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Maybe Alabama needs to adjust their recruiting philosophy
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:09 am
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:09 am
It's been posted a million times across the internet that Indiana's two and three stars beat down Alabama's four and five stars. Actually that's not true. Those "stars" people are referring to are stars given while the player IS IN HIGH SCHOOL, long before they touch a college campus, get in a college weight room, get into a college nutrition program and before their bodies start growing into grown mean.
Once players have been in college football for two years or longer those stars are completely irrelevant and odds are if there was a player "re-grading", A LOT of those two and three star players are now four and five star players. This is how teams like Vandy and Indiana turned it around so fast. Now, it doesn't mean that all a team has to do is go sign any random upper classmen who has experience. There still needs to be an evaluation process of players. Just ask Florida St. They are the example of the other side of the blade that could go wrong. They depended too much on the portal and missed on too many and it set them back years. But I do wonder if our staff needs to allocate more roster spots to these type of players so we're not having to put so many young inexperienced players on the field. Just a thought...
Once players have been in college football for two years or longer those stars are completely irrelevant and odds are if there was a player "re-grading", A LOT of those two and three star players are now four and five star players. This is how teams like Vandy and Indiana turned it around so fast. Now, it doesn't mean that all a team has to do is go sign any random upper classmen who has experience. There still needs to be an evaluation process of players. Just ask Florida St. They are the example of the other side of the blade that could go wrong. They depended too much on the portal and missed on too many and it set them back years. But I do wonder if our staff needs to allocate more roster spots to these type of players so we're not having to put so many young inexperienced players on the field. Just a thought...
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Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:19 am to NWLA_Bama
As good as Indiana and Cignetti are, it will be interesting to see how they do after most of their James Madison players COVID seniors cycle out.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 10:20 am
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:28 am to Ten Bears
He's had two different QB's in two years and hit jackpot. His evaluation process is very good. I heard him (in an interview) basically go through their criteria of selecting transfers. It's very Saban like and methodical. He is very high on "high IQ" players, personality types, and a lot of non football related criteria. So far, it is hard to argue with his results. But, again, it still comes with risks. Florida St and Colorado are very good examples of how it can work one year then completely bite you in the butt the next.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:38 am to NWLA_Bama
Our coaches are generally very happy during the week with how the players execute in practice. Then, in games, execution breaks down inexplicably.
This is the ongoing problem the staff is facing - its 100% on having players who practice great but break down in game. Its not S&C, scheme, playcalling, or physicality.
The solution is bringing in just a few missing puzzle pieces at the bargain, and supplementing some depth with a few high $ headline grabbers.
This is the ongoing problem the staff is facing - its 100% on having players who practice great but break down in game. Its not S&C, scheme, playcalling, or physicality.
The solution is bringing in just a few missing puzzle pieces at the bargain, and supplementing some depth with a few high $ headline grabbers.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:39 am to NWLA_Bama
We could recruit an entire team of the best 25-year-old, 7th-year seniors who were all 5-stars coming out of high school and we’d still be where we are.
You still have to have good coaching. You still have to have a coach who doesn’t call a slow-developing, wide sweep on 4th-and-1 at your own 35 yard line. You still have to have a coach who isn’t soft as a baby turd and doesn’t get ran off the field by his own player like a bitch arse pussy. You still have to have coaching that stresses fundamentals and actually, well, coaches and prepares his team to play the game.
We don’t have that.
You still have to have good coaching. You still have to have a coach who doesn’t call a slow-developing, wide sweep on 4th-and-1 at your own 35 yard line. You still have to have a coach who isn’t soft as a baby turd and doesn’t get ran off the field by his own player like a bitch arse pussy. You still have to have coaching that stresses fundamentals and actually, well, coaches and prepares his team to play the game.
We don’t have that.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 10:40 am
Posted on 1/3/26 at 10:46 am to Crimsonpirate23
quote:
Our coaches are generally very happy during the week with how the players execute in practice. Then, in games, execution breaks down inexplicably.
That's part of the problem. I've never heard any of the coaches say they weren't pleased with the effort and execution in practice. If you go by their interviews, they haven't had a bad practice in two years. I think the HC and the rest of the staff have low standards when it comes to practice and game performance. I don't see any signs of demanding excellence.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:00 am to Chancellor
quote:Quite true....and DISCIPLINE!
You still have to have a coach who isn’t soft as a baby turd and doesn’t get ran off the field by his own player like a bitch arse pussy. You still have to have coaching that stresses fundamentals and actually, well, coaches and prepares his team to play the game.
