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🏈 Fall practice notes & CNS Presser
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Practice Day 9
By Tony Tsoukalas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama players worked out in Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to their first scrimmage of fall camp. Players were in full pads under sunny, 85-degree weather as they prepared themselves for their first true test of camp.
Here are a few notes from the media viewing period:
— Outside linebackers VanDarius Cowan and Jamey Mosley were out of their black jerseys for the first time this week. Cowan, who has been dealing with back injuries, was going through drills. Mosley, who has been dealing with a concussion, wasn’t participating in drills.
— Running back Najee Harris appeared to be limited for the third straight day. The five-star freshman running back was once again holding a football in each arm next to the rest of the backs, but did not participate in drills.
— Fellow freshman Kendall Randolph was back with the offensive line unit after appearing to be limited Friday. Randolph was seen limping while running around the field on Friday, but was participating in drills with the third unit on Saturday.
— Alabama’s first unit on offensive line stayed the same, as Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher, Bradley Bozeman, Lester Cotton and Matt Womack from left right. The second team consisted of Scott Lashley, Dallas Warmack, J.C. Hassenauer, Richie Petitbon and Alex Leatherwood. The third team was made up of Jedrick Wills, Brandon Kennedy, Henry Owens, Deonte Brown and Kendall Randolph.
— Minkah Fitzpatrick was working with the safeties, which would imply that he will start the scrimmage at strong safety. Although, it wouldn’t be surprising if Alabama continued to switch him around during the scrimmage to experiment with multiple looks.
— We got a close-up look at the wide receivers, and Robert Foster stood out to me. He ran his routes well and has good hands. I mentioned in my story Friday that he could be Alabama’s most dangerous big-play threat. He looks locked-in during practice and looks to be stepping up as a leader during his senior year.
— Both quarterbacks looked, tossing in tight spirals. Although, the scrimmage will be a better test of their ability on the field.
— I also got to look at the linebackers a little bit during coverage drills. Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton both look smooth dropping back. While those are the two that will most likely be used in the nickel package, it will be interesting to see which one lines up as the lone linebacker in the dime package. Given that Hamilton is coming off a torn ACL, putting him on an island might be a lot to ask. However, Saturday the senior looked smooth.
Notes from Henderson
Watched a good amount of the defensive backs today. Continued to be impressed with Jared Mayden. I feel we have mentioned him a few times, but he has a great turn and move ability with good speed. Levi Wallace is steady, very steady, and though he’s not a guy that gets a lot of limelight, he looks to be continuing to process and I feel that both the team and coaches have faith in his ability. Minkah Fitzpatrick in drills is what NFL scouts want to see, zero plays off, everything 100, and the way he can plant his feet and accelerate is always impressive. Ronnie Harrison needs to be mentioned more by me, as many of you know he’s a gamer and in drills, he’s a leader and exemplifies experience.
Also watched the receivers and quarterbacks today. It was a rather fast media viewing period I felt, with that said, both Jalen and Tua looked much, much better than they did last Saturday, I am talking crisp. Watch the video highlights and you’ll see what I am talking about. Jalen was putting it right in the hands of the receivers while in stride and Tua’s ball looks like an angel with wings in the air.
Didn’t see one dropped a pass today, zero. Everyone pressing hard, running good routes, the receivers looked locked in and while they all differ in what they bring to the table, the group as a whole is smooth.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="Alabama Football Highlights - YouTube" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TEAM NEWS - Practice No.9 - August 12 | BamaInsider.com
By Tony Tsoukalas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama players worked out in Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to their first scrimmage of fall camp. Players were in full pads under sunny, 85-degree weather as they prepared themselves for their first true test of camp.
Here are a few notes from the media viewing period:
— Outside linebackers VanDarius Cowan and Jamey Mosley were out of their black jerseys for the first time this week. Cowan, who has been dealing with back injuries, was going through drills. Mosley, who has been dealing with a concussion, wasn’t participating in drills.
— Running back Najee Harris appeared to be limited for the third straight day. The five-star freshman running back was once again holding a football in each arm next to the rest of the backs, but did not participate in drills.
— Fellow freshman Kendall Randolph was back with the offensive line unit after appearing to be limited Friday. Randolph was seen limping while running around the field on Friday, but was participating in drills with the third unit on Saturday.
— Alabama’s first unit on offensive line stayed the same, as Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher, Bradley Bozeman, Lester Cotton and Matt Womack from left right. The second team consisted of Scott Lashley, Dallas Warmack, J.C. Hassenauer, Richie Petitbon and Alex Leatherwood. The third team was made up of Jedrick Wills, Brandon Kennedy, Henry Owens, Deonte Brown and Kendall Randolph.
