TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s football team is at the midway point of preseason practice, and after Saturday’s first scrimmage, a clearer picture of who will be early starters/contributors is starting to emerge. Saturday’s scrimmage ran about 105 plays, which will be the most plays the Crimson Tide will run in preseason practice.
Eighty percent of those reps went to the first and second teams, and then the team held another padded practice on Sunday. Those two days, inside the stadium, allowed for the team to experiment with iPad technology and in-helmet communication that will be allowed this season in more of a game-like setting.
One of the biggest talking points in the first few weeks was cutting down on procedural issues with the new offensive and defensive systems. This weekend was a step in the right direction.
“I don’t know if there were any false starts, illegal formations, or movement (penalties),” coach Kalen DeBoer said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “The mental mistakes, or what I would call a foolish penalty where we’re just not sharp, we’ve kind of honed in on that. The penalties were really down and minimal. So I like the way we’re having some urgency and we’ll move around offensively. The guys are all getting set, so all the processes that we have in place, the guys are doing a really good job.”
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DeBoer’s biggest concern, outside of position groups, is staying healthy. There weren’t any serious injuries of note in Saturday’s scrimmage, but it was a long day. Sunday’s practice was somewhat of a load management situation for several players: Those who weren’t full participants included offensive linemen Tyler Booker, Jaeden Roberts and Olaus Alinen, running backs Jam Miller, Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley and linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Kalen DeBoer’s first game as Alabama’s coach is scheduled for Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky. (Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
The latest Crimson Tide confidential explores the biggest developments of the weekend and which players are primed for playing time entering the third week of preseason practice.
Offense
Quarterback: The Tide have a clear top two at quarterback with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, and both have been stacking good days. Milroe was a top performer on Saturday with a multi-touchdown performance, including a long touchdown pass to Ryan Williams, a red zone touchdown to Miller and a rushing touchdown. Milroe’s development has been important as Alabama nears the opener against Western Kentucky.
“We’re opening up the playbook to what I want to run,” Milroe said. “It’s awesome to have that opportunity. Now that we’re into fall camp, it’s all about narrowing down the plays I like. The offense is catered to me; that’s been the best thing so far just seeing that. With spring, summer and now fall camp, I’ve grown more comfortable in the offense.”
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Simpson looked sharp this weekend. He connected with tight end Josh Cuevas on a nice touchdown play during Saturday’s scrimmage on a well-placed ball. Simpson’s touch continued on Sunday as he had a few nice moments. During one drill, quarterbacks worked throws to the back pylon by placing trash cans in that part of the end zone. Simpson was one of two quarterbacks to place the ball directly in (the other was Austin Mack). Simpson followed that with a long completion down the sideline to Kendrick Law, who was covered by Zay Mincey.
Dylan Lonergan had a nice play on Sunday, finding Emmanuel Henderson Jr. down the sideline and fitting the ball in between a few defenders. Lonergan and Mack continue to show good traits when opportunities are present.
“I thought the plays that are there and you need to make that throw, they’re doing that at a higher level,” DeBoer said. “A lot of that is trust in your guys around you that they’re going to be where you anticipate them being, especially in those moments when you get a little bit of pressure, you get a little bit of a rush around you and just manage it.
“I still think there’s a time or two where we could throw the ball away, across the board. Just to keep us out of those situations where it turns into a third-and-extra long or something like that.”
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Running back: Due to several players not fully participating Sunday, Justice Haynes took all of the first-team reps. The second- and third-team reps were split among walk-on players. Hill was spotted on Sunday with his arm in a sling, but DeBoer noted on Saturday that there are no long-term injuries to be worried about.
Miller’s touchdown reception from Milroe is a sign of things to come this season from the running backs. An emphasis was placed on pass catching in the spring, and that has continued. Position coach Robert Gillespie has been showing the current running backs film of former Alabama back Jahmyr Gibbs, who was good at catching downfield and in short-yardage situations.
“That’s the name of the game at the next level,” Gillespie said. “I think they’re all really excited about what they saw in the spring. Obviously, we’re gonna throw the ball down the field, and that opens up creases in the run game but also gives them a chance to be a part of the throw game out of the backfield and in checkdowns. They understand that it’s just going to create more touches for them.”
Wide receiver/tight end: The pass-catching group can best be described as a strength-in-numbers group. There isn’t one dominant option, but there’s good depth. The receiver rotation is starting to crystallize a bit, and the most consistent players with the first and second groups are Germie Bernard, Law, Kobe Prentice, Cole Adams, Henderson and Williams with Caleb Odom getting some rotational snaps. Sunday’s first group was Adams, Bernard, Williams and Henderson with Law and Prentice with the second team.
“Right now, especially in a first scrimmage, you’re just lining up,” DeBoer said. “The ball really gets spread around. If we look at the stat sheet, it would be almost every receiver catching balls. So it’s not really just one guy who had five to seven catches. Everyone gets involved; everyone gets their touches.
“There’s just good, solid plays, plays that I’d expect guys to make, and they made them. You don’t really see the ball on the ground when there’s clear-cut catches, and that’s what I like. The plays that should be made, they were being made.”
CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts continue to be the main tight ends with the first group, with Cuevas. The best downfield, yards-after-catch option is continuing to get work. If there’s anyone who could push for playing time outside of the top three, it’s sophomore Danny Lewis Jr.
“When you look at who’s progressed the most since we’ve been here, it’s Danny,” tight ends coach Bryan Ellis said. “He’s going to provide a huge presence; his game is very similar to CJ Dippre. His progression has been very meaningful for our offense.”
Offensive line: On Saturday, the starting offensive line featured (left to right) Kadyn Proctor, Booker, Parker Brailsford, Roberts and Wilkin Formby. Tackle Elijah Pritchett rotated in with the first team, but it appears that Proctor and Formby have the inside track to start, and both were with the first team for nearly all of Sunday’s practice.
With Booker and Roberts out on Sunday, Geno VanDeMark and Roq Montgomery were the starters at guard. As a result, Casey Poe and William Sanders filled in their spots on the second team, which featured Pritchett at left tackle, Joseph Ionata at center and Miles McVay at right tackle.
On the inside, there has been a good amount of substituting at center/guard as the coaches search for depth options. During a quarterback/center exchange drill, VanDeMark worked with Simpson, indicating VanDeMark is the second center while Montgomery was center three. Mack and Ionata worked with Lonergan. VanDeMark is likely the third guard behind Booker and Roberts, and his addition post-spring is proving to be a valuable move. Montgomery’s continued development has been a good sign.
Defense
Defensive line: Similar to the receivers, there’s a strong rotation of players vying for playing time. The full defensive line unit participated on Sunday, and the first two groups were as follows: First team: Jah-Marien Latham, Tim Keenan III and Jehiem Oatis; second team: James Smith, Damon Payne Jr. and LT Overton.
Overton emerged from Saturday’s scrimmage as a top performer, and his strong performance continued on Sunday as he consistently won in the one-on-one period of the practice. The transfer from Texas A&M is in his third year of college football after enrolling a year early in 2022, like Williams is doing now. Overton appears primed to live up to his former five-star billing with a few years of collegiate experience and adding more than 20 pounds to his frame since arriving at Alabama.
Veteran Tim Smith is also in the probable defensive line rotation at this point. It’s a deep group that will allow younger players like Keon Keeley and Jordan Renaud to keep developing for another year.
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Linebacker: With Campbell out on Sunday, Justin Jefferson filled in next to Deontae Lawson as a starting inside backer. True freshman Justin Okoronkwo stepped up in the second group next to Jeremiah Alexander, and the third team was made up of freshmen Sterling Dixon and Cayden Jones.
Jefferson has gotten spot first-team snaps throughout practice, and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack isn’t ruling out a package with Lawson, Campbell and Jefferson on the field at one time. That look would provide a good combination of run stoppers with athleticism to cover running backs and tight ends.
“You’ve got to find ways to get people like that on the field, all three starter-type guys,” Wommack said. “We’re always going to look at packages and ways we can say when they come out in this personnel grouping, ‘We’d love to find a way to get these guys on the field.’ We are a five-defensive back defense. That’s not going to change. That’s who we are, that’s what we’re going to do, but at the same time, finding creative ways to find some packages to get them out there. That would be a game plan thing from week to week.”
The Wolf (outside linebacker) position saw Que Robinson continue to lead the way on the first-team defense with Keanu Koht rotating in. Qua Russaw was the lead edge rusher with the second team. This group produced the biggest play on Sunday via true freshman Noah Carter who picked off Lonergan and returned it 30-plus yards for a pick six.
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Secondary: Zabien Brown continues to nurse a hand injury, and it’s now in a club. Despite that, Brown continues to work with the first team; he had a nice play on Sunday breaking up a pass between Milroe and Williams during the team period. The rest of the starting secondary was: Domani Jackson at cornerback, Malachi Moore and Keon Sabb at safety and DeVonta Smith at Husky. DaShawn Jones and Red Morgan got first-team snaps at corner and Husky. The second-team group featured Jaylen Mbakwe and Mincey at cornerback, Morgan and King Mack at Husky and Kameron Howard and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. at safety.
The secondary includes a good rotation of players between the first, second and third teams. With so many moving pieces, there’s an emphasis on mixing and matching as many combinations as possible for chemistry, including Jackson working with the second team at times, Mbakwe with the first team and Brown and Jones with the third team. It’s also worth noting that DeVonta Smith is still getting spot work at safety.
Mack received praise from Wommack during the week and had a nice showing during the weekend with an interception during Saturday’s scrimmage. He has added nearly 20 pounds to his frame (205 pounds) and can be a force in the running game. He figures to be a strong special teams contributor and a player to watch entering 2025. Moore had an interception on Saturday as well.
Special teams
Specialists Graham Nicholson and James Burnip continue to show consistency. Nicholson kicked well on Sunday in shorter situations, and in a short punt drill, Burnip constantly placed the ball inside the 5-yard line. One of the positions that needs to be filled is at punt returner. While there’s little to no live punt return work in the preseason, three players who’ve been catching are Adams, Law and Mbakwe.
(Top photo of Jalen Milroe: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
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Publish date : 2024-08-11 22:06:00
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