Alabama Blog

June 22, 2012

2012 Signing Day Recap
By: Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Hello, Bama fans.  Are you getting ready for another season?

Of course, much has happened since my last post.  Alabama had a great season, as Phil Steele predicted.  They beat LSU impressively in the championship game to claim the BCS title.  Again, that spilled over to another great recruiting class and I just wanted to do a quick recap on our 2012 signees here with the help of RollTide.com. Check out the bios of the signees below.

Alabama had a great spring.  Several of the new signees were early enrollees and participated in spring practice. One standout in the A-Day Game was running back T.J. Yeldon (bio below).  Yeldon was playing high school football in the fall of 2011. Then he signed with Alabama after being an Auburn commit.  He graduates high school early and enrolls at Alabama.  He had a great spring, topping it off with winning the A-Day MVP Award! 

We are gearing up for another season.  As of this posting, we are 69 days away from the first college football game and 71 away from Alabama’s matchup against Michigan at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

I will be back soon as we are all getting the fever. Roll Tide!

2012 Signing Class

Landon Collins
DB
6'0"
202 lbs
Geismer, LA (Dutchtown H.S.)
highlight video

One of the top players in the nation, Landon Collins is a key piece of the Alabama recruiting class in 2012 - a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 1 safety in the nation by ESPNU and 247sports.com and a unanimous top player in the state of Louisiana
 
- a Parade All-American
- first-team USA Today High School All-American
- the No. 3 prospect nationally by 247sports.com and the No. 6 overall talent by ESPNU
- starred in the Under Armour All-American Game, recording an interception and keying a goal-line stand
- ESPNU has Collins as the No. 2 overall recruit in the Southeast
- MaxPrep's Tom Lemming ranks him as the No. 10 overall player and the top safety
- Rivals.com rates him as the No. 17 overall player and the No. 2 safety while Scout.com lists him 20th overall and the No. 2 safety
- No. 3 on the SuperPrep Elite 50 list
- a SuperPrep All-American, the publication's No. 1 defensive back and the top player in Louisiana as well as the SuperPrep Southwest Defensive Player of the Year
- No. 19 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 1 safety
- No. 3 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- 2012 247sports.com All-American as a defensive back
- selected to the Orlando Sentinel's All-Southern team
- was clocked at 4.39 in the 40-yard dash with an astounding 43.5-inch vertical
- excelled on both sides of the ball as a senior, becoming the first player in Louisiana Sports Writers Association history to earn 5A All-State honors on both sides of the ball
- also LSWA 5A All-State selection as a junior
- had 34 tackles with four interceptions – two returned for touchdowns – on the defensive side of the ball while rushing for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdowns on offense while averaging 13.7 yards per carry
- as a junior in 2010, recorded 102, tackles with 12 tackles for loss and four interceptions
- had 26 tackles with 1.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery as a sophomore in 2009
- coached by Benny Saia
- one of the top players in the country, Collins had his choice of programs from across the nation.

Brandon Greene
OL
6'5"
292 lbs
Ellenwood, GA (Cedar Grove H.S.)
highlight video

Brandon Greene comes to the Capstone as one of the top offensive line recruits in the nation - a consensus four-star prospect who is among the best players in the state of Georgia
 
- played in the Under Armour All-American Game
- ESPNU rates Greene as the No. 6 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 30 overall prospect in the ESPNU 150
- also ranked as the No. 2 talent in Georgia by ESPNU and is 15th in the ESPNU Southeast 150
- 247sports.com lists him at No. 141 in the Top247 and the site's No. 17 offensive tackle
- No. 33 offensive tackle by Rivals.com and the No. 20 tackle by Scout.com
- the No. 18 player from Georgia by SuperPrep
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- Tom Lemming of MaxPreps lists him as one of the top 50 offensive linemen
- No. 93 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- first-team Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State selection in 2010 and 2011
- played for Raymond Bonner at Cedar Grove High School
- chose Alabama over Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina and North Carolina.

