re: Slight change in Secondary

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Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II makes his debut against Louisville. (Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty)
But this week, Alabama will face an Ole Miss offense on the road in Oxford, Miss., that leads the conference in both scoring offense (61.5 points per game) and passing offense (407.5 ypg).

Earlier in the day Wednesday, Saban was asked about the secondary’s progress thus far.

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” he said. “I think some players are developing confidence in what they’re supposed to do. We’ve just got to continue to work, continue to improve. We’re going to face some very good receivers and a good quarterback and a very prolific offensive team that has a lot of weapons. It’s going to be really important for those guys to perform well and take the challenge and go out there and play with confidence and togetherness.”

After Alabama’s season opener against Louisville in Orlando, Fla., Saban said he was “trying to get somebody else who can play Star.” Diggs, who has started the first two games at left corner, was the player he pointed to as an option other than Carter, and in the game in the second quarter of the Arkansas State game this past Saturday, Diggs was lined up at Star with Surtain at left cornerback when Smith returned an interception 38 yards for an easy touchdown.

Surtain has played in both of Alabama’s games this season, appearing at cornerback and on special teams, and the nation’s No. 1-ranked corner in the 2018 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, has impressed those at UA since he stepped on campus. Whether he starts the game at left cornerback or not, Saban is comfortable in playing the former 5-star.

“Patrick has done a nice job and really made a lot of progress,” Saban said of the freshman in the first game week of the year. “We were playing him at Star and corner a little bit earlier on. We tried to zero him in a little bit more, just playing corner and he’s done a nice job. I have confidence that if he has to go in the game and play, that he’ll be able to do a good job for us.”

Alabama will travel to Ole Miss to face the Rebels on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

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