After Saturday’s scrimmage, Nick Saban summarized his Alabama football team as needing depth and having a lot of work to do.
One scrimmage into the 2019 season, Nick Saban is not satisfied with his Alabama football team. Among the many team issues concerning Saban are depth and not enough players who are capable of playing winning football.
Alabama football fans may share Nick’s concerns but they would be more alarmed if the coach was praising his team. An unsatisfied Nick Saban is comforting to most Tide fans.
After Saturday’s scrimmage, Nick Saban reminded the Tide has had the most player turnover over the last two rosters, than ever in his Alabama tenure. Counting the 12 summer enrollees, the 2019 Crimson Tide roster will have 47, first or second-year, scholarship players. That is a young football team.
Player development cannot necessarily be rushed but the new, more experienced coaching staff will be looking to ‘coach up’ some of the young guys quickly. The 15 freshmen who enrolled early have a training advantage. The 12 freshmen joining the roster in June include one 5-Star (RB, Trey Sanders) and the rest were 4-Star recruits.
Speaking of the summer-arriving, nine defensive players, Nick Saban said,
"they are going to have to come along and add some depth to our team on defense, because we don’t have enough guys … we feel like they have the potential but need to continue to grow and that competition will definitely help them grow."
The 12, late arriving players include four defensive backs, two linebackers, and three defensive linemen. Seven of those nine freshmen defenders were Top 150 recruits. It will be difficult and unusual for any of the late-arriving secondary players to challenge for starting roles. Two-deep roles at some point in the fall are possible at linebacker and on the defensive line.
Freshmen Christian Harris is expected to play inside linebacker. He will have a better chance to break into the two-deep than freshmen outside linebacker, King Mwikuta.
Since the defensive line is a position group designed for frequent rotation, the three incoming defensive linemen have the best chance for fall playing time. Defensive end Braylen Ingraham has the toughest challenge for two reasons. The defensive end position has depth and Ingraham may need to add weight before he can become a contributor. His last published weight was 260 pounds on a 6-foot-4 frame.
The other two are formerly Top 100, 4-Star defensive tackles. Alabama football fans can debate whether Byron Young or Ishmael Sopsher was the best DT recruit. Either one or both have a good chance to break into the 2019 playing rotation.
How soon Young or Sopsher can contribute will first be defined by their physical condition upon arrival in Tuscaloosa. Weight, as in too much, has been a concern with Sopsher. The Tide-provided nutrition and conditioning regime for recruits is encouraged rather than mandated until enrollment.
As Nick Saban said, depth is needed and it must be provided by players who embrace the full Alabama football ‘winning process.’ For Tide fans, patience will be required.