— Minkah Fitzpatrick was working with the safeties, which would imply that he will start the scrimmage at strong safety. Although, it wouldn’t be surprising if Alabama continued to switch him around during the scrimmage to experiment with multiple looks.
— We got a close-up look at the wide receivers, and Robert Foster stood out to me. He ran his routes well and has good hands. I mentioned in my story Friday that he could be Alabama’s most dangerous big-play threat. He looks locked-in during practice and looks to be stepping up as a leader during his senior year.
— Both quarterbacks looked, tossing in tight spirals. Although, the scrimmage will be a better test of their ability on the field.
— I also got to look at the linebackers a little bit during coverage drills. Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton both look smooth dropping back. While those are the two that will most likely be used in the nickel package, it will be interesting to see which one lines up as the lone linebacker in the dime package. Given that Hamilton is coming off a torn ACL, putting him on an island might be a lot to ask. However, Saturday the senior looked smooth.
Notes from Henderson
Watched a good amount of the defensive backs today. Continued to be impressed with Jared Mayden. I feel we have mentioned him a few times, but he has a great turn and move ability with good speed. Levi Wallace is steady, very steady, and though he’s not a guy that gets a lot of limelight, he looks to be continuing to process and I feel that both the team and coaches have faith in his ability. Minkah Fitzpatrick in drills is what NFL scouts want to see, zero plays off, everything 100, and the way he can plant his feet and accelerate is always impressive. Ronnie Harrison needs to be mentioned more by me, as many of you know he’s a gamer and in drills, he’s a leader and exemplifies experience.
Also watched the receivers and quarterbacks today. It was a rather fast media viewing period I felt, with that said, both Jalen and Tua looked much, much better than they did last Saturday, I am talking crisp. Watch the video highlights and you’ll see what I am talking about. Jalen was putting it right in the hands of the receivers while in stride and Tua’s ball looks like an angel with wings in the air.
Didn’t see one dropped a pass today, zero. Everyone pressing hard, running good routes, the receivers looked locked in and while they all differ in what they bring to the table, the group as a whole is smooth.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="Alabama Football Highlights - YouTube" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TEAM NEWS - Practice No.9 - August 12 | BamaInsider.com
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Alabama17Tide
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama wrapped up its ninth practice of fall camp Saturday as the Crimson Tide held its first scrimmage inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. While the media was not allowed to see the scrimmage, Nick Saban held a news conference afterward, providing several answers to where the team was three weeks out from its season opener against Florida State on Sept. 2
Here are five things we learned on Saturday:
Saban provides updates on two injured players
While Saban said none of his players sustained significant injuries during the scrimmage, he did state that running backs Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris were held out of action.
"We held two guys out,” Saban said. “We held Josh Jacobs out. He's got a pulled (hamstring), and he may be out for several days. I don't know how long. Those things are difficult to determine.
“Najee Harris has a slight pull. He'll probably be back on Monday. I don't know that we had anybody else. I mean, we had bumps and bruises out there today but I don't know that we have anybody else that would not practice on Monday."
Jacobs finished fourth on the team in rushing with 567 yards and four touchdowns last year. He also led all Alabama running backs in receiving with 14 receptions for 156 yards. Harris, who enrolled in January as the No. 1 player in the 2017 class, has been impressive this offseason and led the Tide with 70 yards on 17 carries during A-Day.
"Najee and Josh Jacobs, they’re pretty similar and they’re very shifty,” Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough said earlier this week. “They can stick their foot in the ground and get up field real quick, and that’s something that I’ve kind of taken from their game. That’s something that we all need to take from each other.”
The kicking game is still a big question mark
Two days after Saban announced the kicking game was still a work in progress, Alabama once again experienced trouble finding consistency on field goals.
This offseason, the Tide has had to turn to true freshman Joseph Bulovas and walk-on Andy Pappanastos to replace departing Adam Griffith. According to Saban, the duo still has a long way to go before the start of the season.
“I think we have things to work on relative to some of the other areas in the kicking game,” Saban said. “Missed a couple field goals. We had a couple blocked because we didn't really have good protection. So we really need to work hard on that part of it.”
On top of finding a new kicker, Alabama is also tasked with replacing a four-year starter in long snapper Cole Mazza. Thomas Fletcher, the top long snapper in the 2017 class according to Rubio Long Snapping, was brought on as an early enrollee in January. The true freshman has been competing with redshirt freshman walk on Scott Meyer for the role during camp.
“It's not just the kicker; it's the protection, the holder, the whole operation being on time,” Saban said. “We need to do a lot of work in that area."
