re: Bama Football Tidings

Posted on 7/31/19 at 1:06 am to RollTide66

Posted by RollTide66

Atlanta

Member since Nov 2015

3005 posts

Posted on 7/31/19 at 1:06 am to RollTide66

Alabama Crimson Tide fall camp previews: Tight ends Tony Tsoukalas • BamaInsider @Tony_Tsoukalas This has to be posted somewhere; but to pull all things Fall Camp to one place.

quote:
Football is back in the air. Alabama is set to kick off its fall camp this week as it holds its first practice on Friday. Before the Crimson Tide returns to the field, BamaInsider will take a look at each of the position groups. We continue our series today by examining the tight end position
Biggest question: Will Cameron Latu stick at tight end?

What began as an experiment might develop into a lasting feature in Alabama’s offense. Needing to add depth at the tight end position, the Crimson Tide converted outside linebacker Cameron Latu to the offensive side of the ball. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound redshirt freshman took well to the change and even worked with the first-team offense, pulling in two receptions for 37 yards during the A-Day game.

While Latu was recruited as a defender he also played tight end during high school, recording 10 receptions for 168 yards and a touchdown during his senior season.

“He has great hands,” said Aaron Whitehead, Latu’s high school head coach. “We would do the seven-on-seven tournaments during the summers we had him up on varsity. We’d try to work our offense and go through the progression with the quarterbacks, but any time there was any type of dilemma my quarterback would just set his feet and throw right to Cam. It didn’t matter if he was covered or not, Cam would make it look so effortless.”

Following his successful spring, Latu is now listed as a tight end on Alabama’s updated roster. The switch in positions seems to be even more cemented now that junior tight end Kedrick James has placed his name in the transfer portal. (announced trf to SMU)

“I think people forget, he came in as like a five-star athlete at outside linebacker, so he’s going to be really good at whatever he does,” tight end Miller Forristall said of Latu. “I think he can play tight end, he can play outside linebacker, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays at tight end. He’s going to be really, really good no matter what he does. He’s done great with his transition to the room, really good guy. I love having him in there.”

Nuggets from the look behind the pay wall-

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How we expect Alabama to line up Latu is Alabama’s most likely option outside of Forristall. Or Major Tennison, who was limited some this spring while going through concussion protocol. 6-foot-5, 248-pound redshirt sophomore with the only other recorded rec's during actual games.

Or redshirt freshman Michael Parker (6-foot-6, 216) or true freshman Jahleel Billingsley (6-foot-4, 228), who joined the team this summer. Both need a big dose of LB's.

Or walk-ons Gile Amos and Richard Hunt. Amos, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior got PT in The Citadel game & during spring camp. Hunt, 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, is a former basketball player who started football his sr year of hs. preferred walk-on this spring.
Potential surprise: Miller Forristall develops into a major offensive weapon

If the knee is back to 100 percent, it’s not inconceivable that he could remember he was QB in HS until a long haired guy took over and moved him to TE, so he has smarts to find the opps

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Posted by RollTide66

Atlanta

Member since Nov 2015

3005 posts

Posted on 7/31/19 at 1:14 am to RollTide66

Alabama Football: Secondary more talented and more experienced by Ronald Evans for BamaHammer

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The Alabama football defense will benefit from a better secondary this season. Better in talent, experience and coaching. The final measurement of the 2018 Alabama football secondary came in a national championship failure. That measurement is not completely fair. An impotent pass rush made the secondary vulnerable against Clemson. At least one player, Josh Jobe, was thrust into a pressure situation in which his playing experience was inadequate. Consider all the above and the results were predictable.
Results should be very different in 2019 (and early 2020) for several reasons. The primary reason is the difference in playing experience going into 2019. At the start of the 2018 season, Alabama football returned three members of the secondary with starting experience. They were Deionte Thompson, Shyheim Carter and Trevon Diggs. Diggs was lost to injury in the sixth game of the season.

While Xavier McKinney had a great season, he was unproven at the start. Saivion Smith joined the team from the JUCO ranks, after a freshman season at LSU. Jared Mayden had mostly special teams experience. Josh Jobe and Patrick Surtain II were freshmen.

Further complicating the championship run was inexplicably inconsistent performance from Deionte Thompson. Those weaknesses in the secondary, coupled with a roster depleted in edge rushers, resulted in an unusually vulnerable Alabama Crimson Tide secondary.
What is different for Alabama football in 2019?

First, it is coaching. Nick Saban has chosen to apply more coaching resources to the Alabama secondary than ever before. Trusted Karl Scott returns but this season, he has the help of more than a graduate assistant. Charles Kelly has been added to coach the safeties while Scott will maintain responsibility for the cornerbacks.

The highest-paid graduate assistant in college football also returns. Nick Saban, of course, will still tutor defensive backs.

In the real Alabama football base defense, the nickel, look for an adjustment in assignments. The Crimson Tide staff has so much confidence in now sophomore Josh Jobe, he is likely to start at cornerback. With Trevon Diggs manning the other cornerback slot, that frees up Patrick Surtain II. Look for Surtain to fill a role similar to what was done with Minkah Fitzpatrick at the Star position.

Surtain is big and welcomes physical confrontations. Having Surtain at Star allows Shyheim Carter to focus on playing safety. No player understands the Nick Saban defense more than Shyheim. At safety, he can help shepherd the entire secondary. Opposite Carter will be the Tide’s most productive defensive back last season. Xavier McKinney was third on the team in tackles. He also had 10 pass breakups, two interceptions, three sacks and two quarterback hurries.

When the Crimson Tide uses its dime defense, Jared Mayden will likely continue as the sixth defensive back. Others who will push for playing time are Daniel Wright, Eddie Smith and Jalyn Armour-Davis. By the second half of the season, summer enrollee, Demarcco Hellams may push his way into the rotation.

A strong pass rush will still be essential. But look for the 2019 secondary to hold up against any passing attack.