🏈 Alabama practice report: LSU prep begins, secondary takes shape

[rick4bama]

Alabama practice report: LSU prep begins, secondary takes shape


The final Alabama football practice of the bye week took place on a beautiful fall afternoon in Tuscaloosa. Comfortable temperatures and sunny skies greeted the Thursday afternoon workout.

Here's a taste of what we saw:

-- The scout team jerseys came out for a one-day head start on LSU preparations.

-- Working in the nickel defense, Hootie Jones was the first-team safety replacing the injured Eddie Jackson.

-- Tony Brown entered with the first group dime defense as the sixth defensive back added.

-- Minkah Fitzpatrick remained as the star, or the fifth defensive back in both nickel and dime.

-- Alphonse Taylor was not spotted practicing again. He hasn't played since getting a concussion in the Arkansas game in early October.

-- With the second team defense, Jared Mayden and Deionte Thompson are the second-team safeties. Aaron Robinson and Levi Wallace were the second-team corners.

-- WR Robert Foster had a nice Willie Mays-style over-the-head catch of a deep ball.

-- Alabama has the weekend off from practice before resuming prep for LSU on Monday.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Saban said he will mix and match and we're getting a little peek at some of the cross-training. My guess, the first sign of trouble and it's Fitzpatrick at EJ's spot and Brown at star and money. Otherwise, we should be running our base scheme with the big boys for this one.

 

[Alabama17Tide]

Alabama was working in full pads again today during the final day of the bye week with an open period to the media.

• Josh Casher was working at first team RG during the open period. Alphonse Taylor was there and in a white jersey but I don't think I ever saw him put his helmet on or take any reps. Lester Cotton was there as well but I don't think I saw him take reps either. He may just be banged up and getting some rest, because we haven't heard about an injury with him.
  
  
• Damien Harris has been there all week. Nick Saban has mentioned him as one of the guys who was banged up and needed the bye week. He had that high ankle sprain against Kent State and played the next week against Kentucky (and has played well in the last 3 games) but that's an injury that usually takes time.
  
  
• Hootie Jones was working at safety in Eddie Jackson's place in the Nickel package, which we saw for the first time today. The CB/nickel backs in nickel were the same: Averett and Humphrey at CB, Fitzpatrick at nickel.
  
  
• Tony Brown was out there in the Dime package today. Hootie Jones had been the 6th DB in the Dime package before. Brown was working as the 6th DB this time around, but he was still running 2nd string in the Nickel package.
  
  
• I don't think this means anything, but Keith Holcombe was going through individual drills in front of Rashaan Evans (Reuben Foster and SDH were the first 2 at ILB; Holcombe was third). Ben Davis was also going through drills in front of Mack Wilson, and we can be pretty certain that Davis hasn't passed Wilson on the depth chart this week.
  
  
• Jalen Hurts and the QBs may have taken a few more deep routes in individual drills today, with just the WRs running and no coverage. Hard to tell based on what we see but it looked like they might have been spending a little more time on deep routes.

Practice notes: Oct. 27 | TideSports.com

 

[T&B]

Leaving everyone exactly where they have been makes the most sense to me. Hootie was the no. 4 safety, and a top 50 player in the country out of H.S.. He can hold his own back there. I hope.

 

[EasyTider]