Alabama Football Daily Insider: What To Look For In Second Scrimmage
By Ronald Evans
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 14
There was no practice Thursday. Alabama football returns to Bryant-Denny Friday afternoon for the second scrimmage of the spring season. A Nick Saban press conference will follow the scrimmage.
Before we consider what we hope to learn from the Friday scrimmage; a few tidbits of recent information:
- Right guard remains a problem not yet solved by Lester Cotton. Other options than Cotton will be considered at right guard. Chris Owens, Richie Petibon, Deonte Brown and Cotton will compete. Alex Leatherwood and Dallas Warmack are also possibilities.
- Cotton, Womack and Alex Leatherwood are the main competitors for the right tackle slot. Scott Lashley, currently backing up left tackle is another possibility.
- One anticipated Daboll wrinkle is a two-tight end, plus H-back set. We have been reporting that true freshman Major Tennison will play in 2017. Irv Smith is another young player having a good spring. Forristall, Hentges, Ronnie Clark, Tennison and Smith will staff the new Daboll offensive wrinkle.
- With the emergence of Isaiah Buggs to solidify the defensive line, the position group is looking more like a 2017 strength capable of overcoming the loss of Allen and Tomlinson. More good news for the front four is the improved play this spring by Johnny Dwight. Depth no longer appears to be an issue for the 2017 front four.
- The continuing chorus of accolades about Najee Harris has expanded to also include Brian Robinson. Check out this quote from senior Cam Sims as reported by bamainsider.com
"“Big backs that know how to run, that know how to move,” Alabama receiver Cam Sims said of the Tide’s freshman duo. “It’s something I’ve never seen before. It’s like Derrick Henry.”"
Based upon Saban’s post-scrimmage comments about lack of push by the O-line, the young running backs must have shined in the open field after catching passes in the flats.
What to look for in the Friday scrimmage:
- If Trevon Diggs plays anywhere other than cornerback
- Who are the second team backups in the secondary
- Who fills the first team right guard and right tackle slots
- Does the offensive line get any push against the defensive front seven
- If the first team offense has a big day passing against the first team defense
The first team secondary has been smarting from the first scrimmage offensive explosion. They will look to shut down the new Daboll passing offense.
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