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re: Spring Football News & Info
Posted on 3/7/19 at 5:50 pm to RollTideNL
Posted on 3/7/19 at 5:50 pm to RollTideNL
quote:
I rather watch Ajax Amsterdam beat Real Madrid 4-1 for free
See, that's where we differ. You'd have to pay me quite a sum to watch an entire soccer match. About the same you'd have to pay me to watch gay porn in person, ergo a lot of money.
And I live in Latin America and am surrounded by gayness, I mean, soccer.
This post was edited on 3/7/19 at 5:54 pm
1
Posted on 3/7/19 at 6:32 pm to prevatt33
Posted on 3/7/19 at 8:29 pm to RollTide66
quote:
—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
Damn, he must have gotten stepped on
Posted on 3/7/19 at 9:05 pm to RollTide66
quote:
— 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.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 9:34 am
Posted on 3/7/19 at 9:41 pm to TidalSurge1
Honestly, his body type screamed TE moreso than OLB.
Played both ways in high school, so it's old hat.
Played both ways in high school, so it's old hat.
Posted on 3/7/19 at 10:28 pm to MagillaGuerilla
If Latu does well at TE, maybe we can avoid taking a grad transfer TE and spending an initial counter spot on a one-and-done player.
This post was edited on 3/7/19 at 10:33 pm
Posted on 3/7/19 at 11:56 pm to TidalSurge1
Latu takes a kick back for 75 yards Watch for the meteor strike on the 23 yard line
Posted on 3/8/19 at 5:57 am to RollTide66
The college football ‘off-season’ is almost behind us. Here are a few parting thoughts.
After the NC loss Saban said, among other things, that the players were not prepared and that this was on him. He was right on both counts. Since then he has made sweeping changes to his staff. Most notably he corrected the mistake he made in his choice for DC. Hiring Tosh was great for recruiting, but wrong for coaching. Fresh of this error in judgement Saban appointed Pete Golding as DC. Golding has been criticized for his supposed play-calling (after it was reported that he had taken over these duties from Lupoi). It may be a poor comparison, but in cases where I have stepped in as counsel half-way during legal proceedings it was often not possible to change course. On appeal, however, as lead-counsel in these cases I would be able to easily secure the win. My point: considering how difficult it is to make changes when you’re not fully in charge from the outset I'm not sure whether one can blame Golding for the flaws in our defense late in the season.
Another issue in need of fixing that applies to Saban is developing the backups by playing them whenever possible and by allowing them to play like the starters would. As was so aptly explained in this thread, a team like Clemson has a cake-walk of a schedule, whereas Alabama has to deal with the SEC. Saban needs to get his starters off the field when the outcome is safe. Starters need to rest and to avoid injury. Backups need the playing time and to learn the system. Saban emphasizes developing the kids on and off the field, but too often waits with playing kids until they are 100% ready. This needs to change. We need to build up solid rotations. This will be especially beneficial late in the season when starters get fatigued and/or injured.
Last season, despite these issues, Bama still made it to the National Championship. If we get these things sorted out (and a healthy Tua takes the next step) the sky should be the limit.
After the NC loss Saban said, among other things, that the players were not prepared and that this was on him. He was right on both counts. Since then he has made sweeping changes to his staff. Most notably he corrected the mistake he made in his choice for DC. Hiring Tosh was great for recruiting, but wrong for coaching. Fresh of this error in judgement Saban appointed Pete Golding as DC. Golding has been criticized for his supposed play-calling (after it was reported that he had taken over these duties from Lupoi). It may be a poor comparison, but in cases where I have stepped in as counsel half-way during legal proceedings it was often not possible to change course. On appeal, however, as lead-counsel in these cases I would be able to easily secure the win. My point: considering how difficult it is to make changes when you’re not fully in charge from the outset I'm not sure whether one can blame Golding for the flaws in our defense late in the season.
Another issue in need of fixing that applies to Saban is developing the backups by playing them whenever possible and by allowing them to play like the starters would. As was so aptly explained in this thread, a team like Clemson has a cake-walk of a schedule, whereas Alabama has to deal with the SEC. Saban needs to get his starters off the field when the outcome is safe. Starters need to rest and to avoid injury. Backups need the playing time and to learn the system. Saban emphasizes developing the kids on and off the field, but too often waits with playing kids until they are 100% ready. This needs to change. We need to build up solid rotations. This will be especially beneficial late in the season when starters get fatigued and/or injured.
Last season, despite these issues, Bama still made it to the National Championship. If we get these things sorted out (and a healthy Tua takes the next step) the sky should be the limit.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 10:04 am
Posted on 3/8/19 at 6:38 am to RollTideNL
I hope Tua can stay healthy as we don't have a seasoned backup.
