Alabama Football Daily Insider: Will Any Late Enroll Freshmen Play?

Alabama football fans have a big appetite for information and we’ll be serving up healthy portions of hot food for thought with a side of seasonal inside information every morning this Spring.

There was a time when getting to the Waysider early on a weekday morning was the best way to learn what was really going on with Alabama football.

In the compact dining area, all you had to do was listen. Most conversations included tidbits of information about the University and the football program.

These days there is more to be gleaned by surveying the digital landscape of multitudinous sources. The problem with this wondrous abundance of information is in separating the sense from the nonsense.

That’s where we come in. This column will endeavor to guide that process of discernment.

We’ll peruse message boards, podcasts, tweets, talk radio and numerous digital communication platforms. We’ll ferret out the most worthwhile information and offer our take on what it means.

The Daily Insider: April 3

There are 11 more freshmen football players arriving in Tuscaloosa between early June and the beginning of fall camp. How many of them, if any, will see the game field in 2017?

Let’s start with two we have already stated will play in 2017. Place-kicker Joseph Bulovas has a BIG leg. He is the holder of the newest of scholarship wrinkles, a blueshirt. He can begin working out in Tuscaloosa this summer even though he will not enroll until late August. That situation allows him to play in 2017, on a 2018 scholarship.

If you have not seen him kick, check out our earlier profile. Joseph Bulovas If his aim does not often go awry, Bulovas is the 2017 field-goal kicker.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football

The other player we have predicted has a shot at the two-deep depth chart at wideout is Henry Ruggs. You can check out the explosive Ruggs here. Henry Ruggs III

Alabama football has sufficient numbers on the defensive line, but is the depth short on impact players.? LaBryan Ray and Phidarian Mathis are expected to become future stars. If they are in great physical condition at the beginning of fall camp, either of them could play in 2017.

With Alabama football loaded at linebacker, any of the freshmen LB’s Chris Allen, Markail Benton, VanDarius Cowan will have to earn playing time on special teams. Cowan’s speed could make him a starter on punt and kick coverage teams.

Best guess at this time is that Jedrick Wills, Kedrick James, Kendall Randolph and Devonta Smith will redshirt. There are high expectations for Wills and Smith but the numbers in front of them are likely too much for a late enrollee.

Next: Current Projected 2017 Depth Chart

Alabama football will practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. The first spring scrimmage will be Saturday April 8. Check in with us throughout the week and give us your opinions on Facebook or Twitter.