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Mark Inabinett |
Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage talked to reporters about a variety of football subjects before the L'Arche Football Preview on Thursday night.
Alabama:
In addition to his work with the Senior Bowl, Savage also is the analyst for the radio broadcasts of Alabama's games, so he'll start the season on Sept. 2 with the Crimson Tide's contest against Florida State in Atlanta.
"It's going to be big-time," Savage said. "You've got two of the best teams in the country from a talent standpoint. ... Bama's got a lot of guys to replace, but they've recruited well enough that it could be a huge game experience for a lot of players who have not really had a chance to get on the field. You've got two young quarterbacks in Deondre Francois and Jalen Hurts that are trying to take another step forward from last year to this season.
"I think the neat thing about it is because of the way the College Football Playoff is set up, these two teams really don't have a lot to lose unless it were a blowout one way or the other. I think the winning team has a huge boost to their season. I think the losing team has some pressure on them the rest of the way. But both squads could ultimately find their way back to the playoffs, which is a good thing. I think it makes it attractive for both schools to play in a game like this one."
Among the young Alabama players to watch against Florida State could be wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, running back Josh Jacobs and defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs.
"Offensively, I think there's a lot of expectations for Jerry Jeudy at the wide receiver," Savage said. "I think he's got a chance to probably get on the field this year as the third or fourth wideout. I think Josh Jacobs as a situational back, you're really going to see him utilized a lot out of the backfield, a la James White from the Patriots and with Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator.
"On the defensive side, everyone's very familiar with Isaiah Buggs, the defensive lineman they got from junior college. I think there's a lot of high hopes that he can be a significant part of their rotation."
LSU:
While Alabama is seeking a fourth consecutive SEC championship, Savage said LSU shouldn't be dismissed as the Tigers transition from Les Miles to Ed Orgeron.
"I think with Coach O, there's no question about his recruiting ability," Savage said. "He hired Matt Canada to come in and run the offense. I think that will modernize LSU's offensive philosophy. They've always had athletes. They've still got to answer the question at quarterback, whether it's Danny Etling or someone else.
"The truth of it is is this will be really the first full year for Ed and his staff, so I think they can make tremendous strides. I know their mentality is they feel like they can win the West, and they've probably got the athletes to do it. But only time will tell, but I think that it's a good fit over there in terms of the culture, the fan base, the recruiting, so I think they'll always be a contender year in and year out. The biggest question in my mind, and anybody could say this, is can they find a quarterback that can really take them to another level."
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Alabama:
In addition to his work with the Senior Bowl, Savage also is the analyst for the radio broadcasts of Alabama's games, so he'll start the season on Sept. 2 with the Crimson Tide's contest against Florida State in Atlanta.
"It's going to be big-time," Savage said. "You've got two of the best teams in the country from a talent standpoint. ... Bama's got a lot of guys to replace, but they've recruited well enough that it could be a huge game experience for a lot of players who have not really had a chance to get on the field. You've got two young quarterbacks in Deondre Francois and Jalen Hurts that are trying to take another step forward from last year to this season.
"I think the neat thing about it is because of the way the College Football Playoff is set up, these two teams really don't have a lot to lose unless it were a blowout one way or the other. I think the winning team has a huge boost to their season. I think the losing team has some pressure on them the rest of the way. But both squads could ultimately find their way back to the playoffs, which is a good thing. I think it makes it attractive for both schools to play in a game like this one."
Among the young Alabama players to watch against Florida State could be wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, running back Josh Jacobs and defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs.
"Offensively, I think there's a lot of expectations for Jerry Jeudy at the wide receiver," Savage said. "I think he's got a chance to probably get on the field this year as the third or fourth wideout. I think Josh Jacobs as a situational back, you're really going to see him utilized a lot out of the backfield, a la James White from the Patriots and with Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator.
"On the defensive side, everyone's very familiar with Isaiah Buggs, the defensive lineman they got from junior college. I think there's a lot of high hopes that he can be a significant part of their rotation."
LSU:
While Alabama is seeking a fourth consecutive SEC championship, Savage said LSU shouldn't be dismissed as the Tigers transition from Les Miles to Ed Orgeron.
"I think with Coach O, there's no question about his recruiting ability," Savage said. "He hired Matt Canada to come in and run the offense. I think that will modernize LSU's offensive philosophy. They've always had athletes. They've still got to answer the question at quarterback, whether it's Danny Etling or someone else.
"The truth of it is is this will be really the first full year for Ed and his staff, so I think they can make tremendous strides. I know their mentality is they feel like they can win the West, and they've probably got the athletes to do it. But only time will tell, but I think that it's a good fit over there in terms of the culture, the fan base, the recruiting, so I think they'll always be a contender year in and year out. The biggest question in my mind, and anybody could say this, is can they find a quarterback that can really take them to another level."
Continue reading...
