🏈 Tidesports opinion on Sunday's Open Practice

[Bamabww]

Me (DC Reeves) and Aaron are putting together some observations from practice on Sunday. Remember, this is one practice so I wouldn't take this as guarantees in terms of positions, etc. Keep checking the thread as we'll continue to post on it during the practice.

Taking the first-team reps at OL:
LT Cam Robinson
LG Arie Kouandjio
C Ryan Kelly
RG Alphonse Taylor
RT Austin Shepherd

Second-team OL:
LT Brandon Greene
LG Josh Casher
C Bradley Bozeman
RG Isaac Luatua
RT Grant Hill

OFFENSE

- Really impressed with Ty Flournoy-Smith's hands. Really soft, made some nice catches in the rain during position drills.

- Really a lot of bootleg action in individual QB reps and when coverage was in place.

- No rhyme or reason to the running back rotation - Yeldon, Henry, Drake and others getting reps all over.

- It was raining hard during the early part of practice and there were dropped passes galore. Saw Amari Cooper drop three in different drills.RB's, TE's, WR's all struggled to keep their hands on it, even with on-target throws.

- No quarterback was a clear standout. Blake Sims may have made the best throws against coverage, but he would follow that up with missing receivers by 8 or 10 feet on very short routes. He overthrew a few, too. He made two great throws towards the sideline. One was a one-handed catch by Derek Kief over Marlon Humphrey. Another nice throw Ardarius Stewart. to Sims' right this time.

-Jake Coker looked better in positional work, but also threw a pair of interceptions to Tony Brown and a poor decision to throw that was picked off by Bradley Sylve.

- Cooper Bateman and Alec Morris both struggled and were clearly behind Coker/Sims. Really impressed with David Cornwell long-term in terms of his throws.

- Saw Ryan Kelly handling A'Shawn Robinson well in 3-v-3 drills.

- Christion Jones talked about how interchangeable the skill players would be in Kiffin's offense and we got a glimpse today. There were two tight ends split out in the slot several times in four WR sets. Jalston Fowler and Altee Tenpenny were also the widest receiver in a five-WR set at one point.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-JK Scott, the true freshman, was clearly the class of the punting options (that included Alec Morris). Great leg, great hang time from Scott.

https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=202876848&mid=202876848&sid=885&style=2

 

[bama alum]

How was Dominick Jackson?

 

[TerryP]

How was Dominick Jackson?

He was first in the rotation on the left side with the 1's this week as well. In this practice he was playing RG.

 

[jdpas29]

good news about the punter. i'm a little surprised about the QB thing.

also expected Hill to be with the 1's

 

[Cap'n]

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.

 

[TerryP]

good news about the punter. i'm a little surprised about the QB thing.

also expected Hill to be with the 1's

Just my opinion:

There are three groups of linemen now.

Group one consist of three guys that staff is settled on; Kelly, Shepard, and Kouandjio.

The second group has five that are in that observation stage. It's out of that group two will be selected to reach that "five best on the field" group; Robinson, Hill, Taylor, Jackson, and Brown. (Brown not practicing right now due to his foot.)

That gives us eight, with two guys battling it out to get us to a solid 10 man rotation; Green and Bozeman. (Adding in the three true frosh isn't illogical. Casher has done well so far.)

The 2's will work themselves out as camp progresses. My attention is focused on the two to fill out the first five. Shuffling through the fall should be expected by all.