šŸˆ Blake Barnett is gone

There's been a lot of buzz about this loophole lately. I'm not too bothered by it. He's going back to Cali (near it anyway...It wasn't only his meddling dad who got this transfer stuff going). The chances of Bama meeting his future team on the field are very slim. If we ever play his future team, are any of you worried?

Now the precedent this could set is probably short-lived. The nzaa will work quickly in the off-season to create the Barnett rule to make sure that quitters can't screw their team mid-season again.
 
I can understand a kid wanting to leave if he doesn't foresee much playing time in the future. But what school (JC) would actually bring a kid in with the belief that he would get playing time with 25% of the season completed? Does Barnett believe that he can join a team, learn the offense, and rise to the #1 QB at this point (using the scenario some writers have pointed out that would allow him to join another FBS team in 2017)? I wish him well, but I don't think he's living in reality.

I think he is just using Juco as a means to an end. More about completing the required graduation with the required gpa from juco. I believe there is a deal in place with a specific D1 school already regardless of whether he plays/starts for Juco the rest of this season.
 
If I thought Barnett was somehow going to lead this team someplace Bateman couldn't, I guess my response would be a little different. But I don't. Barnett has the higher ceiling, but it wasn't going to manifest itself anytime soon and the reality of this exodus after the season would only have surprised Bama fans had he stayed. The best QB by far is starting for the Crimson Tide and we have a 4th year player in Bateman who can run this offense and should be as effective as Barnett's abilities and leadership and poise and toughness right now. Play ball.
 
He'd need a minimum of 120 total hours to graduate... that would be a tough ask even considering any possible High School College Credits acquired.

I don't remember if he was an EE or not, but assuming he was... He'd have Spring 2015/Summer 2015/Fall 2015/Spring 2016/Summer 2016 under his belt... average course load of 15 hours leaves 45 hours of HS credit required...

He did enroll early at Bama.
 
I thought Danny Kanell and Joey Galloway had some strong comments about Barnett last night:

Kanell did suggest Barnett ran from the competition and this would set a precedence for the next oppronunity. He suggested he should have waited until the end of the season and said he quit on Bama.

Galloway stated, when it came to his role and position at Bama, if Barnett was not all in, it was better that he go now and avoid being a distraction as Alabama pursued another NC.

They both agreed you shouldn't quit on your team, especially at Alabama of all places.

I do believe the consensus among football players, that he quit on HIS team, will follow Barnett like a scarlet A.
 
I think he is just using Juco as a means to an end. More about completing the required graduation with the required gpa from juco. I believe there is a deal in place with a specific D1 school already regardless of whether he plays/starts for Juco the rest of this season.

But think about it from the JUCO coach's standpoint. Will you give a scholarship if you know he doesn't plan on playing? Will he go to JUCO and not be on the team? The more questions that are asked, the more the view of "it's all about him" comes out. I wish him well, but too much is coming out that makes him unappealing.
 
I have never thrown shade at a player for leaving but this is different. He is ONE play away from being the starter and he bailed on his team. So I have zero respect for this. Kids like Blake Sims and Jake Coker sat there and kept fighting and guess what? Ended up winning championships and breaking records. Barnett shows how much fight he has in him, he crumbled just like he crumbled anytime the pocket started to get compressed by a pass rush.
 
I have never thrown shade at a player for leaving but this is different. He is ONE play away from being the starter and he bailed on his team. So I have zero respect for this. Kids like Blake Sims and Jake Coker sat there and kept fighting and guess what? Ended up winning championships and breaking records. Barnett shows how much fight he has in him, he crumbled just like he crumbled anytime the pocket started to get compressed by a pass rush.

Exactly.
 
I posted my thoughts about this on Facebook and had several responses as to how he 1) wanted to play now, 2) looking out for his possible NFL future, etc. My thoughts were and are this:
1) You QUIT on your team 4 games into the season. You didn't get injured, you QUIT!!!!
2) You were 1 play away from having to be in the position you claim to want!!
3) Your actions here will affect you down the road.
4) While some guys tweeted out comments of respecting him and wishing him luck, deep down they are glad he is gone. You don't need a potential cancer in the lockerroom.

I can go back to my days as a player and as a coach in HS. I always had more respect for those that saw the season through and then decided not to return. I always treated them with respect as well. I had no respect whatsoever for those that bailed after spring and summer camp or 4 games into the season because they weren't getting to play as much as they wanted. As a player, you wanted to know that the guy beside you had your back no matter what! As a coach, you wanted the kid on the field that wanted to be out there by the way they fought, scratched, clawed, and practiced each and everyday. You knew that with all of the time you invested in him, he wasn't going to let you down and it would crush him if he failed. The only way you could get him off of the field was if he was knocked out or the game was over.
 
Side thought...
Is Kiffen calling the game differently than last year? He seems to be more scattered than in previous years. I wonder if Sark's presence has him a little tight? Just a thought...

The thing that has always scared me about Lane is his imagination. He's an offensive savant. He's so astute with his defensive observations that perhaps he get's conflicted about different ways to attack. But that's Lane to me, more of a counter puncher than someone like Saban who wants to make their backside quit. I thought that was the trouble at the start of last season. It was only after ole miss loss we decided to become a rushing team come hell or high water, and play action off that.

The scariest thing I've read about Kiffin was when he said he didn't really believe in an offensive identity. I think that's what we see from time to time with his play calling. But Saban gets his fill of all the counterpunching and trying to go around the obstacles and decides to start playing physical football again. I'm just thankful coach Saban has a stronger sense of offensive identity than Lane's offensive imagination. So far anyway.
 
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