re: Spring Football News & Info

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(Personally, hate that the 2nd guy doesnt get to play full tilt playbook and just be expected to hand off until the moment comes where he is needed to play lights out... and not really ready.)

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$19.99

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Today, I learned that Rotterdam in The Netherlands does not have the internet. 

I'm surprised, honestly.

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WHO’S COMING BACK?
CB: Trevon Diggs, Patrick Surtain II, Josh Jobe, Nigel Knott, Jalyn Armour-Davis The Crimson Tide didn’t see the same type of attrition this offseason as last, so there will be a lot of familiar names going through drills this spring.Diggs should be nearing full health after he missed nine games with a foot injury. Armour-Davis is also coming off a knee injury. The former gives the group an experienced leader to play opposite a promising young starter in Surtain
S: Shyheim Carter, Xavier McKinney, Jared Mayden, Daniel Wright, Eddie Smith
I included Carter with the safeties because the now-senior spent a lot of time there during the open viewing periods of practice last year. He could be an option at safety in base formations, although he spent a lot of his time at Star in 2018. McKinney will quarterback the defense after a solid sophomore campaign, but the question will be who plays opposite him with Thompson set to play on Sundays. Alabama has options with Carter, Mayden, Wright and Smith this spring.
WHO’S COMING IN?
CB: Jeffery Carter S: No one Alabama signed five defensive backs in the 2019 cycle, but only one of them is on campus as an early enrollee -- Carter. The Top100 cornerback from Mansfield, Texas, will get a head start on learning the playbook and defense this spring. In the summer, however, he will be joined by safeties Jordan Battle and DeMarcco Hellams and corners Brandon Turnage and Marcus Banks. It won’t be the case this spring, but with five young defensive backs, UA replenished its depth.

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Alabama is set to begin spring practice Friday.

Here’s some of what I’ve been hearing heading into the start of spring ball:

—A) Former Akron offensive coordinator A.J. Milwee is expected to join the Crimson Tide staff as an offensive analyst, sources told AL.com. A Boaz, Alabama native, Milwee was a reserve quarterback at Alabama in 2004 and later a three-year starter at North Alabama, where he broke several school records and was a two-time finalist for the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The 33-year old Milwee started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Alabama in 2009, joined the Akron staff in 2012 and was then the team’s offensive coordinator from 2013 through last season.

—B) If they didn’t know already, NFL teams are now well aware that Henry Ruggs is really, really fast. Alabama had its junior pro day Wednesday and I’ve heard that NFL scouts timed Ruggs, who had 11 touchdown catches for the Tide last season, in the 4.25 range in the 40-yard dash. To put that into perspective, the NFL scouting combine record for the 40-yard dash is 4.22 and the fastest time posted at this year’s combine was 4.30. There were other players that ran fast, too. Biletnikoff Award winner Jerry Jeudy, safety Jared Mayden and a couple others were timed in the 4.4s in the 40.

—C) Word is that Alabama reserve outside linebacker Ben Davis is expected to miss at least part of spring ball. The redshirt junior underwent two surgeries this offseason, one in January and one in February. (reason for weight gain?)

— Davis is one of four Tide outside linebackers who’s been working back from an injury/surgery. Terrell Lewis is still working back to 100 percent from his ACL injury last summer while Anfernee Jennings and Chris Allen both underwent minor knee procedures in February.

— One other thing to keep an eye on with the outside linebacker group: It sounds like redshirt freshman Cameron Latu may see some time at tight end during the spring.

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WHO’S COMING IN?
PK Will Reichard
Reichard is one of 15 early enrollees for the Crimson Tide and will compete with Bulovas for the placekicking job this spring and summer. The Hoover, Al., native arrives on campus as the No. 1-ranked kicker in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and if he can adapt quickly and kick with consistency, he has a good chance to challenge Bulovas for his spot.
WHO COULD STEP UP?
Alabama could really use all of its specialists to step up their game this spring. The Tide ranked dead last in the SEC in punting average (35.76) and extra points percentage (90.2) in 2018 and would very much like for that to not be the case in 2019. So, Bulovas, Bernier and DeLong all fit in this category, as does Reichard, who could be a real possibility at placekicker in the fall. Punt returner seems to be in good hands with Waddle. As for kickoff returner, players like Henry Ruggs III, Trevon Diggs and Brian Robinson have experience there and could fill the void left behind by Jacobs. This will be one of the lesser-discussed positions during the spring, and a big reason for that is teams’ deciding to fair-catch the ball on kickoffs regardless of where it lands. But UA showed as long as it still exists, kickoffs will be returned unless they’re deep in the end zone.

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