If you AND your coaches aren't willing to chew a player's arse off when necessary, you're gonna have these problems. Just ask coaches Saban & Bryant.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:21 am to coachcrisp
Saban and Bryant could not have existed in today’s landscape where players are basically co-equal partners to coaches and can walk and go play for someone else if you piss them off and coaches have zero recourse.
Have some of you people literally been in a cave the last couple of years since the Supreme Court decision and missed how much this s**t has changed?
I said in another thread that our fan base lives in a bubble, I think it’s a damn time warp.
Have some of you people literally been in a cave the last couple of years since the Supreme Court decision and missed how much this s**t has changed?
I said in another thread that our fan base lives in a bubble, I think it’s a damn time warp.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:24 am to NWLA_Bama
We have a coaching issue. Plain and simple. Our players transfer out and perform well at other schools. We need to change how we evaluate and hire coaches.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 11:28 am
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:27 am to bamabonners
Our coaching problems are play calling and development. It’s not that the atmosphere doesn’t channel Junction 1954.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:40 am to bamabonners
quote:
Our players transfer out and perform well at other schools.
Like who? Other than Downs who was already a freshman all-american and Sayin who spent less than a week on campus once DeBoer was hired.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:46 am to bamabonners
I'm not going to argue with that. I agree.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:54 am to bamabonners
quote:
Our players transfer out and perform well at other schools.
Who? There are actually more examples of players from the Saban era transferring out and not doing much.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:55 am to RollTide33
quote:
Like who? Other than Downs who was already a freshman all-american and Sayin who spent less than a week on campus once DeBoer was hired.
Haynes was having a good season at Michigan before he got hurt.
But there really hasn't been many.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 12:13 pm to Funky Tide 8
All you have to do is an analysis of star ratings vs draft picks and there is NO DOUBT that ratings Do matter.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 1:35 pm to NWLA_Bama
quote:
His evaluation process is very good. I heard him (in an interview) basically go through their criteria of selecting transfers. It's very Saban like and methodical. He is very high on "high IQ" players, personality types, and a lot of non football related criteria.
His process is very Saban like in evaluation, because he was the guy doing the evaluations at Bama for the first 5 years Saban was at Alabama. All the guys who came into the program from 2007-2011 were evaluated by Cignetti and he was the recruiting coordinator.
Saban’s process for eval was his and vice versa.
Totally makes sense why Indiana looks and plays like a circa 2011 Bama team.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 1:36 pm
Posted on 1/3/26 at 1:45 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
His process is very Saban like in evaluation, because he was the guy doing the evaluations at Bama for the first 5 years Saban was at Alabama. All the guys who came into the program from 2007-2011 were evaluated by Cignetti and he was the recruiting coordinator.
Saban’s process for eval was his and vice versa.
Totally makes sense why Indiana looks and plays like a circa 2011 Bama team.
Makes sense. Well, he sure as heck does a great job in player evaluations.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 2:08 pm to TizzyT4theUofA
Who?
QB Julian Sayin to Ohio State, Downs at Ohio State, RB Justice Haynes to Michigan, CB Trey Amos to Ole Miss, WR Malik Benson to Florida State, and DL Damon Payne to Michigan
My point is that we don't have trash players, we have underperforming coaches.
QB Julian Sayin to Ohio State, Downs at Ohio State, RB Justice Haynes to Michigan, CB Trey Amos to Ole Miss, WR Malik Benson to Florida State, and DL Damon Payne to Michigan
My point is that we don't have trash players, we have underperforming coaches.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 2:14 pm
Posted on 1/3/26 at 2:31 pm to bamabonners
quote:
QB Julian Sayin
Never played a down at 'Bama
quote:
Downs at Ohio State
Was great from the start for 'Bama. Continued to be great at OSU
quote:
Justice Haynes to Michigan
Would have probably been the starter if he stayed at 'Bama
quote:
CB Trey Amos to Ole Miss
Played well in the SEC championship for Arnold. No clue why he transferred.
quote:
WR Malik Benson to Florida State
Wasn't he always hurt?
quote:
Damon Payne to Michigan
Don't know enough about him
So on that whole list, maybe two guys? And the only thing that really changed for any of them was playing time/snaps.
Not saying you're wrong, necessarily, but your list sucks.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 2:53 pm to Marktastic86
quote:
Not saying you're wrong, necessarily, but your list sucks.
Now you move the goal posts.
You just want a team full of 5 star talent that don't ever need to be coached? That's a pipe dream. Our coaches have to coach them up. We've seen little improvement throughout the year.
What's more plausible here... That we have a full roster full of guys that can't improve or the coaches aren't getting the best out of the players? I vote the latter.
This post was edited on 1/3/26 at 3:25 pm
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