Thursday's first Alabama Fall Camp scrimmage will be serious business. Players who perform well will be closer to starter roles, but doors will not be slammed on the players who don't perform quite as well.
Unless Austin Mack or Keelon Russell flop in the first scrimmage, their competition will continue for another week and another scrimmage. While all Alabama fans will be anxious to learn about Thursday's quarterback performances, four other areas should also draw considerable attention.
A guess is that running back by committee will become the norm for Alabama this season. As a result, RB1 is less of a big deal. In the running back rotation, snaps will likely be divided among three or four guys. The top scrimmage question is whether the offensive line can get enough push against what is a sturdier and expected-to-be-improved defensive front. Pass protection must improve as well, but if the Tide can run, pass protection will be less of a challenge. Going into the scrimmage, left guard and right tackle are most in question, but outside of Michael Carroll, the new O-line must prove itself.
Scrimmage item No. 2 is about WR3 and WR4. The four main candidates are Rico Scott, Derek Meadows, Cederian Morgan, and JUCO transfer Tyler Henderson. The competition is intense. At the least, all four, plus Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, will be used situationally. At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College last season, Henderson had 67 receptions for 1,299 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Crimson Tide is in great shape at wide receiver.
A smaller, but important Alabama decision
It will be a major surprise if it is learned on Thursday that someone other than Caleb Woodson is the defense's 'Green Dot' guy. He has the most game experience at linebacker, which should make him the communicator for the defense. If that role is assigned to another player, Crimson Tide fans will have some immediate doubts about Woodson as a team leader.
Scrimmage item No. 4 has nothing to do (at this point) with starter roles. It is whether linebacker Luke Metz and defensive back Ivan Taylor perform so well that the Alabama coaches will be forced to find ways to get them on the field. The two sophomores have stood out during the season. Recently, Metz has been mentioned as pushing for a starter role.
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