 

 

 

 

Cyrus Jones
ATH
5'10"
192 lbs
Baltimore, MD (Gilman H.S.)
highlight video

A true athlete in every sense of the word, Cyrus Jones can do a little bit of everything and should be a productive player for the Crimson Tide wherever he ends up contributing - can play wide receiver or defensive back while excelling at punt and kickoff returns
 
- clocked at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash with a 37.5-inch vertical leap
- turned in a great performance at the Under Armour All-America Game
- Parade All-American
- a five-star wide receiver by Scout.com and the No. 45 player in the nation
- a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, 247sports.com and ESPNU
- the No. 20 player in the ESPNU 150 and the No. 4 athlete
- also ranked No. 4 in the ESPNU East Region and the No. 2 player in Maryland
- 247sports.com rates him as the No. 8 athlete and No. 76 in the Top247
- also tabbed by 247sports.com as the state's No. 3 talent
- No. 79 in the Rivals100
- Rivals.com lists him as the No. 6 athlete nationally and the third-best player in Maryland
- a SuperPrep All-American who is ranked 46th on the publication's Elite 50 list
- the No. 3 athlete nationally by SuperPrep and the No. 4 player in Maryland
- PrepStar All-American and All-Atlantic Region choice
- 2011 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year
- No. 76 in Tom Lemmings Top 100 nationally and the No. 7 athlete
- consensus All-State player as a junior and senior
- Baltimore Sun All-Metro team in 2010 and 2011
- played running back, slot and cornerback at Gilman High School where he was coached by Biff Poggi
- Baltimore Sun 2011 Metro Offensive Player of the Year
- accounted for 2,365 all-purpose yards as a senior with 24 touchdowns while recording five interceptions on the defensive side of the ball
- chose Alabama over Virginia Tech, Auburn, Ohio State and Maryland.

Darren Lake
DL
6'3"
315 lbs
York, AL (Sumter County H.S.)
highlight video

A massive defensive line prospect who fits well into the Crimson Tide's 3-4 alignment at nose guard - No. 184 in Tom Lemming's MaxPreps Top 200 and the No. 12 defensive tackle
 
- three-star defensive lineman by Rivals.com, Scout.com, 247sports.com and ESPNU
- Scout.com ranks Lake as the nation's No. 24 defensive tackle prospect
- Rivals.com rates him at No. 20 among players in the state of Alabama
- ESPNU considers him the No. 54 defensive tackle, 317th among players in the Southeast and No. 28 in Alabama
- 247sports.com ranks Lake as the No. 38 defensive tackle and the No. 17 prospect in Alabama
- No. 16 on the Mobile Press-Register's 2012 Elite 18
- SuperPrep rates him as the No. 19 player in the state
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- had 48 tackles with five sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and one safety
- earned first-team Alabama Sports Writers Association 4A All-State honors as a senior
- coached by Andre Pickering at Sumter County High School
- chose Alabama over Tennessee.

Dalvin Tomlinson
DL
6'2"
266 lbs
McDonough, GA (Henry County H.S.)
highlight video

Dalvin Tomlinson picked the Crimson Tide on signing day to help solidify an outstanding 2012 class of defensive linemen - a four-star talent with good power
 
- ranked 149th in the Rivals250
- Rivals.com rates him as the No. 11 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 11 player in the state of Georgia
- Scout.com ranks him as the country's 17th-best defensive tackle
- 247sports.com lists him as the No. 21 player in the Peach State and the No. 22 defensive tackle nationally
- ESPNU three-star prospect who ranks 42nd among defensive tackles and 56th in Georgia
- first-team Georgia Sports Writers Association AAA All-State selection
- SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 13 player in the state of Georgia
- also SuperPrep's No. 53 defensive line prospect (ends and tackles)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11
- No. 77 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Atlantic Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 11 defensive tackle
- No. 50 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- had 109 tackles as a senior in 2011 with 8.5 sacks, four pass breakups and one blocked field goal
- had 76 tackles with 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries as a junior in 2010
- coached by Mike Rozier
- chose Alabama over Georgia Tech

Adam Griffith
PK
5'10"
174 lbs
Calhoun, GA (Calhoun H.S.)
highlight video

Adam Griffith is one of the nation's top incoming place-kickers - ranked as the nation's No. 1 place-kicker by 247sports.com and Scout.com
 
- Rivals.com rates Griffin as the No. 2 kicker nationally
- a consensus three-star recruit who combines a strong leg and accurate kicks
- also outstanding on kickoffs, averaging 68 per kick
- competed at the 2012 U.S. Semper Fidelis All-American Game for the East squad
- nailed a 32-yard field goal in overtime inside Atlanta's Georgia Dome to carry Calhoun to the Georgia AA State Championship over Buford in 2011
- also connected from 46 yards in the state championship game
- long kick in 2011 was 52 yards
- 247sports.com's No. 49 player in Georgia
- ESPNU has him as the No. 7 place-kicker nationally and No. 303 overall in the Southeast
- hit on 9-of-14 field goals as a junior in 2010, including two from beyond 50 yards
- had 43 of his 56 kickoffs go for touchbacks in 2010
- two-time Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State selection
- coached by Hal Lamb at Calhoun High School
- chose Alabama over Georgia, LSU and Vanderbilt.