While the concerns remain over the kicking game, Saban appeared optimistic about the rest of the performance on special teams. The head coach stated kickoffs and kick returns were looking “really well” while stating he hopes to “develop confidence in that area.”
Thursday, Saban spoke about the use of true freshman Henry Ruggs, who was seen leading the team in punt return drills during the open practice earlier this month. While he said he wouldn’t completely trust Ruggs until seeing him during game action, he does believe the four-star signee has the tools to strive at the position.
"He's got really good ball judgment, he's very explosive and he's instinctive as a runner,” Saban said of Ruggs on Thursday. “We have a little more experience back there with a couple guys that did it last year. So I feel a little more comfortable in that part of it. I think kickoff return is an area where we also have to get somebody that can do it and we're working Henry at that as well."
One area where Alabama will not have to worry is at punter, as JK Scott returns for his senior season as one of the top players at his position. Last year, Scott finished fourth in the nation, averaging 47.19 yards per punt.
"JK was fantastic with his punting, he did a really good job. I think the punting and punt return both were good.”
Two freshmen continue to push for the right tackle position
Alabama showed no sign of change in its first unit offensive line during the 15-minute media-viewing period prior to practice. Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher, Bradley Bozeman, Lester Cotton and Matt Womack lined up from left to right, matching the same grouping Alabama has shown all week.
While the left side of Alabama’s offensive line appears to be set with Williams, Pierschbacher and Bozeman all returning as starters from last season, the right side has been less of a certainty. Alabama experimented with several combinations during the spring, switching Womack, Cotton and Deonte Brown across the right tackle and right guard positions.
Due to limited access, it’s hard to tell what substitutions Alabama has made across the line this fall. However, there appears to be an added competition on the right side.
After joining the team as an early enrollee in December, Alex Leatherwood has progressed nicely this offseason. The five-star offensive tackle experienced some growing pains during his first couple months with the program but appears to have settled in this fall, earning a spot at right tackle on the second unit. Fellow five-star freshman Jedrick Wills has also shown promise since joining the program this summer. Wills has been working at right tackle on the third unit but is still expected to fight for a starting spot.
"I think both those guys have done well in practice,” Saban said. “I can't honestly say how well they did in the scrimmage today. We think both of those guys have potential to help us.
“I think one of the big goals of the scrimmage today is that at some point in time when this camp is over, and we have another week of camp and another scrimmage… We have to say 'These are the guys that we're going to invest time to try to develop and help our team.' I think those two guys are most certainly two guys that at this point you would say that's probably going to be the case.”
Offense struggles to find a rhythm
No stats were released from the scrimmage. However, it appears Alabama is still working out some kinks as first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll looks to implement his new offense.
"I don't think we had the rhythm that we'd like to see on offense,” Saban said. “I'm sure (Daboll) would say the same thing to you. I don't think that's a reflection on him. It's just the way it went today. We've had good days and we've had bad days. Today we made some plays and we made some really good plays. But the consistency wasn't what it needed to be in terms of finishing drives and playing with consistency… There were a lot of good things to build on."
During Alabama’s media day, Daboll said there won’t be drastic changes to the offense. However, he did say the team was “implementing new plays every day” in order to put players in the best position to be successful on the field.
Daboll was hired by Alabama in February after spending the past four season as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots. This offseason, Alabama players have been asked several times how their new attack compares to the Patriots, with a few stating they watch film of the defending Super Bowl champions.
"In some cases, some of the things that we're doing, we've never done before,” Saban said. “So if they look at the Patriots and that's where we have to look at the film to get a teaching progression so they get a visual of how they run a route or how they're supposed to run a play, then that's part of our teaching progression.
“We still have some of our teaching film that comes from the Miami Dolphins, 11 years later, because it may be one example of one thing that we want to teach that we have a good shot of. I don't know what the difference is but the purpose is to give the players a visual picture of it, whether it comes from our film, their film, or anybody else's film."
Reports of possible altercation during scrimmage
Prior to Saban taking the podium, reports surfaced of a possible altercation between several Alabama players during the scrimmage. While Saban wasn’t asked about the incident directly, he did address the importance of players keeping control of their emotions no matter how heated competition gets.
“One of the most important things about being a team is that players have to respect and trust the values of the organization,” Saban said. “They also have to respect and trust each other. That means you play hard, you're physical, you give lots of effort, you compete like crazy against the guy that you play against. But you also respect that that guy is competing like crazy against you and the fact that he is doing that is making you better. The fact that you do what you do makes you better.
