. Poor me, I don’t feel like practicing. To me, I’m not big on the ‘Poor mes.’
This made me smile. It reminded me of my grandfather
1
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:55 pm to Cobrasize
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:56 pm to TidalSurge1
Posted on 4/4/19 at 12:18 am to TidalSurge1
Wynn looks like he has dropped some good weight. Suoer worried about ILB from looking at practice videos. I dont think they do a good job of hammering things and i think the kids just say yes to everything.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 8:02 am to Tide or Die87
Posted on 4/4/19 at 8:57 am to TidalSurge1
Posted on 4/4/19 at 9:46 am to TidalSurge1
This might have been posted before or not.
LINK
Going back to beat you to submission type football. Should have done that vs Clemson
LINK
quote:
Alabama’s O-Line at the mid-point of spring practice LT Alex Leatherwood 6’6 310
LG Evan Neal 6’7 360
C Chris Owens 6’3 315
RG Emil Ekiyor 6’3 338
RT Jedrick Wills 6’5 316
1,639 LBS (327 average)
Matt Womack 6’7 325 Deonte Brown 6’4 342
Going back to beat you to submission type football. Should have done that vs Clemson
Posted on 4/4/19 at 10:28 am to biggsc
I mean, maybe, but it's probably more just that our most talented OL guys happen to be really big.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 10:46 am to FeralFeral
quote:
I mean, maybe, but it's probably more just that our most talented OL guys happen to be really big.
I hope we have gone away from the finesse offense and am back to run down hill, play action, body blow, body blow until we knock you out offense.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 11:18 am to biggsc
That offense is great when we have the defense that can get some stops. When we played elite teams they scored too quickly. I love ground and pound but this offense needs to be able to do both. I do want to see an OL that is syncing on DT and sliding off to the second level which Bama hasn’t done well in two or three years. Best run teams control the DL and can get OL into the second level. We will never be what we were with AJ though. Games changed too much but I do miss it.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 11:40 am to labamafan
I hope we get alot more physical in the run game this year, just like we all want to see. That said, when you have arguably the best QB and WR corps in the land--you'd be foolish to just ground and pound all season long. Balance is key. But if the run game is working (as it was in both losses to Clemson) lean into it and ride that horse until they prove they can stop it.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 1:35 pm to tider04
With the New OL I am hoping that the front 5 can shut down the pass rush from the lesser-than teams like Arkysauce (who hurt Tua Last year) and hold their own against the good teams. Would be great to have a stellar rushing game line; but having a line that can keep the pressure down to a minimum on the QB and open up the running lanes... well, dont see many sticking with the team. Also, would be great if Najee learns to pick up the delayed blitz. CU killed him on those.
I am also hoping for getting back up centers some good experience and PT.
All in all, except for the ILB group, I am very much excited about this team.
I am also hoping for getting back up centers some good experience and PT.
All in all, except for the ILB group, I am very much excited about this team.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 1:43 pm to TidalSurge1
FYI..heads up, this was already posted.. I just failed to get the source in the title... My fault, but adds to the reply count...
quote:
LINK ]WATCH: Tide outside linebackers on Wednesday (Travis Reier's post on BOL)
LINK ]YouTube of OLB's Wednesday 4/3 (same as above just on YouTube)
Go inside Wednesday's practice at Alabama and watch Crimson Tide outside linebackers at work!
Posted on 4/4/19 at 4:12 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]BamaOnLine - Nick Saban feels better about depth at wide receiver this spring By Charlie Potter see comments about WR's in yesterday's presser...
quote:
Williams and Bolden made their Crimson Tide debuts in last year’s season opener but because of the new redshirt rule, they were able to maintain a year of eligibility and enter their second seasons in Tuscaloosa as redshirt freshmen. The duo has been working at split end this spring.
Alabama only signed one wide receiver in its top-ranked recruiting class in 2019, and that was John Metchie. The nation’s No. 40 wide receiver, per the 247Sports Composite, has impressed during his first spring scrimmage this past Saturday as he recorded a pair of touchdown receptions.
After giving baseball a try earlier in the spring, Tyrell Shavers is solely focused on football. The 6-foot-6 wideout appeared in all 15 games last season and could see his role increase in 2019.
“You’ve got to have a big guy that you can find down in the red zone or somebody that can do the dirty work for the group,” Ruggs said. “That’s what Tyrell is, and I’m pretty sure he’ll show that.”
Alabama had the nation’s No. 6 passing offense in 2018, averaging 323.6 yards per game. Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith and Waddle made up a large portion of that. But with tight end Irv Smith Jr. turning pro and a West Coast coordinator in Steve Sarkisian now calling the plays, there is a potential for more receivers to get involved this fall. And players like Ruggs are all for that.