 

Kurt Freitag
TE
6'4"
240 lbs
Buford, GA (Buford H.S.)
highlight video

Kurt Freitag hails from powerhouse Buford High School in Georgia - the Tide's only tight end in the class of 2012
 
- a physical player who excels as a blocker on the edge with excellent hands
- ESPNU has him as a four-star talent and the nation's No. 13 tight end
- No. 124 in ESPNU's Southeast Top 150 and the No. 25 player in Georgia
- Rivals.com has Freitag as a three-star prospect and the No. 13 tight end nationally as well as No. 27 in the Peach State
- Scout.com lists him as the No. 20 tight end
- 247sports.com has him as the No. 22 tight end
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- a first-team Georgia Sports Writers Association AA All-State selection in 2011 after earning second-team GSWA All-State accolades in 2010 as a junior
- was a 2011 Super 6 choice by the Gwinnett Daily Post
- SuperPrep ranks him as the No. 20 player in Georgia
- coached by Jess Simpson at Buford High School, which won four straight Georgia State Championships from 2007-2010
- chose Alabama over Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Caleb Gulledge
OL
6'4"
280 lbs
Prattville, AL (Prattville H.S.)
highlight video

Caleb Gulledge is a physical player who picked up an Alabama offer prior to his junior season - excelled on the offense line where he helped Prattville High School win the 2011 Alabama 6A State Championship
 
- earned second-team All-America honors from USA Today as a defensive lineman
- played in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star game
- 247sports.com has Gulledge as the No. 23 player in Alabama and the No. 62 offensive line prospect
- SuperPrep lists him as the No. 25 player in Alabama while Rivals.com ranks him 30th and ESPNU 37th
- Rivals.com also lists him as the No. 32 offensive guard with Scout.com ranking him 66th among offensive tackle prospects
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- a three-star prospect
- honorable mention ASWA 6A All-State selection
- coached by Jamey Dubose at Prattville High School where he started for three years and helped the Lions earn 33 wins during that time
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Kentucky and Wake Forest.

Reggie Ragland
LB
6'2"
247 lbs
Madison, AL (Bob Jones H.S.)
highlight video

One of the most decorated linebacker prospects nationally - a physically imposing linebacker who is impressive against the run and can anchor the point of attack
 
- garnered a five-star grade from Scout.com and ranked as the website's No. 1 middle linebacker prospect and No. 9 overall player in the class
- has excellent numbers with a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and a 34.5-inch vertical
- also the No. 1 middle linebacker prospect by Rivals.com and a four-star athlete
- the No. 43 player in the Rivals100 while ranking as the No. 4 player in Alabama
- 247sports.com has him at No. 39 in its final Top247 rankings while rating him as the No. 2 inside linebacker and the fourth-best player in the state
- No. 109 in the ESPNU 150 and the site's No. 2 middle linebacker
- 49th in the ESPNU Southeast Top 100 and No. 6 in the state of Alabama
- SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 38 player on the Elite 50
- SuperPrep's No. 1 linebacker nationally and No. 3 player in Alabama
- No. 33 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 4 linebacker
- a three-time first-team ASWA 6A All-State honoree
- No. 4 in the Mobile Press-Register's Elite 18 and No. 25 in the Super Southeast 120
- No. 4 on the Birmingham News Super Seniors list
- No. 11 outside linebacker by MaxPrep's Tom Lemming
- as a senior in 2011 made 97 tackles with 22 tackles for loss and six sacks
- had 91 tackles as a junior in 2010 with 21 tackles for loss
- as a sophomore had 40 receptions as a tight end and six touchdowns
- also played basketball on Bob Jones' 2009-10 Alabama State Championship team
- coached by Kevin Rose
- chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida and Tennessee.

