re: Spring Football News & Info

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In the long drought of the Alabama Football offseason, the A-Day spring scrimmage game is a bit of a refresher for both fans and players. Here is a list of players I am most excited to see at A-Day.

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Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa enters his Junior season with the Tide under the third new offensive coordinator this season. While such changes cause an adjustment period, Tagovailoa seems to be embracing the change with Sarkisian. I am very interested to see how Sarkisian’s new style offense highlights Tua’s strengths in the passing game. Reports have touted Tua’s work ethic this offseason claiming he is practicing as though his job is up for grabs. Watching Tua work his magic with the elite wide receiver corps against our rejuvenated secondary in the A-Day scrimmage should be nothing short of exciting.

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In the long drought of the Alabama Football offseason, the A-Day spring scrimmage game is a bit of a refresher for both fans and players. Here is a list of players I am most excited to see at A-Day.

Xavier McKinney

This is the player I am most looking forward to seeing next season. I believe he could prove to be the true leader of the secondary at the safety position. He began to emerge in that role by the end of the 2018 season. Several interviews have shown that he is embracing that position as well with Saban praising the Spring he has had so far. The Alabama football secondary should be a strong point for the upcoming season.

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Saban also dove into the whole dynamic of how you teach things in this moment. He went back to his time as a Cleveland Browns assistant under Bill Belichick when he was scolded for trying to coach too much. The message from up top was to let the players just play at times.

They will figure things out and sometimes you just need to get out of the way.

Saban also got visual explaining some of the method behind spring football.

“Look,” he said, “I'm a whole part whole teacher. I think it's like taking a bucket of whatever you want to call it, I don't want to call it what I call it, and throwing it against the wall and see what sticks. Put what falls down in the bucket and throw it up there again. If you do it enough times, it all sticks. I know you think I'm crazy, but that's how we've always done it. It seems like it works a little bit.”

Zooming out to take the bigger picture look, Saban said practice overall this week was a mixed bag.

He liked what he saw Monday coming off the first simulated game but there was somewhat of a step back Wednesday.

“Every now and then, as a coach you feel like people get the 'Poor mes,'” Saban said. “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. I like people not to do what they feel like doing but to choose to do what they need to do to get better and that has been very, very good all spring. Today, it could have been better.”

Alabama practices again Friday before the second spring scrimmage Saturday afternoon. Three practices remain after Saturday with the annual A-Day game wrapping things up April 13.

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It may be brother versus brother when Alabama faces Mississippi State this season.

While his younger brother competes for the starting quarterback job in Starkville, Jared Mayden is off to a good start this spring in Tuscaloosa as he tries to win the starting safety job next to Xavier McKinney.

After serving as the Crimson Tide’s sixth defensive back the final nine games of last season, the senior has gotten most of the first-team reps this spring at the safety spot previously occupied by Deionte Thompson, including during the team’s first spring scrimmage last Saturday.

“Jared has really done a nice job for us,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “He really showed up well in the scrimmage. He's played really well. Did a good job of tackling. Played with more toughness in the game. He's been pretty consistent. I think he has a pretty good understanding of what is expected of him. I've been very encouraged with his progress and very happy with his performance so far.”

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BIGGSC: Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:12 am to RollTideNL If Moses would become the next Rolando McClain that would be very nice!

BIGGSC:
As the quarterback of the defense, yes

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The Alabama football practice fields were extra crowded Friday afternoon with the annual coaching clinic in town. A few hundred high school coaches were there to view the workout on a warm spring afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

Here’s a quick rundown of observations in the shorter-than-normal media viewing period:

-- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was on the sideline watching the action. He was among the coaches who were speaking at the clinic. The former Nick Saban assistant at Michigan State met Alabama twice in bowl games, losing the 2011 Capital One Bowl 49-7 and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, 38-9.

-- There was also a film crew from the Cleveland Browns capturing footage. New head coach and former Alabama player Freddie Kitchens is also appearing at the clinic. Other coaches in town include the Detroit Lions’ Matt Patricia, Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm, New England Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge and Dr. Kevin Elko.

-- Also spotted watching the action was Alabama secretary of state John Merrill.

-- On the field, linebacker Terrell Lewis was in a black jersey watching the action from the side. Saban said he would be limited throughout spring practice recovering from his knee injury.

-- It also looked like cornerback Trevon Diggs had a heavy tape wrap on his upper right leg but he was in a crimson full-contact jersey.

-- This was a lighter practice before Saturday’s scrimmage. Players were in helmets and shoulder pads instead of the full gear.

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