Practice report: Updates on Tide LBs, dime drills
Alabama continued its practice schedule Thursday afternoon with its 17th fall practice and second since school started back. The Crimson Tide practiced indoors and in full pads on a mostly-sunny, 91-degree afternoon.
Here are several tidbits from the media viewing portion of Alabama's Thursday practice session in Tuscaloosa:
- Alabama appeared to try something new during its dime drill today with linebacker Rashaan Evans seeing some reps at Money. He shadowed Ronnie Harrison, who played the position a season ago, with the first group.
- The rest of the first-team dime package appeared to be made up of Marlon Humphrey and Anthony Averett at corner, Eddie Jackson and Laurence Jones at safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick at Star and Reuben Foster at Mack.
- The second dime group was comprised of Jared Mayden (with Aaron Robinson shadowing) and Tony Brown at corner, Deionte Thompson and Trevon Diggs at safety, Shyheim Carter at Star, a combination of Jones, Keaton Anderson and Lyndell Wilson, with the younger players shadowing the older Jones, at Money and Shaun Hamilton at Mack.
- There was no sign of inside linebacker Keith Holcombe again in the two media viewing periods.
- Players wearing black, no-contact jerseys were: Richie Petitbon (knee), Ronnie Clark (Achilles) and Nigel Knott (knee). Dalvin Tomlinson (ankle) and Derrick Gore (knee) also wore black, but they were in full pads.
- The quarterback line remained unchanged, but newly-added walk-on Josh Palet served as the scout-team quarterback while the others threw with the wide receivers and tight ends. As if to make the competition even closer, the trio of Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett and Jalen Hurts each made some nice throws and some not-so-nice throws in the viewing periods.
*** What’s next: Alabama will be back on the practice field Friday at 3:30 p.m. CT for its final tuneup before its second fall scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium (Saturday at 1 p.m. CT).