“If anybody gets emotional or loses their discipline, then you don't have any control over what happens, and then you have cause and effect. ... When you get emotional, you make bad choices and decisions, it usually has consequences. We want players to compete. We want them to be emotional and intense in what they do, but we never want them to lose their discipline and their poise because that leads to penalties and bad things. That's the consequences of it. When you put yourself ahead of that, that's not good for our team. That's when you put yourself ahead of your teammates. That's what we want our players to learn, that's how we want them to play, and that's what we'll continue to preach so we can play hard and practice hard against one another and not have issues."
BamaInsider.com - Five things we learned from Alabama's first scrimmage
Here are five things we learned on Saturday:
Saban provides updates on two injured players
While Saban said none of his players sustained significant injuries during the scrimmage, he did state that running backs Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris were held out of action.
"We held two guys out,” Saban said. “We held Josh Jacobs out. He's got a pulled (hamstring), and he may be out for several days. I don't know how long. Those things are difficult to determine.
“Najee Harris has a slight pull. He'll probably be back on Monday. I don't know that we had anybody else. I mean, we had bumps and bruises out there today but I don't know that we have anybody else that would not practice on Monday."
Jacobs finished fourth on the team in rushing with 567 yards and four touchdowns last year. He also led all Alabama running backs in receiving with 14 receptions for 156 yards. Harris, who enrolled in January as the No. 1 player in the 2017 class, has been impressive this offseason and led the Tide with 70 yards on 17 carries during A-Day.
"Najee and Josh Jacobs, they’re pretty similar and they’re very shifty,” Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough said earlier this week. “They can stick their foot in the ground and get up field real quick, and that’s something that I’ve kind of taken from their game. That’s something that we all need to take from each other.”
The kicking game is still a big question mark
Two days after Saban announced the kicking game was still a work in progress, Alabama once again experienced trouble finding consistency on field goals.
This offseason, the Tide has had to turn to true freshman Joseph Bulovas and walk-on Andy Pappanastos to replace departing Adam Griffith. According to Saban, the duo still has a long way to go before the start of the season.
“I think we have things to work on relative to some of the other areas in the kicking game,” Saban said. “Missed a couple field goals. We had a couple blocked because we didn't really have good protection. So we really need to work hard on that part of it.”
On top of finding a new kicker, Alabama is also tasked with replacing a four-year starter in long snapper Cole Mazza. Thomas Fletcher, the top long snapper in the 2017 class according to Rubio Long Snapping, was brought on as an early enrollee in January. The true freshman has been competing with redshirt freshman walk on Scott Meyer for the role during camp.
“It's not just the kicker; it's the protection, the holder, the whole operation being on time,” Saban said. “We need to do a lot of work in that area."
While the concerns remain over the kicking game, Saban appeared optimistic about the rest of the performance on special teams. The head coach stated kickoffs and kick returns were looking “really well” while stating he hopes to “develop confidence in that area.”
Thursday, Saban spoke about the use of true freshman Henry Ruggs, who was seen leading the team in punt return drills during the open practice earlier this month. While he said he wouldn’t completely trust Ruggs until seeing him during game action, he does believe the four-star signee has the tools to strive at the position.
"He's got really good ball judgment, he's very explosive and he's instinctive as a runner,” Saban said of Ruggs on Thursday. “We have a little more experience back there with a couple guys that did it last year. So I feel a little more comfortable in that part of it. I think kickoff return is an area where we also have to get somebody that can do it and we're working Henry at that as well."
One area where Alabama will not have to worry is at punter, as JK Scott returns for his senior season as one of the top players at his position. Last year, Scott finished fourth in the nation, averaging 47.19 yards per punt.
"JK was fantastic with his punting, he did a really good job. I think the punting and punt return both were good.”
Two freshmen continue to push for the right tackle position
Alabama showed no sign of change in its first unit offensive line during the 15-minute media-viewing period prior to practice. Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher, Bradley Bozeman, Lester Cotton and Matt Womack lined up from left to right, matching the same grouping Alabama has shown all week.
While the left side of Alabama’s offensive line appears to be set with Williams, Pierschbacher and Bozeman all returning as starters from last season, the right side has been less of a certainty. Alabama experimented with several combinations during the spring, switching Womack, Cotton and Deonte Brown across the right tackle and right guard positions.
Due to limited access, it’s hard to tell what substitutions Alabama has made across the line this fall. However, there appears to be an added competition on the right side.