Denzel Devall
LB
6'2"
243 lbs
Bastrop, LA (Bastrop H.S.)
highlight video

Denzel Devall arrives in Tuscaloosa as one of the top players from the state of Louisiana - a physical linebacker with good size and skill, Devall is ranked as the nation's 111th-overall prospect by 247sports.com and No. 122 in the Rivals100
 
- a consensus four-star player who is projected at linebacker in college
- Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 2 player in Louisiana and the country's No. 5 linebacker prospect
- 247sports.com rates him as the No. 3 player in the state and the ninth-best inside linebacker target
- Scout.com lists him at No. 8 among middle linebackers nationally
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 5 linebacker nationally
- SuperPrep's No. 3 player in Louisiana
- ESPNU ranks Devall as the No. 98 player in the southeast and the No. 22 defensive end
- No. 48 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- No. 131 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 11 defensive end
- 2011 Louisiana Sports Writers Association 4A All-State selection
- recorded 73 tackles as a senior at Bastrop High School, logging 53 solo stops, two sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble forced and one fumble recovery
- coached by Thomas Bachman
- chose Alabama over LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas and TCU.

Kenyan Drake
RB
6'1"
204 lbs
Powder Springs, GA (Hillgrove H.S.)
highlight video

Kenyan Drake is a consensus four-star prospect and one of the top players in Georgia - versatile athlete who earned Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 honors
 
- the No. 88 player national in the 247sports.com Top 247 while ranking as the service's No. 4 all-purpose running back and the No. 7 player in the state of Georgia
- Rivals.com lists Drake as the country's No. 13 running back and 185th in the Rivals250
- also the No. 13 prospect in Georgia by Rivals.com
- ESPNU ranks him as the No. 15 running back and the No. 105 player in the ESPNU Southeast Top 150
- Scout.com rates Drake as the No. 17 running back nationally
- No. 57 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- second-team All-State selection by the Georgia Sports Writers Association in 2010 and 2011
- named to the All-Cobb County team and All-Region 4-AAAAA
- rushed for 1,610 yards on 175 carries as a senior with 18 rushing touchdowns while averaging 9.2 yards per carry
- also had 315 receiving yards with five scores while returning two kickoffs for touchdowns
- Georgia's Gatorade Player of the Year
- won the 100-meter championship in AAAAA
- coached by David Ironside at Hillgrove High School
- chose Alabama over Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Purdue.

Dakota Ball
DL
6'2"
295 lbs
Lindale, GA (Pepperell H.S.)
highlight video

Dakota Ball is a strong and active defensive lineman with a good motor - turned in a solid effort as a starting defensive tackle in the Under Armour All-America Game
 
- a four-star prospect by MaxPrep's Tom Lemming
- three-star defensive lineman by Rivals.com, Scout.com, 247sports.com and ESPNU
- Scout.com ranks Ball as the nation's No. 27 defensive tackle prospect
- Rivals.com rates him at No. 29 among defensive tackles and the No. 28 player in the state of Georgia
- ESPNU considers him the No. 27 defensive tackles, 152nd among players in the Southeast and No. 35 in Georgia
- 247sports.com ranks Ball as the No. 36 defensive tackle and the No. 35 player in Georgia
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region
- Georgia Sports Writers Association AA All-State selection as a senior when he made 73 tackles with 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 38 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown
- coached by Jeff Shifflett at Pepperell High School
- chose Alabama over Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Clemson and South Carolina.

Eddie Williams
WR
6'3"
204 lbs
Panama City Beach, FL (Arnold H.S.)
highlight video

Eddie Williams was one of the Crimson Tide's first commitments in the 2012 recruiting class and one of the nation's top pure athletes who will play wide receiver at the Capstone - a consensus five-star recruit by ESPNU, Rivals.com and 247sports.com
 
- No. 11 in the ESPNU 150 and its No. 2 athlete in the 2011 signing class
- also the No. 4 player in the southeast and the No. 1 player in Florida by ESPNU
- 247sports.com rates him at No. 8 nationally in its Top247 while listing him as the service's No. 2 safety and the top player in the state of Florida
- Rivals.com has him as the country's top athlete, the No. 4 player in Florida and No. 24 in the Rivals100
- Scout.com lists him as the No. 3 safety prospect
- played in the Under Armour All-American Game
- No. 34 on SuperPrep's Elite 50 list, earning All-America honors as the publication's No. 6 defensive back (corners and safeties)
- also ranks as SuperPrep's No. 3 talent in Florida
- No. 8 on the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- No. 3 safety in Tom Lemming's MaxPrep rankings and the No. 83 overall prospect
- No. 24 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 3 safety
- played quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and safety in high school at Arnold where he was coached by James Hale
- earned first-team All-Bay County as a sophomore, junior and senior
- 2011 first-team Florida 2A All-State selection
- had 20 receptions for 483 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 59 times for 425 yards and five scores as a junior in 2010 on offense while making 31 tackles with two interceptions on defense
- runs track and reached the Florida 2A finals in the 4x100 meter relay
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Florida and Auburn.

