Alabama Football: What to look for during Fall Camp

When discussing what to ‘look for’ in Fall Camp is used, most Alabama football fans realize the ‘looking’ requires considerable digging. Again this Fall, there will not be media viewing periods at practice. And no, it is not a COVID precaution, as it was in the past. It is Nick Saban controlling everything he can. One, he is damn-well entitled to do so, and two after coming up short of a National Championship last season, the fewer potential distractions, the better.

There will be practice videos released by the Alabama football program every week. It will mostly be position group drills.

Nick Saban will speak to the media several times leading up to game week beginning on Aug. 29. Normally fall camp will have two scrimmages on the second two Saturdays of camp. This year that would be Aug. 6 and Aug. 13. An alternate date is Aug. 20, but that is not likely.

The scrimmages will be closed to the public, but there will be invited ‘eyes’ attending at least one of them. Inside information will, as always, be at a premium.

After the second scrimmage, a position group pecking order will have evolved. Practice reps will decrease for many players outside a two-deep depth chart, that at that point, will officially be an ‘organization chart.’

Nick Saban will reluctantly unveil a depth chart at the start of game week. It will be heavily populated by the word ‘or’.

For Alabama football fans the answers to some questions may not come until a hot day in Austin, TX. The practice game  (Utah State) the week before will reveal a bit, but nothing about any scheme adjustments.

Most on the minds of Alabama football fans

• How much better will the offensive line be in 2022? Is former Vanderbilt tackle, Tyler Steen up to the task of locking down his side of a championship contender offensive line? Who wins the starting center nod? For the first question, an early answer is – better enough. Like others, I will be looking for answers to the two other questions.
• Who settles in at corner in the Tide’s nickel formation? Who will be the first six defensive backs in the dime? Alabama Football is fortunate to have the most talented, and deep secondary in college football. A hunch is Eli Ricks and Khyree Jackson will win the main cornerback roles. That would leave Kool-Aid and Brian Branch (and maybe Malachi Moore) to battle for the nickel corner position. Branch is too good to keep off the field, but a healthy DeMarcco Hellams might hold on to the safety spot opposite Jordan Battle. In a standard nickel, two very good defensive backs will not be on the field.
• Who steps up at third and fourth wide receiver and as the second pass-catching threat at tight end? It is too soon to speculate.
• Does Jaylen Moody hold off Deontae Lawson to start at linebacker next to Henry To’o To’o? Again, too soon to speculate.
• How does the formation look when three pass-rushing demons, Will Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell are on the field together? I don’t expect this weapon to be utilized much until October.

Alabama fans have more, just as important questions. Fall Camp will provide clues rather than answers.