Posted on 3/8/19 at 8:15 am to mrbroker
I am hoping the new OLINE coach and with a ton of talent (newbies but talented) that the OL will protect the QB better this year. Would be nice if the Ref’s would call the other teams for going at Tua’s knees too. Also hoping the backup QBs get meaningful snaps
Posted on 3/8/19 at 12:18 pm to RollTide66
5 non-household names to keep an eye on during Alabama spring practice
AL.COM - By Matt Zenitz | mzenitz@al.com
AL.COM - By Matt Zenitz | mzenitz@al.com
quote:
Alabama is set to begin spring practice Friday. Here are five non-household names worth keeping an eye on during the spring (listed alphabetically):
quote:
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor A big, powerful interior player, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound Ekiyor will be in mix to be Alabama’s opening game starter at left guard with Deonte Brown expected to be suspended for the first four games of the season. It’s also possible that Ekiyor could be a factor in the competition for the Crimson Tide’s starting center job along with guys like redshirt junior Chris Owens, who will likely open spring ball as the first-team center.
quote:
Redshirt freshman running back Jerome Ford Ford is one of only three scholarship running backs that Alabama will have during the spring, which should lead to the former four-star recruit getting a lot of opportunities throughout the next month. While it’s probably unlikely that Ford will play much this season because of the other players the Tide will have at running back, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Ford is someone who could make an impact for Alabama at some point down the road. Ford ran for 37 yards on seven carries last season.
quote:
Senior safety Jared Mayden Mayden played a lot during the second half of last season as Alabama’s sixth defensive back and is in line to potentially move into a bigger role this year. Mayden, who posted 18 tackles and two pass breakups last season, will probably open spring ball as the first-team safety next to Xavier McKinney. The 6-foot, 200-pound Texas native is one of the Tide’s fastest players and was timed in the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash during Alabama’s junior pro day this week.
quote:
Redshirt senior linebacker Josh McMillon McMillon will have a chance to win the starting inside linebacker job next to Dylan Moses and will likely be the guy in that spot with the first-team defense when spring practice begins. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound former four-star recruit was a top backup last season and finished the year with 14 tackles.
quote:
Freshman kicker Will Reichard There’s a lot of optimism at Alabama regarding Reichard, a Hoover product who was the top-ranked kicker in this year’s recruiting class. Reichard, who made 27 of his 31 career field goal attempts at Hoover, will compete with Joseph Bulovas for the Tide’s kicking job. Reichard could also be a factor in the competition for Alabama’s punting job.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 5:57 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 12:31 pm to RollTide66
Posted on 3/8/19 at 1:34 pm to RollTide66
TideSports.Com - 5 things to watch as spring football begins Friday
quote:
The prologue to the 2019 Alabama football season is about to be written. The Crimson Tide will begin spring football practice Friday, coming together on the field for the first time as a new team. Early enrollees will suit up. New coaches will be at work, including some making their second tour of duty in Tuscaloosa. Head coach Nick Saban will speak to the media Friday afternoon, something he hasn’t done since his press conference on national signing day. He’ll likely receive questions about the coaching staff, up-and-coming players and more. The team will have one practice before departing for spring break, then resume later in March. Spring practice wraps up April 13 with the A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Here are five things to watch as spring practice kicks off.
quote:
1. Redoing the defense The Alabama defense played at a high level in 2018 but still seemed a step below its customary level under Saban. This season, it has to replace key players like Isaiah Buggs, Christian Miller, Saivion Smith, Deionte Thompson, Quinnen Williams and Mack Wilson. The roster still has plenty of talent, but it had plenty of talent in 2018 as well. The defense must now see if it can find its top form again in 2019.
2. Coaching staff Saban doesn’t have to rebuild his coaching staff every season, but he has had several new assistants both last year and this year. Alabama has five brand-new coaches, plus the return of Steve Sarkisian and Sal Sunseri. Pete Golding is also officially the new defensive coordinator. Getting the new staff acquainted with the players, the program and one another will be one of UA’s top priorities.
3. Offensive line combinations The Crimson Tide is replacing left tackle Jonah Williams and center Ross Pierschbacher. They had a combined 101 starts, including at least one at all five offensive line positions between the pair of them. Alex Leatherwood, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Matt Womack all have experience and should be in the mix. Look for Chris Owens, Emil Ekiyor Jr. and others to be the next ones to get an opportunity.
4. The kicking game Early enrollee Will Reichard happened to be the No. 1 kicker in the nation, and he happened to be just down the road in Hoover. He’ll have the opportunity to compete with Joseph Bulovas on field goals and kickoff and also with Skyler DeLong at punter. Reichard may end up filling any of those three roles. Bulovas seemed to be more consistent as 2018 went along, while DeLong spent the back half of the season on the bench. Reichard can help, though time will tell where he can help the most.
