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re: Spring Football News & Info
Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:46 pm to RollTide66
Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:46 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 1 - BamaHammer- by Jonathan Waldrop
quote:Continued...
...Much goes into the juggernaut that has been Alabama football over the last decade-plus. Recruiting multiple elite players at the same position is number one, of course; Saban knows he needs a very specific type of player who can not only compete at a high level at his position, but one who understands everything else going on around him.
On top of this, you have yet another season of coaching turnover that saw the Tide lose seven of its ten assistants from the 2018 staff. (Dabo still has all of his.)
It’s okay, though. Assistants at Alabama are a little like maitre d’s: fun to look at, but rarely functional in the overall experience.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:06 pm
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Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:47 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 1 - BamaHammer- by Jonathan Waldrop
quote:Continued...
...There are five factors to what makes Alabama Football (2007-current) what it is:
Nick Saban (do you really think if Dabo Swinney lost 5-7 of his assistants every year his teams would go 15-0?)
Scott Cochran (the Strength & Conditioning Coach sees the players more than almost anyone else in the program)
Jeff Allen (the Head Trainer picks up the broken pieces left from Cochran’s grueling “4th Quarter Program”)
Amy Bragg (the Team Nutritionist makes sure these players eat healthy and well and there’s not a better one in the biz)
The Players (duh)
The players returning in 2019 are pretty good, too. Offensively, there’s Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood on the line, Najee Harris at running back, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle at receiver and, of course, Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback.
Defensively, you have Raekwon Davis on the line, Dylan Moses, Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis at linebacker and Xavier McKinney, Shyheim Carter, Jared Mayden, Trevon Diggs and Patrick Surtain, Jr. all returning at defensive back.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:08 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:47 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 1 - BamaHammer- by Jonathan Waldrop
quote:Continued...
...This isn’t taking into account the fellas who are expected to take a step forward this upcoming season: Chris Allen and Eyabi Anoma (OLB), LaBryan Ray and Phidarian Mathis (DL), Josh Jobe (CB), Brian Robinson (RB), Chris Owens and Emil Ekiyor (OL) and Miller Forristall (TE).
And what about those precocious early enrollees who just graduated from high school? Defensive tackle, DJ Dale, was repping with the first team defensive line by A-Day. Shane Lee (ILB) and Evan Neal (OL) worked their way from the back of the pack at the beginning of spring ball to possible starters in 2019. John Metchie (WR) has a ways to go to supplant Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith and Waddle, but winning A Day MVP honors is a start.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:10 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:47 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 1 - BamaHammer- by Jonathan Waldrop
quote:Continued...
...This isn’t taking into account the fellas who are expected to take a step forward this upcoming season: Chris Allen and Eyabi Anoma (OLB), LaBryan Ray and Phidarian Mathis (DL), Josh Jobe (CB), Brian Robinson (RB), Chris Owens and Emil Ekiyor (OL) and Miller Forristall (TE).
And what about those precocious early enrollees who just graduated from high school? Defensive tackle, DJ Dale, was repping with the first team defensive line by A-Day. Shane Lee (ILB) and Evan Neal (OL) worked their way from the back of the pack at the beginning of spring ball to possible starters in 2019. John Metchie (WR) has a ways to go to supplant Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith and Waddle, but winning A Day MVP honors is a start.
However, this is all putting the cart before the horse, because team chemistry is a must. Enough has been reported following the title game about assistants and players, alike, being out for themselves. However true these reports are, it does give one pause: Has the “old man” lost control of his program? (For what it’s worth, typing that last sentence made me chuckle.)
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:12 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 4:47 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 1 - BamaHammer- by Jonathan Waldrop
quote:
...Prognosticating something specific about the 2019 Alabama football team before fall camp is tricky. One can surmise, though, based off previous Nick Saban teams failing to reach the top of the summit (especially failing to do so in the manner in which they did in 2018), the returning players should be able to re-engage and play with purpose this season.
That all remains to be seen, of course, but I have a feeling that, with a relatively easy schedule (containing a possible slip-up along the way), we’ll probably be seeing the Tide back in position for its sixth College Football Playoff appearance in as many years. I don’t bet against Alabama football until I’m given a reason to do so.
Haven’t had a reason since January 4, 2007.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:13 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:19 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:Continued...
This fall, Alabama football faces a problematic crossroad. Win big, and everyone realizes the Tide is back. Stumble, and critics will say the end is here for the college football juggernaut.
Coming off of an uneventful 7-6 record, in the Alabama football, season opener against Clemson in 2008, Nick Saban set the tone for the direction of the program. The rugged, hard-nosed running game and sturdy, punishing defense were Alabama’s calling card.
The Alabama Factor and “the process” have played out in front of millions as the Crimson Tide pummeled teams en route to five national titles in eleven years. The simple, yet strict standard set the path for college football supremacy.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:22 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:19 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:Continued...
