Alabama Football: Part 3 of six questions needing fall camp answers

Fall camp starts soon and Alabama football fans want answers to six important, team questions before the start of Louisville game week.

Alabama football fans have questions and the answers will not come soon enough. We’ll leave the ongoing starting QB question to Nick Saban and his staff. There are other issues that will have an impact of success in the 2018 season. In a three-part series, we will review six more, also important questions.

The six questions are: which three linebackers will backup Moses and Wilson; will the new secondary have dependable backups; who replaces Da’Ron Payne to anchor the interior defensive line; which three wideouts rotate with Jeudy, Smith and Ruggs III; who starts on the offensive line among Womack, Cotton and Leatherwood; and can a new dual-kicker pair be counted on for pressure field goals.

Obviously, that is a bunch of questions for one post. We will take them on two-at-a-time in three days of posts. Our first post discussed the backups at ILB and who replaces Da’Ron Payne. The second in the series covered O-line starters and key backups, plus who will fill out the two-deep at wideouts. Now for the last two of our six questions.

Will there be solid depth in the new secondary?

Not many football teams, and certainly not Alabama football, are accustomed to replacing six starters in the secondary. Stretching the limits of reload, the Crimson Tide is in near rebuild mode in the secondary. There will be growing pains. But the situation is not as bleak as the numbers suggest.

In his CFB Playoff starts, Deionte Thompson was more than solid. He played so well, some fans believe he is an upgrade over Hootie Jones. New cornerback, Saivion Smith joined the team during Playoff preparation. Smith has SEC game experience from his freshman season at LSU. He has received good reviews through the winter, spring and summer. Insiders report the coaching staff is excited about the improvement shown by Trevon Diggs.

The safety opposite Thompson is expected to be Xavier McKinney. Shyheim Carter returns at Star with no starter experience but a good bit of game experience. The dime back, called Money in the Tide scheme is a hybrid position, requiring a player who can cover and stop the run. Jared Mayden may have the lead to start at Money.

Assuming Saivion Smith, Trevon Diggs, Deionte Thompson, Xavier McKinney, Shyheim Carter and Jared Mayden are the starters – is there any solid depth in the two-deep? What there certainly is plenty of talent. True freshman, Patrick Surtain Jr. could beat out one of the corners or Shyheim Carter, sooner rather than later. Insiders offer glowing reviews on Patrick from the summer 7vs.7 workouts. There is considerable optimism Surtain Jr. is another Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Other depth can come from Daniel Wright and Kyriq McDonald. Both players are good enough to become starters. Other freshmen impressing in summer workouts are Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis. It is too early to predict a two-deep, but Alabama football fans should rest easy knowing whoever vaults up the depth chart will be a talented player.

Alabama football fans know Nick Saban is a DB guru. Nick has strong help this season in new defensive backs coach, Karl Scott. Scott has experience building a secondary to counter pass-happy Big 12 teams. Now he is coaching where the talent level can fill the roles of those defensive schemes.

Two kickers, one kicker or still nervous about kickers?

Redshirt freshman, Joseph Bulovas made five field goals in the A-Day game. He also missed a medium-range potential game-winner. During his redshirt season, insiders confirmed Bulovas has a strong leg. There was concern he had trouble elevating his field-goal attempts quickly enough.

The spring game performance indicates that is no longer a problem. Still that potential game-winner miss nags at Alabama football fans long accustomed to kicking failures.

The good news is the Tide’s other new placekicker has a history of consistency. Graduate transfer, Austin Jones was solid in his Temple career. His leg may fail him on longer kicks but his accuracy inside 40 yards is impressive.

The question remains – when a 45-yarder is needed to win a game, can either Jones or Bulovas be counted on? There is another reason for optimism. Alabama football has a real special teams coach this season in Jeff Banks. That alone should improve the Tide’s kicking.

Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits

Answers will come slowly in fall camp. With so many new starters, complete answers may not come until September.