Happy Friday, everyone. Alabama held their second and final scrimmage of the fall yesterday. Chris Low made waves in the lead up when he dropped this nugget.
Chris, the reporter who broke Nick Saban’s retirement, rarely misses. And it seems noteworthy that Keelon Russell took the first scrimmage snaps yesterday.
Still, the head man is noncommital.
“We can go win with either one of them, and I feel very comfortable with that,” DeBoer said. “Obviously we got to pick one, and we will. We will pick one, and, you know, we’ll continue to work through that here in the days ahead.”
DeBoer said both Mack and Russell flipped reps between the first- and second-team offense.
DeBoer highlighted Mack’s and Russell’s presence before the snap, “how he comes in the huddle,” and how clean each was in with calls at the line of scrimmage.
Phrasing, Kalen. Phrasing.
Nick Kelly has some additional notes for you.
The kickers, Lorcan Quinn and Conor Talty, had a good day. “Hit everything,” said one source.
Receiver Derek Meadows stood out. He also earned praise from Kalen DeBoer after the scrimmage, calling it a “really good growth day for him” as he made some competitive catches. “I like the way he’s battling, and he’s really growing,” DeBoer said
The first-team offensive line was once again Jackson Lloyd at left tackle, Mal Waldrep at left guard, Racin Delgatty at center, Michael Carroll at right guard and Jayvin James at right tackle. William Sanders may have rotated in to some extent at left guard, but Waldrep was still the primary left guard. One source described the offensive line overall as “solid.”
If Sanders is fully healthy and Waldrep is still running first, that is quite interesting. Sanders looked like the most promising interior lineman on the roster last season, but that was with Carroll playing outside. Observers seem to like what they’ve seen from the revamped unit. Hope for the best.
In injury news, Alabama fans are starting to wonder if EJ Crowell truly exists.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said both running back EJ Crowell and wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks missed the Crimson Tide‘s second scrimmage, while defensive back Nick Sherman is being evaluated for a lower-extremity injury.
Brooks was seen practicing with the Alabama wide receivers Monday, Aug. 17 after missing the first scrimmage. Crowell was not seen repping with the running backs. Alabama’s Name, Image and Likeness collective announced that Crowell had a “minor ankle tweak.”
Grubb swears he’ll be ready for the first game. Let’s go Full Gump and say they are just hiding the secret weapon from the public eye.
Greg Sankey has made it clear that the SEC’s rule against intraconference transfers is not affected by the recent court ruling.
And, if nothing else, at least Sankey showed some consistency in contesting RJ Luis the same way he did Charles Bediako.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey spoke about professional athletes returning to college sports in an affidavit filed in a Louisiana courthouse last week. Sankey asked Judge Ronald Johnson in East Baton Rouge Parish court to uphold NCAA rules that prevent athletes from returning to the college level, including former Big East Player of the Year and current member of LSU’s basketball team, RJ Luis.
Sankey wrote in the filing that not allowing players to return to college athletics is “essential to the integrity of college sports.”
“Permitting former professional athletes to return to competition creates a competitive disadvantage and fundamental unfairness for current student-athletes who have not pursued a professional sports career but instead have maintained their commitment to the collegiate athletics model,” Sankey wrote.
Last, Trent Seaborn is really good, y’all.
Thursday marked Seaborn’s 46th start in a Thompson uniform, a milestone few high school quarterbacks ever reach.
Over his four years of play, Seaborn has amassed 10,145 yards and 103 touchdowns. He added 343 yards and four touchdowns Thursday, moving him closer to the Alabama high school record of 11,024 total yards held by Piedmont’s Jack Hayes.
He was playing on the road, against the team they beat in the state semifinals last year. Quarterback play is mostly about fast processing, and distributing the ball on time and accurately so that playmakers can do what they do.
I think this fits that description.
Easy to see why he’s vying for his fourth state championship this season. The QB recruiting under DeBoer has been something.
That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.
Roll Tide.