...Observing Alabama in last year’s championship game was the first time, I ever saw the Crimson Tide uncharacteristically unprepared for their opponent in Nick Saban’s eleven years as head coach. Sometimes it is just not their night like undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson falling at the hands of a run of the mill boxer in Buster Douglas in the biggest upset in sports history or underdog Villanova beating big, wicked Patrick Ewing and Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA Tournament.
For whatever reason, the Alabama Crimson Tide appeared docile.
Ill-equipped.
Tired.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:26 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:19 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:Continued...
...Whether it was the smothering pressure of fighting to stay undefeated, complacency, internal strife among players or coaches running for the exits, it showed. Clemson earned their championship title. The contender did not even look as though it deserved to be on the same playing field with the Tigers.
Last season, the best quarterback in the nation resided in Tuscaloosa.
Sorry, Kyler Murray.
Returning to lead this year’s team is Tua Tagovailoa. The star quarterback played phenomenal all season, setting several offensive records, thrusting himself into deserved Heisman talks and Alabama GOAT status. The Maxwell Award winner’s two worst games of the season came versus Georgia (injured both ankles) and Clemson (defensive schemes confused him). Hopefully, the monumental setbacks have prepared Tagovailoa for an even stronger comeback.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:28 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:20 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:Continued...
...The best receiver group in the nation catch passes from the deft lefty. Starting with the Biletnikoff Award winner Jerry Jeudy, if he wasn’t breaking defenders’ ankles, Jeudy was sprinting past defensive backs for the score. Vastly underrated, Henry Ruggs brings rugged toughness and blazing wheels to the table. Devonta Smith can stretch out to get the ball. Jaylen Waddle broke into the lineup with his dazzling speed and ankle-breaking moves.
The 2012 offensive line whipped opponents until their arse quit. Running lanes were big enough for the USS Gerald Ford to flow through. AJ McCarron’s uniform stayed clean.
Last season, there was a stark difference when Lester Cotton manned the left guard spot for Deonte Brown. Versus the tougher teams, there wasn’t much push in the running game. In 2019, a physical line with potential All-American Najee Harris toting the rock will allow extraordinary results.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:30 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:20 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:Continued...
...An explosive offense is necessary because of defensive inexperience. Quinnen Williams, possibly the best player in the upcoming NFL draft, provided a nastiness reminiscent of the previous Alabama football champions. Raekwon Davis, Dylan Moses and Xavier McKinney return as veteran leaders on each level.
New defensive coordinator Pete Golding has his work cut out for him. Against Oklahoma and Clemson, the defense played like a middle of the pack Big 12 defense. Injuries, especially at linebacker, has provided difficulties for the Tide. Hopefully, the additions of defensive line coach Brian Baker, linebackers Sal Sunseri and defensive backs coach Charles Kelly can return the Tide to a box office defense instead of a matinée feature.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:33 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:20 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: The State of the Crimson Tide Part 2 Bama Hammer - by Ronald Moody
quote:
...The cupboard in the Mal Moore Athletic Facility is not bare. There are five stars on top of five stars, chomping at the bit for some game action.
The sheer dominance of Alabama football throughout the decade is astounding. However, the Crimson Tide as the underdog makes it hungrier, nastier and potentially unbeatable. Let the national media shower Clemson with all the justified preseason hype and attention.
For the first game of the new season, Alabama squares off against ACC foe Duke in Atlanta. I feel for the Blue Devils and all teams attempting to block the Tide’s path to the National Championship. As long as Saban walks the sidelines, the Crimson Tide will mirror his overly, competitive mindset.
This post was the second in a four-part series by the Bama Hammer staff. Check out Part 1 here. Parts 3 and 4 will follow soon.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:35 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:20 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans 
quote:Continued...
A rebuilding Alabama football defense is very much a work in progress. Check out this post-spring, projected Crimson Tide, defense depth chart.
When a venerable college football program must rebuild either side of the ball, patience is required. Alabama football coach, Nick Saban has been telling anyone who will listen, the young, re-vamped Crimson Tide defense is very much a rebuild. Last year’s late-season stats indicate considerable improvement is needed to mount another championship run.
Other than outside linebacker, every Crimson Tide position group needs improved play from generally less experienced players. Reports from the two closed spring scrimmages were the offense was having its way with the new Alabama football defense. The A-Day game was just the opposite.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 5:59 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:21 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:Continued...
...New Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding will adhere to Nick Saban’s complex 3-4 defense. Golding must shore up the defensive line with new starters. He must develop a viable two-deep at inside linebacker. The secondary must also be improved over last season.
Golding has his hands full, as do the entire defensive staff. Fortunately for Alabama football, it has the game’s best defensive mind in Nick Saban.
The two-deep is far from being settled and this post-spring projection will require amending at least a couple of times in fall camp.
layers shown in bold type are expected to lead the Crimson Tide this fall.
Defensive Line
Defensive Ends
Starters: Raekwon Davis and LaBryan Ray
Backups: Christian Barmore and Justin Eboigbe
Reserves: Stephon Wynn, Antonio Alfano, Byron Young and Braylen Ingraham
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:03 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:59 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:[/quote] Continued...
...
