Aaron Suttles
TideSports.com Senior Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas | It hasn't always been the easiest of tasks to pull highly talented high school football players away from the Lone Star state. But the University of Alabama has recruited the fertile area well recently with a total of seven Texas players on the scholarship roster.
In alphabetical order it's sophomore cornerback Tony Brown (Beaumont), freshman running back Xavian Marks (Rosenberg), junior quarterback Alec Morris (Allen), junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson (Forth Worth), freshman defensive back Kendall Sheffield (Missouri City), junior defensive back Maurice Smith (Sugarland), and freshman wide receiver Deionte Thompson (Orange).
Young players
Plenty of freshman saw the field during the first half for the Crimson Tide.
Redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey earned the start at left cornerback, the first collegiate start of his career.
True freshman defensive lineman Daron Payne saw time at nose guard in the team's base 3-4 defense. Sophomore linebacker Dion Hamilton was tied for second on the team at the half with four tackles.
True freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley was the target of a Jake Coker deep ball in the first half and almost came down with the pass. Sophomore Robert Foster led the team in receptions at the half with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.
True freshman defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick saw action when the defense was in the its sub packages. True freshman Ronnie Harrison also got his first career playing time.
Outside linebacker Christian Miller also played for the first time.
Although not a young player, Oregon State transfer Richard Mullaney made his Crimson Tide debut, catching one pass for 22 yards.
Alabama on GameDay
It was a changing of the guard on ESPN's College GameDay, the cable sports giant's highly popular Saturday morning show, and it centered around an Alabama graduate.
New host Rece Davis, from Muscle Shoals, took the reins from Chris Fowler, who served as the show's host for 25 seasons.
The show originated Saturday from downtown Fort Worth with country music singer Brad Paisley serving as the celebrity guest picker. Paisley picked Alabama to top Wisconsin.
For the 23rd time in the show's history, analyst Lee Corso donned the Big Al elephant head gear when he picked Alabama in the win.
Celebrities turn out for game
Among the athletic celebrities on hand for Saturday's Alabama-Wisconsin game at AT&T Stadium was former Badgers basketball player Sam Dekker, now a rookie with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.
Dekker, who was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, wasn't making his first trip to the stadium.
"The last time I was here," he told an Alabama fan with whom he posed for a cell-phone photo, "was for a basketball game."
That game was in the 2014 Final Four, when Kentucky defeated Wisconsin 74-73.
J.J. Watt, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was also spotted on the Badgers' sideline prior to the game.
Tide bits
Senior center Ryan Kelly, senior linebacker Reggie Ragland and junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson served as game captains.ā¦Wisconsin won the toss and deferred to the second half.ā¦Junior Alphonse Taylor started at right guard after competing all of fall camp with Bradley Bozeman.ā¦Wisconsin safety Michael Caputo suffered a concussion during the first series and missed the remainder of the game. After the hit, Caputo lined up in Alabama's huddle before being helped from the field.ā¦Junior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen registered the first sack of the seasonā¦Cyrus Jonesserved as the game's punt returner.ā¦
Wisconsin missed an opportunity to pull closer at the end of the first half by missing a 34-yard field goalā¦Former University of Alabama sports information director Larry White, who lives in Northport, was at the game.ā¦The game was officiated by a crew from the Big 12 conference.ā¦Representatives from the College Football Playoff, Cotton Bowl and Citrus Bowl were on hand for the game. ... Scouts from six National Football League teams - Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers - as well as from the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League attended the game.ā¦
Brandon Greene wore No. 89 Saturday night. He was previously 58 and a back-up offensive lineman.ā¦Alabama used offensive play cards. Different ones spotted were of an Arizona Sun Devils and Golden State Warriors.
- See more at: NOTES: Young players see first action
TideSports.com Senior Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas | It hasn't always been the easiest of tasks to pull highly talented high school football players away from the Lone Star state. But the University of Alabama has recruited the fertile area well recently with a total of seven Texas players on the scholarship roster.
In alphabetical order it's sophomore cornerback Tony Brown (Beaumont), freshman running back Xavian Marks (Rosenberg), junior quarterback Alec Morris (Allen), junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson (Forth Worth), freshman defensive back Kendall Sheffield (Missouri City), junior defensive back Maurice Smith (Sugarland), and freshman wide receiver Deionte Thompson (Orange).
Young players
Plenty of freshman saw the field during the first half for the Crimson Tide.
Redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey earned the start at left cornerback, the first collegiate start of his career.
True freshman defensive lineman Daron Payne saw time at nose guard in the team's base 3-4 defense. Sophomore linebacker Dion Hamilton was tied for second on the team at the half with four tackles.
True freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley was the target of a Jake Coker deep ball in the first half and almost came down with the pass. Sophomore Robert Foster led the team in receptions at the half with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.
True freshman defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick saw action when the defense was in the its sub packages. True freshman Ronnie Harrison also got his first career playing time.
Outside linebacker Christian Miller also played for the first time.
Although not a young player, Oregon State transfer Richard Mullaney made his Crimson Tide debut, catching one pass for 22 yards.
Alabama on GameDay
It was a changing of the guard on ESPN's College GameDay, the cable sports giant's highly popular Saturday morning show, and it centered around an Alabama graduate.
New host Rece Davis, from Muscle Shoals, took the reins from Chris Fowler, who served as the show's host for 25 seasons.
The show originated Saturday from downtown Fort Worth with country music singer Brad Paisley serving as the celebrity guest picker. Paisley picked Alabama to top Wisconsin.
For the 23rd time in the show's history, analyst Lee Corso donned the Big Al elephant head gear when he picked Alabama in the win.
Celebrities turn out for game
Among the athletic celebrities on hand for Saturday's Alabama-Wisconsin game at AT&T Stadium was former Badgers basketball player Sam Dekker, now a rookie with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.
Dekker, who was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, wasn't making his first trip to the stadium.
"The last time I was here," he told an Alabama fan with whom he posed for a cell-phone photo, "was for a basketball game."
That game was in the 2014 Final Four, when Kentucky defeated Wisconsin 74-73.
J.J. Watt, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was also spotted on the Badgers' sideline prior to the game.
Tide bits
Senior center Ryan Kelly, senior linebacker Reggie Ragland and junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson served as game captains.ā¦Wisconsin won the toss and deferred to the second half.ā¦Junior Alphonse Taylor started at right guard after competing all of fall camp with Bradley Bozeman.ā¦Wisconsin safety Michael Caputo suffered a concussion during the first series and missed the remainder of the game. After the hit, Caputo lined up in Alabama's huddle before being helped from the field.ā¦Junior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen registered the first sack of the seasonā¦Cyrus Jonesserved as the game's punt returner.ā¦
Wisconsin missed an opportunity to pull closer at the end of the first half by missing a 34-yard field goalā¦Former University of Alabama sports information director Larry White, who lives in Northport, was at the game.ā¦The game was officiated by a crew from the Big 12 conference.ā¦Representatives from the College Football Playoff, Cotton Bowl and Citrus Bowl were on hand for the game. ... Scouts from six National Football League teams - Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers - as well as from the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League attended the game.ā¦
Brandon Greene wore No. 89 Saturday night. He was previously 58 and a back-up offensive lineman.ā¦Alabama used offensive play cards. Different ones spotted were of an Arizona Sun Devils and Golden State Warriors.
- See more at: NOTES: Young players see first action
