🏈 Reloaded: First look at 2016 Alabama Crimson Tide depth chart

[252BAMA]

Just saw this very good break-down. Three weeks old, so SIAP.

Reloaded: First look at 2016 Alabama Crimson Tide depth chart

"Several prominent juniors decided to put the NFL on hold, ensuring that fans will see a legion of familiar faces on the field this autumn.
Make no mistake, though: There are huge question marks at key positions.
We put together a projected 2016 depth chart to give you an idea of how the Crimson Tide will line up for another title run."

https://www.seccount...ide-depth-chart

 

[bradenob]

good article.... but they always somehow seem a bit incomplete. In fact, it looks like he just looked up our depth chart on Ourlads.com and moved everyone up!!! For instance:

Receivers: He lists 2 starters, but if Ridley is the X and Stewart is the Z, does that mean that Foster becomes the H receiver? I doubt it! So does Foster become the Z, and Stewart moves over? Does Charlot come in to that slot? Cam Sims has played, and WILL play, but isn't he another Z? Does Falkins have a chance to contribute? and if so, is he another X? What about Derrik Kief? We have to find a slot receiver, right?

OT: Exciting to think Brandon Greene might take that job -he's athletic. But no mention of Lester Cotton, While talking about the pure freshman J Williams? And what about Matt Womack?

Also, after going over OG and Center, no mention of Josh Casher, who I thought was going to be a stud.

Thinking about the OL/DL, I wonder if/when Korren Kirven might fit in? Perhaps not at all??

Is OJ Smith going to contribute on the DL?

MLB: Let's don't forget about big Josh McMillon!

DE: What about Anfernee Jennings at DE? And Mehki Brown at LB at 6'5"?? Why don't we try listing HIM before a PURE freshman in Quinnen Williams??!!

OLB: Keith Holcombe? I guess I was thinking inside??

Safety: I still want to see Hootie Jones in that depth chart!

Good overall chart going into the spring - hope there's a lot of good competition!

Roll Tide!

 

[EasyTider]

Holcombe is an Outfielder.

 

[JoshB]

For those that dont like to click links... this is what the author says (for the most part) it will look like... def. dont agree on many parts...

OFFENSE
POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
QB: Blake Barnett (RFR) Cooper Bateman
RB: Bo Scarbrough (SO) Damien Harris (SO)
RT: Brandon Greene (SR) Charles Baldwin (JR)
RG: Alphonse Taylor (SR) Dallas Warmack (SO)
C: JC Hassenauer (JR) Brandon Kennedy (RFR)
LG: Ross Pierschabcher (SO) Bradley Bozeman (JR)
LT: Cam Robinson (JR) Jonah Williams (FR)
WR: Calvin Ridley (SO) Robert Foster (JR)
WR: ArDarius Stewart (JR) Cam Sims (JR)
TE: OJ Howard (SR) Hale Hentges (SO)

DEFENSE
POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
DE: Jonathan Allen (SR) Da'Shawn Hand (JR)
NT: Daron Payne (SO) Joshua Frazier (JR)
DE: Dalvin Tomlinson (SR) Quinnen Williams (FR)
JACK: Tim Williams (SR) Rashaan Evans (JR)
WILL: Shaun Dion Hamilton (JR) Adonis Thomas (RFR)
MIKE: Reuben Foster (SR) Walker Jones (JR)
SAM: Ryan Anderson (SR) Keith Holcombe (SO)
CB: Marlon Humphrey (SO) Tony Brown (JR)
CB: Minkah Fitzpatrick (SO) Maurice Smith (SR)
SS: Eddie Jackson (SR) Deionte Thompson (RFR)
FS: Ronnie Harrison (SO) Shawn Burgess-Becker (SO)

SPECIAL TEAMS
POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
K Adam Griffith (SR)
P JK Scott (JR)
KR Damien Harris (SO)
PR Daylon Charlot (SO)

 

[rick4bama]

@Birdman37 now you do it, after I click the link, you slow today.

 

[Tidestalker]

I'm a strong believer that Piersbacher moves to RT. Bozeman or another thumper steps in at LG.