With so many contributors back and the young players at the position another year older, the receiver room features a close-knit group that wants to see everyone flourish in this balanced offense.
“As a group, we’re brothers,” Ruggs said. “If we ever need one another we’ll call each other and we always stay together. If one person wants to work out and you call somebody, we’ll end up with everybody, just about. That’s just how we are and we get along really well.
“I say that’s what makes us better because we critique each other and one guy can’t get complacent about things that he does well.”
Posted on 4/4/19 at 6:00 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]BamaOnLine - Saban satisfied with Alabama's top-two tailbacks this spring By Charlie Potter
From the Press Conf on Wed 4/3
From the Press Conf on Wed 4/3
quote:
— Said Najee Harris and Brian Robinson are both really good players, have both had “really good” springs and that both appear ready to take a step forward in terms of their roles. Said redshirt freshman Jerome Ford has showed some flashes during the spring. Saban said he expects to get some help from young guys at that position but that he’s been really pleased with Harris and Robinson.
quote:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said he believes Alabama’s Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris will be the first two running backs off the board in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft.
That’s great for the Crimson Tide and its recent pipeline to the league, both Jacobs and Harris and the positive effect potential draft results like that deliver for recruiting graphic quotes and a lot more. But it also leaves Alabama’s current roster lacking experience for the 2019 season.
Nick Saban, however, is pleased with the next two players up at the running back position
“I really feel like Najee (Harris) and B-Rob (Brian Robinson) are both really good players,” Saban said during his Wednesday post-practice press conference. “I think both of them have got a significant amount of experience in the past. I think they’re ready to take the next step in terms of making a really significant contribution. They both had really good springs.”
Najee Harris and Brian Robinson are rising juniors and have contributed since their freshman seasons in 2017. Last year, Harris was actually the Tide’s second-leading rusher behind the now-departing Harris, rushing for 783 yards and four touchdowns on 117 carries. The former 5-star recruit’s 6.69 yards per carry average led the team and was second-best in the SEC.
Robinson was Alabama’s fourth back, usually used in the fourth quarter, and saw some snaps as a fullback and H-back near the goal line or in short-yardage situations. He accumulated 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground on 63 touches to finish fourth on the 2018 team.
As expected, those two have climbed the running back pecking order with Harris and Jacobs -- and Ronnie Clark -- no longer in town. But as the Tide showed this past season and in other years, three backs are better than one. So, where will the team turn after Harris and Robinson?
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 6:36 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 6:01 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]BamaOnLine - Saban satisfied with Alabama's top-two tailbacks this spring By Charlie Potter...Continued...
NOTE: Keilan Robinson was posting pic's on his SnapChat account yesterday of himself in a hospital bed in Bham after having he knee worked on...
quote:
It could be a player that’s already on campus in Jerome Ford or Chadarius Townsend. Ford was one of the offense’s standouts in last Saturday’s first scrimmage, accounting for a few long runs.
“Jerome Ford is kind of the newcomer and has shown some flashes,” Saban said. “We’ve got a couple of other guys coming in in this freshman class. So, we have had a lot of diversity at running back, but most of the time, there has been a young player that contributes to that, almost always a freshman. Mark Ingram was a freshman when Glen Coffee was here. Trent Richardson played some when he was a freshman and Mark was the player.
“… So, I would expect that we get some help from that group from some young players, as well.”
Or, as Saban suggested, it could be one of the two signees at the tailback position that emerges.
Alabama signed the nation’s No. 1 running back in Trey Sanders, who predicted he would win the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman, as well as the No. 15 running back in Keilan Robinson. They are not set to enroll until the summer, but at least one of them could join the rotation in their first season of college, just like Jacobs did in 2016 behind Harris and Bo Scarbrough.
The head coach feels good about his top-two rushers. Beyond that, it is still to be determined.
“I’m really satisfied with those two guys,” said Saban on Harris and Robinson. “I would feel a little more comfortable if we had a few more guys that showed that they can play with the consistency and performance that can add even more depth at that position.”
NOTE: Keilan Robinson was posting pic's on his SnapChat account yesterday of himself in a hospital bed in Bham after having he knee worked on...
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 7:01 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 6:03 pm to RollTide66
LINK " target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CECIL HURT: Nick Saban addresses Alabama run game - TideSports.com
quote:
Perhaps because so much attention has been paid to the Alabama quarterback position over the past few seasons, there seems to have been less preseason conversation about the running backs, stretching back as far as Derrick Henry’s 2015 Heisman Trophy season.
That doesn’t mean Alabama hasn’t had great backs over that stretch — Bo Scarbrough, Kenyan Drake and last year’s most often-used trio: Damien Harris, Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs.
