We're into the third week of fall camp, and on Thursday, Kalen DeBoer and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff will get one final scrimmage to evaluate players before they start setting the two-deep for the season opener against East Carolina on September 5th.
It is make-or-break time for the Tide players amid position battles. Jobs will be won and lost during Thursday's scrimmage.
It has been a productive fall camp in Tuscaloosa with lots of optimism emanating from inside the program. This time of year, it's always difficult to determine whether that's legitimate optimism or wishful thinking, but there's reason to believe this Alabama team can exceed the relatively meager expectations from the national media.
Ahead of tomorrow's scrimmage, let's examine four players who need big performances to swing their position battle back in their favor.
These 4 Alabama players need big performances in Thursday's scrimmage
QB Austin Mack
We won't bury the lede here. While there's been no public announcement, you can count us among the growing chorus of folks who believe sophomore Keelon Russell is in the lead in the Alabama quarterback competition. All intel from last week's scrimmage pointed toward Russell having a better day than Austin Mack, continuing the trend we saw during the A-Day scrimmage back in April.
While DeBoer noted that he didn't feel closer to a decision after the first scrimmage, we took that non-answer as more of a signal that Russell had the lead, and they were extending the competition longer as a thank you to Mack for sticking around. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's comments on Monday about a decision being "close" only served to back that up.
Mack desperately needs a big performance during Thursday's scrimmage. He doesn't just need to play well; he needs to outperform Russell so much that the coaching staff is forced to reevaluate what they've seen over the last five months.
The problem with that is that it would require Russell to play poorly, which is unlikely.
OG Will Sanders
Will Sanders came into fall camp as the presumptive favorite to start at left guard, but after missing time in the spring and summer with injury and then picking up another minor issue during fall camp, he's been running behind sophomore Mal Waldrep in the competition throughout the fall.
While Waldrep has been in the lead, Grubb noted on Monday that Sanders had put together a really good couple of days of practice. He could be closing ground on the impressive sophomore, and tomorrow's scrimmage will give him a real opportunity to snag the job back.
Waldrep has earned nothing but praise from the staff in camp, so if Sanders is able to overtake him, it's almost certainly a positive development with Alabama having two players at that position they have supreme confidence in.
OT Nick Brooks
Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James has the edge over Texas transfer Nick Brooks in the competition to start at right tackle, but that's another battle that isn't fully settled heading into the second scrimmage.
Brooks is an impressive athlete at his size, but Grubb noted on Monday that he needed to see Brooks execute at a higher level in order to overtake James. Grubb has consistently praised James for his intelligence and savviness throughout camp.
Brooks will look to make a move on Thursday, but James remains the heavy favorite in that competition.
LB QB Reese
Junior LB QB Reese is going to have a role on the Alabama defense this season, but his chances of starting alongside Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson appear to be dwindling. One of the biggest standout players in fall camp has been sophomore Luke Metz, who has consistently earned praise from both DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
While Reese was believed to have a slight lead heading into last Thursday's scrimmage, it was Metz who ran with the first team next to Woodson throughout the scrimmage. That's not likely to change this week, barring a major push from Reese.
The good news for Reese, however, is that Wommack likes to rotate bodies at linebacker and has consistently played three off-ball 'backers a high number of snaps. Reese still appears positioned for a hefty role as the No. 3 LB, but if he wants a coveted starting spot, he's going to have to seriously stand out tomorrow afternoon.
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