Jumbo Package: Keelon Russell and Alabama may be working their way back to the top ten
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We’re going heavy on the video links today. First up, we got press conferences from the whole contingent of Alabama coaches.
Will Sanders got the start, but Mal Waldrep got more snaps.
Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb provided some clarity on the situation Monday.
“Will was dealing with a little bit of an oblique, and so trying to help him out to get through the game, he had battled through it all week, and he’s doing great now,” Grubb said. “But we knew we had a guy now that had taken a lot of reps with the ones all camp. So I felt good about getting both those guys out there and getting reps. Certainly would’ve loved to see Will finish out the game. He came back out there. But we’d like to keep the lineup as consistent as possible.”
I felt like Sanders had a bit of a rough go at things, an an oblique injury would definitely explain that.
I don’t really have an opinion in the battle between Sanders and Waldrep, but I do hope one of the two really steps up and takes over. It seems like Grubb does as well, as that was his message here. Which really makes you wonder just how we got to where we got last season with the line rotating all season long.
Luke has really taken great ownership of the way we’re supposed to communicate as a linebacking corps. I think he had great leadership in that from Deontae Lawson and Nikhai Hill-Green when he was here. I think he’s taken that to another level, and Chuck Morrell has done a fantastic job with those guys. We talk about the way we communicate as a linebacking corps needs to be demonstrative; that is intimidating to the other side of the ball when you communicate like that. Then we want to play the game with anticipation, so there are a lot of keys and indicators that we get those linebackers clued into that they, as individuals, have to communicate that on the field. Luke did a fantastic job of that; Caleb does a really good job of that as well. So from an effort standpoint, from a communication standpoint, I thought that linebacking corps had a nice first outing.”
I thought this was an interesting comment, and not one that I think I had heard from a coach before. Wommack mentions that he wants pre-snap communication to be demonstrative because it can be intimidating to the other team. And I think I agree with that, seen an opposing defense constantly barking out communications definitely gives a air of put-togetherness that may be a little disconcerting. So I like that it’s something Wommack is thinking about and emphasizing. It’s a small thing, but it’s an edge.
Three injured Alabama players, Jireh Edwards, AK Dear and Noah Rogers, participated in pregame warmups before Saturday’s season opener against East Carolina but did not play in the Crimson Tide’s dominant 48-10 victory.
While none of the three were ready to return against the Pirates, their participation in warmups was an encouraging sign.
According to DeBoer, two of the three injured players could be particularly close to returning.
Sounds like Jireh Edwards and AK Dear are close to getting back. I’m not totally sure where Dear fits into things at this point – Hill, Crowell, and Brown look like a really nice trio of running backs. Still, he’s definitely a talented player that will be good to have back.
Jireh Edwards is also a guy that I think could factor in quite a bit this season as a sub-package player that can act as a dime linebacker to bring some size to formations that are heavy on the DBs.
TIGHT END
Kaleb Edwards: 56 snaps (67.5%)
Marshall Pritchett: 34 snaps (41%)
Josh Ford: 19 snaps (22.9%)
Danny Lewis: 12 snaps (14.5%)
Jay Lindsey: 9 snaps (10.8%)OBSERVATIONS: Speaking of the tight ends, how about that rotation? Five different guys got meaningful action on Saturday. We had wondered if Alabama would use four guys after the return of Danny Lewis, and we were still too light on those predictions. That’s a good thing though, especially when you watched how these guys performed against East Carolina.
Marshall Pritchett got the start alongside Kaleb Edwards, as the Crimson Tide started the game in 12 personnel. The package isn’t surprising considering all the practice clips and nuggets we received about the strength of this room, but I was still a little surprised that Pritchett got the nod over Josh Ford despite him being listed as the starter at the H.
Josh Ford being well behind Edwards and Pritchett was surprising to me. A month ago, I expected Ford and Edwards to be the main two. Over fall camp, it did seem like Pritchett had worked his way in, and I was expecting about a 3-way split between those guys. Instead, it seemed like Edwards is the clear #1, Pritchett is the #2, and Ford is the role player.
And even then, Jay Lindsey came in to play fullback on the goal line, which is also something I was expecting they would use Ford for.
I still think this group could be the key to making or breaking Alabama’s season, much more than many people give them credit for. If they can shore up the perimeter blocking compared to last year, it’ll be a huge improvement for the offense. On top of that, I think the WR group is going to be pared down a bit compared to last year, so they could be needed more in the passing game.
Alabama
To Make CFP: +134
Title Odds: +2500I have my questions about the Tide this season, but against overmatched ECU, Bama had little trouble. It was 38-10 at halftime and Keelon Russell accounted for 342 yards (86 rushing). Two conference games and a visit from Florida State await and that’s when we’ll continue to learn if this season will be a special one in Tuscaloosa.
I’m going to be honest, I don’t know who this Chris Fallica guy is or why we should care. He writes for Fox Sports? Anyway, he’s like the only national pundit I’ve seen go ahead and move Alabama into the top ten. Cool!
Week 1 of any college football season is never short on overreactions, and that holds especially true when one of the sport’s biggest blue blood programs introduces a new starting quarterback.
Such was the case for Alabama Crimson Tide, ranked No. 11 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, under a sweltering heat inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday as folks got their first glances of former five-star quarterback Keelon Russell playing meaningful snaps.
Russell’s first career start saw him account for 342 all-purpose yards in a 48-10 victory over East Carolina. The recruiting industry’s No. 2-ranked quarterback in the class of 2025 completed 18 of his 30 passes for 256 yards and rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts.
Which of those two stats was more impressive depends on who you ask, but it was the type of performance Russell needed. He may not have been perfect, but he more than showed off the promise, raw talent and sheer athleticism that won him the starting quarterback job over experienced senior Austin Mack in fall camp.
Roll Tide Wire put together a compilation of national pundits talking about Keelon Russell. Seems like most out there took notice and are pretty bullish on him. Interestingly, this one feels like the national people may be higher on Russell than a lot of Bama fans after the game, who have been grumbling a bit about how long he held the ball and the bout of inaccuracy in the 3rd quarter.
Finally, here’s the SEC Shorts this week. Enjoy!
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