That group was better than merely good. Jacobs is likely to be the first running back selected in the upcoming NFL Draft and there’s a fair possibility Damien Harris will be the second running back chosen. But it was a combination of circumstances that seemed to pull the spotlight away from the running backs at times. One factor was the Tua Tagovailoa explosion, of course. His exploits, especially early in the season (and Jalen Hurts’ SEC Championship Game heroics as well) soaked up attention like a sponge biscuit would soak up gravy.
Second, there have been gradual changes in Alabama’s offense over the past four years. Even if a back came along with Henry’s rare mix of size, speed and durability, it’s hard to imagine the Crimson Tide reverting to the hammer-on-anvil attack that UA used in the 2015 Auburn game, when Henry carried the ball 387 consecutive times. (OK, it was 46 times, including Alabama’s last 14 offensive plays, but it seemed like 387.)
To put that number in perspective, Damien Harris led Alabama with 150 rushing attempts in 15 games — 10 per game. Jacobs’ versatility accounted for part of that, as did Alabama’s depth and the one-sided nature of so many of the games. Jacobs had 120 carries — eight per game — which prompted at least one NFL “Draft analyst,” who I will allow to remain in hot-take obscurity, to wonder “if Jacobs was so good, why didn’t he run the ball more?” The short answer is he didn’t need to, which now makes me an NFL Draft Analyst as well.
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 6:53 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 6:44 pm to RollTide66
LINK " target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CECIL HURT: Nick Saban addresses Alabama run game - TideSports.com...Continued... 
quote:
But what about 2019? With less than two weeks to go in spring practice, Nick Saban addressed that issue for the first time Wednesday.
“I think Najee (Harris) and B-Rob (Brian Robinson, the former Hillcrest star) are both really good players,” Saban said. I think both of them have gotten a significant amount of experience in the past. I think they’re ready to take the next step in terms of making really significant contributions. They’ve both had really good springs.”
Najee Harris, the No. 1 running back recruit in the 2017 class, has always been viewed as an heir apparent, waiting his turn to take over for two years. Saban probably never viewed it quite like that, but the answer, pairing Harris and Robinson as a tandem, spoke loudly.
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 8:27 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 6:47 pm to RollTide66
LINK " target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CECIL HURT: Nick Saban addresses Alabama run game - TideSports.com...Continued...
quote:
“Past that, Jerome Ford is sort of a newcomer who has shown some flashes,” Saban continued. We’ve got a couple of other guys (Trey Sanders and Keilan Robinson) coming in this freshman class (but not participating this spring.) We’ve had a lot of diversity at running back in the past, but most of the time we’ve had a freshman that’s contributed to that. Mark Ingram was a freshman when Glen Coffee was here. Trent Richardson played some when he was a freshman when Mark (Ingram) was the player. If you just go through the history of all the guys, I think Eddie Lacy was probably the only guy that didn’t play some (as a true freshman), and that was because he was a late qualifier and got here late in the summer. I would expect that we get some help from that group of young players as well.
“But I’m really satisfied with those two guys, Najee and Brian.”
“Really satisfied” may not sound like high praise from some coaches. When Saban says it, then it’s best to pay attention.
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 7:00 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 9:50 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]Alabama Football: Young players taking advantage of practice opportunities by Ronald Evans @revansbama
Article begins with discussion about Diggs, Jobe and Shy Carter... all been said...
Article begins with discussion about Diggs, Jobe and Shy Carter... all been said...
quote:
Another practice opening was noticed during the media viewing session (Last) Thursday afternoon. As Alabama football worked outside in full pads for the second time this week, the first unit at linebacker had a new participant, true freshman, Kevin Harris.
Before Alabama football fans jump to any conclusion, let’s pump the brakes a bit. Nick Saban would spew out a string of invectives at the thought of any player working on a first (or even second) unit depth chart. The official word is players work in organizational groups that are very fluid and in no way designate starters.
On Thursday, it was reported Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding did not use the correct public terminology and called out for the’ first-unit defense’. Sprinting into place were four linebackers, Dylan Moses, and Josh McMillon inside, along with Eyabi Anoma and Kevin Harris as outside linebackers.
One reason there is expanded opportunity for Kevin Harris is the precaution, limiting the work by Terrell Lewis this spring. Still, Harris being with the “ones” on Thursday does indicate he has for now elevated himself above sophomore Chris Allen. That reported change could have been for a portion of just one practice but is still noteworthy. It will merit watching going forward.
Spring practice is not a time when reps are concentrated among the first and second units. As much as possible, all players are being developed throughout spring and into the first week of fall camp.
The Saturday afternoon scrimmage is closed to the public. It is not unusual for some general observations to seep out from invited guests, though any observations are at risk for drawing the ire of Nick Saban.
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