Otherwise everything looks pretty solid. Could nit pick here and there, but the OL and a little secondary shifting would be a few things that are up for debate

 

[bradenob]

I'm a strong believer that Piersbacher moves to RT. Bozeman or another thumper steps in at LG.

Otherwise everything looks pretty solid. Could nit pick here and there, but the OL and a little secondary shifting would be a few things that are up for debate

Interesting. So we'll see what happens with spring training.

 

[Crtuneman]

What do we hear about Lester Cotton? He was a 5 star and the no 1 tackle coming out of HS. I was hoping to see him get a chance at RT. They were really high on him coming in.

 

[Tidestalker]

What do we hear about Lester Cotton? He was a 5 star and the no 1 tackle coming out of HS. I was hoping to see him get a chance at RT. They were really high on him coming in.

I believe he was in the 2 deep this year. I think the question is, what position does he fit in best? He could play OG or OT... But at some point they need to pin him down to a spot, and maybe it's tackle?

RT is the obvious job opening this offseason. I tend to think Cotton would be best at guard because of his power and the fact that our tackles are usually taller & longer... However, he does have good length for his 6'4 frame and super athleticism. He and Bozeman should be in that top 8 for sure and, and the better of the 2 could play quite a bit his year.

 

[JoshB]

Korren Kirven would be the guy I would think gets a shot to replace Dominick... he started over Dominick on senior day and I didnt hear about any suspension or injury he had that day. Came off to me like they were giving him a trial run at that spot.

 

[TerryP]

he started over Dominick on senior day and I didnt hear about any suspension or injury he had that day.

That was a staff decision to give Dom rest. He had a high ankle sprin against UT, played the next two games, but had a hard time in practice with his ankle and prep work for CSU.

 

[TerryP]

def. dont agree on many parts...

X2

QB: Blake Barnett (RFR) Cooper Bateman

When 252 posted this yesterday I looked, saw where it was coming from, and by habit grabbed my skeptical glasses. (I'll leave the points of this being AJC content and it's their little venture to compete with SDS for another thread.) As you've stated, as have others in this thread, being skeptical of this writer's opinions is a smart move.

Hey, it's his opinion. OK. I'm fine with that. Still, I wonder where's the logic behind some of his choices? As example ...

Predicting who will win the Alabama quarterback job is risky business. Most pundits misfired when picking Jake Coker over Blake Sims in 2014, and Coker’s camp victory over Bateman last season was short-lived. While Bateman has a big edge in playing experience, beating out Barnett — a former five-star prospect recruited by Lane Kiffin — will be mighty tough.
​

Who is being beaten out...wait, what? When?

When the team starts out day one in spring camp, it's going to be Cooper then Blake. Unless there's a discipline issue, or a major injury, we just don't see moves like the one suggested here in the 4th quarter program.

(It's a bit ironic—is that the right word here?—that Blake beats out Jake largely due to his time with the program, but then dismisses Cooper over Blake while mentioning, but ultimately ignoring, the very same. I think you'll agree it's a head-scratcher.)

 

[TerryP]

but if Ridley is the X and Stewart is the Z, does that mean that Foster becomes the H receiver? I doubt it!

That was the line-up on Foster's TD against Wisky.

 

[Che Boludo]

I think this kid did a pretty decent job for al.com

Breaking Down Bama's 2016 Projected Depth Chart

Quarterback analysis:
With Jake Coker out of eligibility, Alabama again has to break in a new quarterback in 2016. The top two options appear to be Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett. Bateman, a rising junior, should be the early favorite after finishing second to Coker and even starting the Ole Miss game over the fifth-year senior. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin likes Bateman, and the Utah native should be a good fit in his offense. Barnett, who redshirted this year, is the highly-regarded former five-star recruit. Barnett had to put on weight after arriving in Tuscaloosa but coaches like him and he's viewed as the future of the offense. The wild card is David Cornwell, who looked to be a serious contender heading into fall camp, but fell off the pack and finished behind Coker, Bateman and Alec Morris.

