Alabama Football: Nick Saban highlighted A-Day and what fans will see

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Thursday evening Nick Saban reviewed the Alabama football spring season, the A-Day format and the most obvious works in progress left for the ’19 team.

As expected the format for the 2019 A-Day game has not changed for Alabama football. The Crimson team will be the first unit offense and the second unit defense, competing against the White team with the first unit defense and second unit offense.

Nick Saban and the winning team will eat steak with all the trimmings in celebration. The losing team gets beans with maybe a few cut up hot dog wieners mixed in.

Four Alabama football players will miss the game. Terrell Lewis, who Saban said was recovering well, will be out as a precaution. Jedrick Wills who fortunately only incurred a bad sprain (no surgery needed) in the last scrimmage will sit out. Ben Davis with a shin splint problem and Major Tennison, who is in concussion protocol, will also miss the game.

What Saban did not say, but is always true in the A-Day game, is neither the offensive or defensive playbooks will come close to being fully utilized.

Even with the constrained format, Nick Saban and the Alabama football coaching staff will carefully assess performance. A still unsettled secondary will be tested for improvement. The first unit fifth and sixth defensive back in the nickel and dime formations is not settled. How to use the main four (Carter, McKinney, Surtain II, and Diggs) defensive backs is not even certain. Dependable backups are also needed at every spot. Guys like Josh Jobe and Jared Mayden can use a solid A-Day to distance themselves from the four more defensive backs enrolling this summer.

On Thursday, Nick Saban complimented Chris Owens at center, saying he had done a “really good job” and his leadership had gained the “confidence of his teammates.” Saban also said Emil Ekiyor had done well at center when needed, and that true freshman center, Darrian Dalcourt “could” become a good player. Nick is always sparing in praise of true freshmen.

There are two reasons the first unit offensive line may continue to be tweaked early in the fall season. Deonte Brown still have to serve four games of a six-game suspension. Also, Nick appears willing to shuffle around the three interior linemen until the ‘five best’ are identified.

The other work in progress that chills Alabama football fans is the kicking game. Saban said during A-Day, two punters would be used and at least two kickers. We suspect the punting and kicking competition will continue through fall camp scrimmages. Hopefully, consistency can be achieved and the Crimson Tide can have a dependable kicking game.

Check out the full media review below, compliments of al.com.

Next. 25 'Must-do' things for Crimson Tide fans. dark

After Saturday, the wait for more Alabama football will drag by. In the interval, Bama Hammer will cover other Crimson Tide sports and also chase down every morsel of Tide football information we can find.