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By Alex Byington Sports
TUSCALOOSA — Following the departure of 10 starters from last season, including seven on defense, Alabama has several first-team holes to fill.
Here are the five biggest position battles to keep an eye on during Alabama’s preseason practices that start in August.
• Starting right tackle (Matt Womack and Alex Leatherwood) — This will be one of the most watched position battles. As a former three-star product, Womack spent much of spring practice working with the first-team offense after rising sophomore Jonah Williams slid over to left tackle. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6, 327-pound Leatherwood came to Tuscaloosa in January as the much-ballyhooed five-star product but appeared to struggle at times with the transition to college. Much like Williams and former three-year starting left tackle Cam Robinson before him, Leatherwood is making progress in Alabama’s offseason training program. But until he shows he’s ready for the big time, usually through some semblance of consistency and reliability, expect Womack to continue to be the guy the Tide coaches turn to.
• Change-of-pace/backup running back (Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris) — Given how Alabama utilizes its tailbacks, this position could involve several candidates during the season. But with the expectation that returning junior co-starters Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough will begin as dual lead backs, the focus here is on Jacobs and five-star freshman Najee Harris. Jacobs returns after splashing onto the scene last year with 585 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a three-star signee from Oklahoma. Harris arrived in January as one of the nation’s most highly coveted players. The two couldn’t be more different physically — Jacobs is 5-10 and just over 200 pounds, while Harris is a chiseled 6-2 and 227 in the mold of Scarbrough and Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry. But each has proven to be reliable pass catchers and tough runners.
• No. 3/slot receiver (Cam Sims and Jerry Jeudy) — With the expectation that junior Calvin Ridley is the lead receiver and redshirt senior Robert Foster would be No. 2, this battle pits a little-utilized senior (Sims) against a five-star freshman (Jeudy). Sims is the bigger, more physical of the two at 6-5 and 205, while the 6-1, 184-pound Jeudy is more in the mold of Ridley, who set Alabama’s freshman receiving record just two years ago. Jeudy already has impressed with his big-play ability downfield, including leading the team with 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns in April’s A-Day game. Despite his ability and size, Sims’ career has been little more than untapped potential. Given their differences, the winner of this battle could give an early indication of how the passing attack under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will shape out.
• Starting Jack/outside linebacker (Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Hall) — The winner of this position will be replacing arguably one of the Tide’s best pass rushers in recent memory, Tim Williams. Jennings is a physically imposing redshirt sophomore at 6-3 and 265-plus pounds, while Hall is long and rangy at 6-5 and 251 with athleticism that could easily translate to the basketball court. Both started in the A-Day spring game, with Jennings racking up three tackles and a sack with the first-team defense and Hall pulling in a 60-yard pick-six to lead the second-team defense. There’s little doubt both will play significant roles this year, regardless of who starts the season opener. Hall appears to be the more natural pass rusher of the two, but Jennings has shown himself the more well-rounded candidate and better run-stuffer, which could factor into the coaches’ decision-making.
• Starting kicker (Joseph Bulovas and Andy Pappanastos) — This will be another battle involving the hotshot freshman (Bulovas) versus the underperforming senior (Pappanastos). Bulovas was a late add to Alabama’s 2017 signing class after another kicker decommitted, while Pappanastos is a Montgomery product who transferred from Ole Miss a year ago. As the long place-kicker on the roster at the time, Pappanastos was ineffective during spring practice, including missing both field-goal tries in the A-Day game. Alabama head coach Nick Saban, while unable to speak his name due to recruiting restrictions, effectively declared his hope that Bulovas wins the starting kicking job. The three-star kicker from Mandeville, Louisiana, is the front-runner to win the job.
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Here are the five biggest position battles to keep an eye on during Alabama’s preseason practices that start in August.
• Starting right tackle (Matt Womack and Alex Leatherwood) — This will be one of the most watched position battles. As a former three-star product, Womack spent much of spring practice working with the first-team offense after rising sophomore Jonah Williams slid over to left tackle. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6, 327-pound Leatherwood came to Tuscaloosa in January as the much-ballyhooed five-star product but appeared to struggle at times with the transition to college. Much like Williams and former three-year starting left tackle Cam Robinson before him, Leatherwood is making progress in Alabama’s offseason training program. But until he shows he’s ready for the big time, usually through some semblance of consistency and reliability, expect Womack to continue to be the guy the Tide coaches turn to.
• Change-of-pace/backup running back (Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris) — Given how Alabama utilizes its tailbacks, this position could involve several candidates during the season. But with the expectation that returning junior co-starters Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough will begin as dual lead backs, the focus here is on Jacobs and five-star freshman Najee Harris. Jacobs returns after splashing onto the scene last year with 585 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a three-star signee from Oklahoma. Harris arrived in January as one of the nation’s most highly coveted players. The two couldn’t be more different physically — Jacobs is 5-10 and just over 200 pounds, while Harris is a chiseled 6-2 and 227 in the mold of Scarbrough and Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry. But each has proven to be reliable pass catchers and tough runners.
• No. 3/slot receiver (Cam Sims and Jerry Jeudy) — With the expectation that junior Calvin Ridley is the lead receiver and redshirt senior Robert Foster would be No. 2, this battle pits a little-utilized senior (Sims) against a five-star freshman (Jeudy). Sims is the bigger, more physical of the two at 6-5 and 205, while the 6-1, 184-pound Jeudy is more in the mold of Ridley, who set Alabama’s freshman receiving record just two years ago. Jeudy already has impressed with his big-play ability downfield, including leading the team with 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns in April’s A-Day game. Despite his ability and size, Sims’ career has been little more than untapped potential. Given their differences, the winner of this battle could give an early indication of how the passing attack under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will shape out.
• Starting Jack/outside linebacker (Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Hall) — The winner of this position will be replacing arguably one of the Tide’s best pass rushers in recent memory, Tim Williams. Jennings is a physically imposing redshirt sophomore at 6-3 and 265-plus pounds, while Hall is long and rangy at 6-5 and 251 with athleticism that could easily translate to the basketball court. Both started in the A-Day spring game, with Jennings racking up three tackles and a sack with the first-team defense and Hall pulling in a 60-yard pick-six to lead the second-team defense. There’s little doubt both will play significant roles this year, regardless of who starts the season opener. Hall appears to be the more natural pass rusher of the two, but Jennings has shown himself the more well-rounded candidate and better run-stuffer, which could factor into the coaches’ decision-making.
• Starting kicker (Joseph Bulovas and Andy Pappanastos) — This will be another battle involving the hotshot freshman (Bulovas) versus the underperforming senior (Pappanastos). Bulovas was a late add to Alabama’s 2017 signing class after another kicker decommitted, while Pappanastos is a Montgomery product who transferred from Ole Miss a year ago. As the long place-kicker on the roster at the time, Pappanastos was ineffective during spring practice, including missing both field-goal tries in the A-Day game. Alabama head coach Nick Saban, while unable to speak his name due to recruiting restrictions, effectively declared his hope that Bulovas wins the starting kicking job. The three-star kicker from Mandeville, Louisiana, is the front-runner to win the job.
Decatur Daily—Continue reading...
