BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Nearly halfway through spring practice, it’s time for Alabama to take stock of where it’s at.
Seven practices in, the Crimson Tide will have the opportunity to put what it’s done for the past month to practical use Friday in its first scrimmage of spring at 1:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“I think the first scrimmage is just kind of to see exactly where we’re at,” Alabama junior receiver Chris Black said Wednesday. “It’s our first time getting out there without the coaches actually being on the field. Just to kind of see how we handle things.”
Despite a turbulent week that involved three player arrests — including two dismissals — during a four-day span, players and coaches are eager to get onto the field and make some real contact.
“I guess you could say it is because there's a lot of tackling and everything,” Alabama junior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said. “It pretty much seems like any other practice. We're just trying to go on the field and get better and work your hardest.”
Alabama coaches will put the Tide players through game-like situations in an attempt to judge how well they translate what they’ve been working at practice to the field, and who begins to emerge as potential starters.
“It's been a work in progress, especially on offense with so many inexperienced guys and losing so many experienced players,” Saban said. “It's created a lot of opportunities for the young guys. We like the way they're working and improving and responding to that.”
With the annual A-Day spring game 15 days away April 18, there remains quite a few questions left to be answered, key among them if a frontrunner is emerging in the crowded battle to be Alabama’s next starting quarterback.
Senior quarterback Jake Coker is splitting first-team reps with junior Alec Morris while freshmen David Cornwell and early enrollee Blake Barnett have mostly worked with the second team.
“Jake seems to be pretty comfortable at the quarterback position, as all the other guys getting an equal opportunity at that job,” Saban said.
Another interesting battle that could see some things answered after Saturday's scrimmage is in the secondary, where one expected starter — senior Geno Smith — hasn’t practiced since a DUI Saturday and early enrollee Ronnie Harrison is seeing some first-team reps at strong safety in certain packages.
Of course, while some positions will be on the line, today is more so an opportunity for players to show their coaches just how far they’ve come in the first few weeks of spring.
“(The) first scrimmage is Friday, and we usually scrimmage on Saturday so that's going to be a little weird,” Tomlinson said. “It's pretty much going to be the same old scrimmage. The same amount of reps and everything. The same intensity if not more. Everybody is just trying to make plays on the field.”
While no position battles are expected to be decided today, the progress shown in the first scrimmage will undoubtedly play a factor in how coaches approach the second half of spring.
Because it’s all part of Alabama’s overall plan this spring to rebuild its identity as a championship-caliber program following back-to-back disappointing endings the last two seasons.
“We've got a lot of things that we need to do this spring to re-establish the identity that we want to have as a football team,” Saban said.
Decatur Daily—Continue reading...
Seven practices in, the Crimson Tide will have the opportunity to put what it’s done for the past month to practical use Friday in its first scrimmage of spring at 1:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“I think the first scrimmage is just kind of to see exactly where we’re at,” Alabama junior receiver Chris Black said Wednesday. “It’s our first time getting out there without the coaches actually being on the field. Just to kind of see how we handle things.”
Despite a turbulent week that involved three player arrests — including two dismissals — during a four-day span, players and coaches are eager to get onto the field and make some real contact.
“I guess you could say it is because there's a lot of tackling and everything,” Alabama junior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said. “It pretty much seems like any other practice. We're just trying to go on the field and get better and work your hardest.”
Alabama coaches will put the Tide players through game-like situations in an attempt to judge how well they translate what they’ve been working at practice to the field, and who begins to emerge as potential starters.
“It's been a work in progress, especially on offense with so many inexperienced guys and losing so many experienced players,” Saban said. “It's created a lot of opportunities for the young guys. We like the way they're working and improving and responding to that.”
With the annual A-Day spring game 15 days away April 18, there remains quite a few questions left to be answered, key among them if a frontrunner is emerging in the crowded battle to be Alabama’s next starting quarterback.
Senior quarterback Jake Coker is splitting first-team reps with junior Alec Morris while freshmen David Cornwell and early enrollee Blake Barnett have mostly worked with the second team.
“Jake seems to be pretty comfortable at the quarterback position, as all the other guys getting an equal opportunity at that job,” Saban said.
Another interesting battle that could see some things answered after Saturday's scrimmage is in the secondary, where one expected starter — senior Geno Smith — hasn’t practiced since a DUI Saturday and early enrollee Ronnie Harrison is seeing some first-team reps at strong safety in certain packages.
Of course, while some positions will be on the line, today is more so an opportunity for players to show their coaches just how far they’ve come in the first few weeks of spring.
“(The) first scrimmage is Friday, and we usually scrimmage on Saturday so that's going to be a little weird,” Tomlinson said. “It's pretty much going to be the same old scrimmage. The same amount of reps and everything. The same intensity if not more. Everybody is just trying to make plays on the field.”
While no position battles are expected to be decided today, the progress shown in the first scrimmage will undoubtedly play a factor in how coaches approach the second half of spring.
Because it’s all part of Alabama’s overall plan this spring to rebuild its identity as a championship-caliber program following back-to-back disappointing endings the last two seasons.
“We've got a lot of things that we need to do this spring to re-establish the identity that we want to have as a football team,” Saban said.
Decatur Daily—Continue reading...