Defensive Line
Defensive Tackle
Starter: D.J. Dale
Backup: Phidarian Mathis
Reserves: Tevita Musika, Stephon Wynn and Ishmael Sopsher
Raekwon slipped some in production last season. Returning for his senior season was a wise decision and we look for him to use the opportunity to shine and improve his NFL Draft status. We expect LaBryan Ray to have a huge season in his starting role.
The backup defensive ends have plenty of talent. Barmore has added much-needed weight. Justin Eboigbe is already built like a second-year player. Alfano had a somewhat disappointing spring but just needs time. Yet to arrive, Byron Young could be the best of the young group.
Early enrolling freshman, D.J. Dale was the defensive story of the spring. Going into spring there was considerable optimism about Phidarian Mathis. Mathis did not perform poorly, Dale just made a major move. They will be a formidable rotating pair in the fall. Highly touted 2019 defensive tackle signee, Ishmael Sopsher will not join the Crimson Tide until summer. If Sopsher is in playing shape at the start of fall camp, he too could join a rotation at nose during the season.
An early prediction is the Crimson Tide will be able to rotate nine solid defensive linemen in 2019.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:05 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:59 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:Continued...
...
[quote]Linebackers
Outside Linebackers
Starters: Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis
Backups: Eyabi Anoma and Chris Allen
Reserves: Kevin Harris, Jarez Parks, Ben Davis and King Mwikuta
The four starters and backups make a loaded outside linebacker roster for Alabama football. If Lewis and Allen fully recover from last season’s injuries, without any loss of speed, the Tide should be a pass-rushing nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Anoma is now at the necessary weight to be more than a pass-rushing specialist.
Harris and Mwikuta have a lot of potential but may not be needed in 2019. Jarez Parks is yet to step up but has time. Ben Davis remains an unknown.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:08 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 5:59 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
[/quote] Continued...
quote:
...Linebackers
Inside Linebackers
Starters: Dylan Moses and Josh McMillon
Backup: Shane Lee
Reserves: Markail Benton, Jaylen Moody, Ale Kaho and Christian Harris
Talented depth at inside linebacker is still a problem for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Senior, Josh McMillon tied Xavier McKinney as the leading tackler for the White team in the A-Day game. True freshman, early enrollee Shane Lee was the leading tackler for the Crimson team. Lee also made an interception. Many insiders are still optimistic on Moody’s potential. Anticipation for Ale Kaho stepping in next to Dylan Moses has faded.
The other true freshman at inside linebacker, also a key 2019 class addition is Christian Harris. Harris will not enroll until summer.
Dylan Moses will have to accept the full role of calling defensive signals. He can be the ‘Alpha’ the front seven needs for aggressive play.
Overall the situation at inside linebacker looks better after the A-Day game. The position group is still thin. Worse, no one in the group looks yet capable of filling Dylan’s role if he goes down.
[/quote] Continued...
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:10 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 6:00 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:Continued...
...
[quote]Alabama Football Secondary
Cornerbacks
Starters: Patrick Surtain II and Trevon Diggs or Josh Jobe
Backups: TBD
Reserves: Jaylin Armour-Davis, Nigel Knott, Jeffery ‘Scooby’ Carter, Marcus Banks, Jordan Battle and Brandon Turnage
Diggs and Surtain II have enough starts between them to be considered veterans. Both are extremely talented. Nick Saban wants flexibility in the secondary and if Josh Jobe can hold down a starting corner position, the three corners in the nickel defense are probably set. The rest of the cornerback group lacks experience at a position where inexperience can be deadly.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:13 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 6:00 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:Continued...
...
[quote]Alabama Football Secondary
Safeties
Starters: Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter
Backup: Jared Mayden
Reserves: Eddie Smith, Daniel Wright, Demarcco Hellams and Jordan Battle
Dime Defensive Back (Money)
Starter: Jared Mayden
Backup: TBD
It is hard to find a more solid pair than McKinney and Carter. Xavier is a natural leader. No player understands Saban’s defensive schemes better than Shyheim. But solid backups are needed. Best guess is Eddie Smith and Demarcco Hellams work themselves into that two-deep role.
There is considerable talent in the freshman class. Jordan Battle, Demarcco Hellams, Marcus Banks and Brandon Turnage all enroll this summer. Sophomore Eddie Smith and redshirt freshman, Jaylin Armour-Davis will not cede any ground to the newcomers. It will make for an interesting fall camp and early part of the regular season.
This post was edited on 4/20/19 at 6:14 pm
Posted on 4/20/19 at 6:15 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Football: Post-spring Defense Depth Chart details - Bama Hammer by Ronald Evans
quote:
...
Special Teams
Punter and Kickoff Specialist
Skyler DeLong will try to provide competent consistency as the punter. He looked much improved in the A-Day game, punting for a 47.5 yard average. If DeLong stumbles, freshman placekicker, Will Reichard can also punt.
Joseph Bulovas will probably handle all the kickoffs.
Posted on 4/21/19 at 10:37 am to RollTide66
Kinda off topic I guess but has anybody heard where Malik Langham might be headed or leaning??
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