5. Backup quarterback Alabama had two elite players on top of its quarterback depth chart in 2017 and 2018, and the team needed both of them at times in both seasons. Tua Tagovailoa may be the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite this fall, but Mac Jones is the only player with any experience behind him. Freshmen Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson, both on campus for spring, are the two newcomers in the Crimson Tide’s quarterback room.
Posted on 3/8/19 at 1:36 pm to RollTide66
TideSports.com - CECIL HURT: More to watch this spring than position battles
quote:
Nick Saban will have his first in-depth press conference on Friday — there have been a couple of narrow-focus appearances when he has talked about players leaving early for the NFL Draft, or the Crimson Tide’s February signees.
But he has said little about the 2019 Crimson Tide, which is set to begin spring practice, at least for a day, before spring break begins. Without predicting what Saban will say, chances are good he will talk about 2019 as a “rebuilding” year for Alabama, or something of a reconstruction. That means something different at Alabama than it does at many other programs. There are plenty of talented, experienced players, especially on offense. The Heisman Trophy runner-up returns to play quarterback. There are holes to fill on defense, and along the offensive line, but there are quality candidates for those spots — inexperienced candidates, in some cases, but potentially outstanding players nonetheless. So a “rebuilding” year doesn’t mean a year in which Alabama doesn’t have a chance to make a strong run at the College Football Playoff, and at winning the national championship.
There’s another sense in which rebuilding can take place, though. It doesn’t necessarily have to include tearing the foundation to the ground and making something new, with entirely new material. Instead, you can take an existing structure, check for the toll taken by team, bolster the foundation where needed. That seems be what Saban feels is in order for this year. The changes in Saban’s staff — virtually a complete overhaul, an amazing occurrence in the wake of a 14-win season — seem to involve more than assistants leaving for better jobs, or bigger paychecks. In hiring the new assistants, Saban seems to have stressed experience and stability. That seems to be the answer to a question that has been nagging at Saban for a couple of years, even though the national title at the end of the 2017 season — the Tagovailoa Miracle — covered it somewhat. It’s silly to say Alabama didn’t “close strong” in a year when it won the CFP Championship, but some days, the Crimson Tide seemed to have hit the wall that season, only to be granted a chance to refuel, oddly enough, by the good fortune of not having to play in the SEC Championship. There was no masking the fact Alabama was not the same team down the stretch in 2018 that it had been earlier in the season. Again, we are in that singular Twilight Zone of Alabama Football, where winning the SEC Championship and a CFP semifinal doesn’t quite reach the level of “closing strong.”
Clemson dominated the final game, and credit to them, but Saban’s attitude toward his job is to shake Dabo’s hand, say “good game” and then start looking for answers. If Alabama wasn’t sharp, why wasn’t it sharp? If injuries contributed, then how can Alabama overcome them (which they did miraculously in 2017)? If the constant departure of juniors leaves Alabama, year in and year out, with a dearth of senior leadership, where can the leadership come from? Players who haven’t played significantly? Coaches?
Spring practice will be, as always, interesting to watch for the position battles, and, this season, for the answers at backup quarterback? But there is more to watch, a more quiet effort to rebuild an attitude, more than just a roster.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 2:12 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 4:57 pm to RollTide66
AL.COM - Alabama practice notes: A few players not spotted, others back from injury
quote:
-- Cameron Latu, a linebacker who redshirted last year, was practicing with the tight ends.
-- Middle linebacker Ale Kaho was not spotted with his unit. Joshua McMillon was lined up with the first group next to Dylan Moses.
-- Tight end Kedrick James was also not seen out there. He was suspended at the end of last season.
-- And AL.com previously reported linebacker Ben Davis would miss time and he too was not on the field Friday.
-- A number of players were back from injuries. Terrell Lewis looked sharp as the second in the outside linebackers line behind Anfernee Jennings. Chris Allen was also back after tearing his ACL like Lewis in August last year.
-- Cornerback Trevon Diggs was also back and running well after breaking his foot in October and missing the rest of the season. Freshman DB Jayln Armour-Davis was also back on the field after suffering a knee injury warming up for a game last season.
-- Veteran defensive back Shyheim Carter was in a black non-contact jersey but it didn’t seem overly serious. He had sports hernia surgery in late January.
-- Rising sophomore outside linebacker Eyabi Anoma had flirted with the transfer process but was back on the field for the beginning of Year 2.
-- For the first time, there were two Tagovailoa quarterbacks in the rotation. Taulia Tagovailoa enrolled early but was injured for the few practices incoming players were out there in December. Galu Tagovailoa, the father of both Tua and Taulia, was also there watching
-- With the freshmen, defensive end Antonio Alfano showed off a powerful first move in pass rush drills. He was rated the No. 1 overall recruit in the class by 247Sports.