Running back analysis:
Not only does Alabama lose its top two running backs, one of them happens to be a Heisman Trophy winner. There's no easy way to replace Derrick Henry, who broke multiple Alabama and SEC records this season, but Bo Scarbrough looks to be the one to step into his role. Scarbrough has a similar body type to Henry and showed glimpses of his potential in 2015. Damien Harris was the No. 3 running back for most of the 2015 season and while he didn't have a major breakout game, he was extremely productive in high school and will have more opportunities to succeed in 2016.

Tight end analysis:
Alabama adds a few new pieces to the mix here but O.J. Howard will still be the star of the show. Hale Hentges wasn't utilized much in the passing game his freshman season but could be a big factor in 2016.

Offensive line analysis:
Alabama loses the nation's top center and a talented run-blocking right tackle from its 2015 national championship team. J.C. Hassenauer looks to be the likely replacement for fifth-year center Ryan Kelly though that's no easy task. The right tackle spot vacated by Dominick Jackson is harder to project though junior college transfer Charles Baldwin is a good early guess. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Lester Cotton be in contention for the right tackle and right guard starting spots. Dallas Warmack, Bradley Bozeman and Brandon Kennedy could also push for starting spots on what could be another young offensive line.

Defensive line analysis:
Alabama got a big break when Jonathan Allen returned for his senior season. Allen, who led the team with 12 sacks in 2015, should lead a young but very talented group. Alabama loses its top two defensive linemen -- Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson -- plus key contributors like D.J. Pettway and Darren Lake, but there is plenty of talent on the roster not to suffer too much of a drop-off.

Da'Shawn Hand, who played very well against Clemson in the title game, is a good bet to see a significant increase in playing time next season. He and Dalvin Tomlinson could rotate at one of the defensive end spots. Standout freshman Daron Payne should be the clear starter at the nose guard spot and should be one of the major bright spots on the defensive line. Joshua Frazier should also get playing time plus at least one of the incoming recruits like Quinnen Williams or Kendell Jones.

Linebacker analysis:
Alabama loses several key veterans, most notably Reggie Ragland, but there is a lot of depth for Nick Saban and Co. to work with in 2016. Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams should both slide into starting roles after primarily serving as third-down specialists in 2015. Shaun Dion Hamilton and Reuben Foster, who rotated in various schemes in 2015, could both get their starting spots in 2016. Foster has the potential to take a major step in 2016 to becoming a complete player. Rashaan Evans, Christian Miller and Keith Holcombe, among others, could push for major playing time next season.

Secondary analysis:
Marlon Humphrey is a good bet to start at one cornerback position, and Eddie Jackson should be one of the starting safeties, but everything else could be up for grabs. Minkah Fitzpatrick will be a starter somewhere but will coaches keep him at the "Star" position or move him to a cornerback spot? That could determine how the rest of the secondary shakes out. Kendall Sheffield, who redshirted in 2015, is well regarded within the program and should find a role somewhere on the depth chart to get a good chunk of playing time. Ronnie Harrison seems like the natural fit to take over Geno Matias-Smith's vacant safety spot, but he'll face competition.

The biggest question mark is Tony Brown and whether he'll be a contributor for the Crimson Tide next season. He's been left off the depth chart for the time being but would certainly have a spot on there somewhere if he returns and is okay to play at the start of the season.

 

[UAgrad93]

Talty looks to have done a little bit of homework instead of just grasping at straws.

 

[Tidestalker]

Good stuff.

Biggest change I could see is if/when Tony Brown is inserted into the depth chart. He could go anywhere form being a starting Corner, to starting Star, to first backup at both.

Something to consider is Maurice Smith starting over Ronnie Harrison. When Saban played Geno Smith last year, he showed he will take the "responsible" pass coverage option over the bigger/stronger/faster play makers.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Smith starts over Harrison and Harrison plays the Money role, with another corner playing star, to get more pass coverage on the field.

Another thing to consider... Does Saban leave Minkah at Star permanently? He values that position as much as any on the field and it's one of the more complicated technique positions. Before the Tony Brown saga continued I thought TB would slide in for Cyrus and Minkah would continue at Star. Now I have no idea.