After joining the team as an early enrollee in December, Alex Leatherwood has progressed nicely this offseason. The five-star offensive tackle experienced some growing pains during his first couple months with the program but appears to have settled in this fall, earning a spot at right tackle on the second unit. Fellow five-star freshman Jedrick Wills has also shown promise since joining the program this summer. Wills has been working at right tackle on the third unit but is still expected to fight for a starting spot.
"I think both those guys have done well in practice,” Saban said. “I can't honestly say how well they did in the scrimmage today. We think both of those guys have potential to help us.
“I think one of the big goals of the scrimmage today is that at some point in time when this camp is over, and we have another week of camp and another scrimmage… We have to say 'These are the guys that we're going to invest time to try to develop and help our team.' I think those two guys are most certainly two guys that at this point you would say that's probably going to be the case.”
Offense struggles to find a rhythm
No stats were released from the scrimmage. However, it appears Alabama is still working out some kinks as first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll looks to implement his new offense.
"I don't think we had the rhythm that we'd like to see on offense,” Saban said. “I'm sure (Daboll) would say the same thing to you. I don't think that's a reflection on him. It's just the way it went today. We've had good days and we've had bad days. Today we made some plays and we made some really good plays. But the consistency wasn't what it needed to be in terms of finishing drives and playing with consistency… There were a lot of good things to build on."
During Alabama’s media day, Daboll said there won’t be drastic changes to the offense. However, he did say the team was “implementing new plays every day” in order to put players in the best position to be successful on the field.
Daboll was hired by Alabama in February after spending the past four season as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots. This offseason, Alabama players have been asked several times how their new attack compares to the Patriots, with a few stating they watch film of the defending Super Bowl champions.
"In some cases, some of the things that we're doing, we've never done before,” Saban said. “So if they look at the Patriots and that's where we have to look at the film to get a teaching progression so they get a visual of how they run a route or how they're supposed to run a play, then that's part of our teaching progression.
“We still have some of our teaching film that comes from the Miami Dolphins, 11 years later, because it may be one example of one thing that we want to teach that we have a good shot of. I don't know what the difference is but the purpose is to give the players a visual picture of it, whether it comes from our film, their film, or anybody else's film."
Reports of possible altercation during scrimmage
Prior to Saban taking the podium, reports surfaced of a possible altercation between several Alabama players during the scrimmage. While Saban wasn’t asked about the incident directly, he did address the importance of players keeping control of their emotions no matter how heated competition gets.
“One of the most important things about being a team is that players have to respect and trust the values of the organization,” Saban said. “They also have to respect and trust each other. That means you play hard, you're physical, you give lots of effort, you compete like crazy against the guy that you play against. But you also respect that that guy is competing like crazy against you and the fact that he is doing that is making you better. The fact that you do what you do makes you better.
“If anybody gets emotional or loses their discipline, then you don't have any control over what happens, and then you have cause and effect. ... When you get emotional, you make bad choices and decisions, it usually has consequences. We want players to compete. We want them to be emotional and intense in what they do, but we never want them to lose their discipline and their poise because that leads to penalties and bad things. That's the consequences of it. When you put yourself ahead of that, that's not good for our team. That's when you put yourself ahead of your teammates. That's what we want our players to learn, that's how we want them to play, and that's what we'll continue to preach so we can play hard and practice hard against one another and not have issues."
BamaInsider.com - Five things we learned from Alabama's first scrimmage
#80
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CNS did not mention it the presser when discussing injuries.
planomateo
Member
BamaFan334
Member
Is it me or is anyone else feeling weird about how there is no real inside information and how Coach seemed to dance around some questions? Maybe I just got myself psyched to see how things would play out during a scrimmage. I know we don't really have a ton of position battles like with quarterback the last couple of years, but I guess I just expected a little more hype and information. Maybe that's what next weekend will be.
Tidestalker
Member
Seems like things are more settled this year than ever. Aside from the second CB spot/Minkah positioning, there aren't many questions about defensive personnel.
The DL was so thin with returners that there were only 4-5 contributors with the addition of Buggs and freshman. BTW I hope Buggs is what he can be. And Ray might be the next big thing.....
OL just that right tackle position, where it seems like Womack has put himself in position to be the man. Cotton doing well enough at G to win his spot.
Now that Rob Foster is right, kinda took the drama out of who would be the #2 guy. BTW he may be the #1 guy by end of season... Would be a cool story. 3 Stud freshman waiting in the wings and it feels like Jeudy and Smith might be amazing for 3 years. Will be fun to watch
Kicking - FML. Just let JK Scott do it already... Seriously.
planomateo
Member
Where did that come from? His dad was posting on facebook about the scrimmage and said nothing about him being hurt and said he got two sacks and two picks in the scrimmage.
planomateo
Member
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