-- Over on the offensive line, it was difficult to see who was playing in which position, but one thing was clear: Evan Neal is a big kid listed at 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, From 247 Travis Reier "Instant Analysis Report on Facebook" 1st offensive line looked like Leatherwood at LT, Ekiyor at LG Owens at center, Womack at RG and Wills at RT. The 2's unit, from left to right, consisted of Lashley, true freshman Evan Neal, Brannon, D. Brown and T. Brown.
-- It was also worth noting that linebackers coach Sal Sunseri looked trim and ready to get after it in his first Alabama practice since the 2011 season.
-- Former Tide defensive line star Dalvin Tomlinson was among those on hand to watch this workout.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 5:47 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 5:42 pm to RollTide66
Per Travis' Instant Analysis on Facebook:
New comers on Dside -
Dline: Nose - Mathis Ends Davis and Ray; 2nd's Nose - Vita M., Ends Barmore and Eboigbe; 3rds Ends Stephon Wynn and Alfano, DJ Dale at Nose
DB's Saban working with Corners along with Scott.
Shavers was back from baseball working with WR's
OLine - added to post above
New comers on Dside -
Dline: Nose - Mathis Ends Davis and Ray; 2nd's Nose - Vita M., Ends Barmore and Eboigbe; 3rds Ends Stephon Wynn and Alfano, DJ Dale at Nose
DB's Saban working with Corners along with Scott.
Shavers was back from baseball working with WR's
OLine - added to post above
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 5:57 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 6:05 pm to RollTide66
Saban's Presser now on...
summary in a minute
Pleased with coaching staff and the early enrollees
When asked about the absense of Ale Kaho “He’s got some issues that he’s dealing with, We’re trying to be supportive of him every way that we can. I think that we’ll just continue to try to help him every way that we can. I don’t know if there will be some point in time whether he’ll be ready to come back and play football or not.”
Hard to judge how many of the players looked like today because using Split fields 1's and 3's on one field and 2's and 4's on another
Injuries - Carter and Davis limited through out spring, Carter has chance to get back before end of spring.
Others coming back from injuries seem fine.
Says K James will be suspended for 4 games to start next season
Live updates: Nick Saban speaks after first spring practice
summary in a minute
Pleased with coaching staff and the early enrollees
When asked about the absense of Ale Kaho “He’s got some issues that he’s dealing with, We’re trying to be supportive of him every way that we can. I think that we’ll just continue to try to help him every way that we can. I don’t know if there will be some point in time whether he’ll be ready to come back and play football or not.”
Hard to judge how many of the players looked like today because using Split fields 1's and 3's on one field and 2's and 4's on another
Injuries - Carter and Davis limited through out spring, Carter has chance to get back before end of spring.
Others coming back from injuries seem fine.
Says K James will be suspended for 4 games to start next season
Live updates: Nick Saban speaks after first spring practice
quote:
AL.COM
— Saban said Alabama has “a lot of new faces around here.” Saban said the goal this spring is to reestablish “the Alabama factor.” In order to do that, Saban said the players have to find humility.
— Saban said he is really pleased with the coaching staff and how the new assistants have adapted.
— Saban said outside linebacker Ben Davis (shin splints) and Shyheim Carter (hernia surgery) will probably be limited throughout the spring.
— Saban said linebacker Ale Kaho “has some issues he’s dealing with” and his status with the team is uncertain.
— Saban said the decision to practice Cameron Latu at tight end was a matter of experimenting. Saban also noted the lack of depth at tight end with the departures of Hale Hentges and Irv Smith Jr. as well as the four-game suspension.
— Saban endorsed Steve Sarkisian as the offensive coordinator, saying he is very well-organized. He also complimented his performance with the Atlanta Falcons, noting they had a top-ten offense in 2018. Players on the Falcons also praised Sarkisian, according to Saban.
— Saban said in the past he considered associate defensive coordinator/safeties coach Charles Kelly as a possible candidate for defensive coordinator. He also said Kelly’s Alabama ties were important and the connections to in-state high school coaches was something that was missing from the previous staff.
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 8:33 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 6:17 pm to RollTide66
Uh
That's...........a problem
quote:
Saban on Ale Kaho, who was not at practice: "He's got some issues that he's dealing with. We're trying to be supportive of him any way we can. .. I don’t know if there will be some point in time whether he’ll be ready to come back and play football or not."
That's...........a problem
This post was edited on 3/8/19 at 6:19 pm
Posted on 3/8/19 at 6:18 pm to RollTide66
Kaho wasn’t at practice and Saban said he’s had some issues that he don’t know if Kaho will be able to return from
Posted on 3/8/19 at 6:18 pm to RollTide66
RollTide66, great job with this thread. I believe many of us are still trying to recover from the Clemson game, but you're grinding through it 
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