What we learned from A day scrimmage

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ESPN’s Matt Stinchcomb relaying a conversation with Alabama coaches about Jalen Milroe: “They made no bones about it. Bill O’Brien, especially, said look, ‘Right now, this guy is our No. 2 [quarterback].”

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Sophomore Robbie Ouzts, who was the lead blocker last season, played with the white team but could not effectively block inside linebacker Deontae Lawson on a blitz late in the first quarter. That contributed to Milroe overthrowing Leary for an interception to Kristian Story.

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ESPN play-by-play announcer Matt Barrie said running back Jahmyr Gibbs drew “rave reviews” from coaches for his spring, with Stinchcomb adding, “Coach O’Brien kind of had to slam on the brakes a little bit because he’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to say too much.’ He got so excited about Jahmyr Gibbs. But it is a talent that is separate and apart from what they had last year.”

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-- Barrie relayed conversations with Saban and O’Brien about the offensive line, saying they were trying different combinations and Alabama coaches feel they need “to find the right chemistry” among linemen.

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Left tackle Kendall Randolph was beaten three times off the edge by Will Anderson over a span of four plays in the second quarter, forcing Bryce Young to scramble on the first before taking a sack on the second. Saban said the staff is giving Randolph, a sixth-year blocker who played mostly at tight end last season, every chance to earn a starting job this season.

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Tommy Brockermeyer replaced Randolph at left tackle for the crimson team and the first-team offense for much of the second half. He allowed pressures to Dallas Turner on three consecutive fourth downs in the fourth quarter. The first forced an incompletion by Young, the second gave up a sack to Turner on a fourth down later in the quarter, and the third also resulted in a sack. After the last one, cameras showed Bill O’Brien throwing his arms up in the direction of offensive line coach Eric Wolford.

-- Brockermeyer, a five-star prospect in 2021 who did not appear in a game as a freshman, was then beaten by Turner for a sack to begin the final drive of the game. He was pulled and replaced for the remainder of the game by Randolph. But on second down, right tackle J.C. Latham -- like Brockermeyer, a five-star recruit in 2021 -- was beaten by Braswell for a sack of Young.

-- Saban told the ESPN crew that he will be honest with players after the spring game about their chances to start in the fall, and even though he values resiliency among players, that could lead to some entering the transfer portal. The NCAA deadline to enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere in the fall is May 1.

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