Geno Smith
DB
6'0"
182 lbs
Atlanta, GA (St. Pius X H.S.)
highlight video

Geno Smith give the Crimson Tide a top-flight cornerback prospect with excellent cover skills - the Atlanta-area star out of St. Pius X is a consensus four-star talent
 
- ESPNU has tabbed Smith as the nation's second-best cornerback and the No. 31 player in the 2012 ESPNU 150
- also the No. 16 prospect in the ESPNU Southeast Top 100 and the No. 3 player in the state of Georgia
- 247sports.com rates him as the No. 66 player in the Top247, the No. 6 cornerback and the No. 5 player in the state
- ranked 88th in the Rivals100 and the service's No. 8 corner as well as the No. 4 talent in Georgia
- Scout.com has him at No. 8 among cornerbacks
- SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 3 player in the state of Georgia
- also SuperPrep's No. 10 defensive back (corners and safeties) prospect
- No. 66 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 5 defensive back
- a two-time first-team GSWA AAA All-State selection
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11
- MaxPrep 2011 U.S. Air Force Medium Schools All-American
- No. 23 in Tom Lemming's MaxPreps Top 100 and the No. 2 cornerback
- No. 18 on the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- as a senior in 2011, Smith accounted for 80 tackles, three interceptions and over 800 yards rushing on offense
- had eight interceptions as a junior and 14 pass breakups while making 47 tackles, three picks and 10 pass breakups as a sophomore in 2009
- coached by Paul Standard at St. Pius X
- chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Southern California, Arkansas, Stanford and Georgia Tech.

Alec Morris
QB
6'3"
225 lbs
Allen, TX (Allen H.S.)
highlight video
Alec Morris is the only quarterback in the Crimson Tide's 2012 signing class - a strong-armed Texan who should fit well into Alabama's pro-style offense
 
- 247sports.com ranks Morris as the nation's NO. 26 pro-style passer and the No. 85 talent in Texas
- Rivals.com rates him 30th among pro-style signal callers and 100th in Texas
- Scout.com lists him as the country's No. 37 quarterback
- ESPNU ranks him 46th among quarterbacks nationally and the No. 101 prospect in Texas
- ESPNU also ranks him 132nd in the Midlands Region
- SuperPrep has him as at No. 120 in Texas
- a consensus three-start prospect
- PrepStar All-Midlands Region selection
- averaged 270.7 passing yards per game (3,242 yards) in 2011 with 35 touchdowns and just six interceptions
- ran for 329 yards with nine rushing scores as a senior
- completed 202-of-329 passes (61.4 percent) as a junior in 2010 threw for 2,534 yards with 22 touchdowns while completing 63.6 percent of his passes (189 of 297)
- also rushed for 216 yards and eight scores in 2010
- coached by Tom Westerberg at Allen High School
- chose Alabama over Wake Forest, Michigan State and Virginia.

Korren Kirven
DL
6'5"
292 lbs
Lynchburg, VA (Brookville H.S.)
highlight video

A signing day pickup for the Crimson Tide, Korren Kirven is a tough and explosive defensive lineman - an elite defensive line prospect who played in the Under Armour All-America Game
 
- No. 100 in the ESPNU 150 and the eight-best defensive tackle
- ESPNU rates him as the No. 2 player in the state of Virginia and the No. 12 player in the ESPNU East Region
- 247sports.com has Kirven as the No. 6 player in Virginia and the No. 15 defensive tackle while ranking No. 189 in the Top247
- Scout.com also lists him as the 15th-best defensive tackle
- Rivals.com has him at No. 206 in the Rivals250, the No. 16 defensive tackle and No. 7 in Virginia
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 35 defensive line prospect and No. 8 player in Virginia
- PrepStar All-American and All-Atlantic Region choice
- first-team All-State as a senior in 2011 after accounting for 15 sacks
- coached by Jeff Woody at Brookville High School
- helped the Bees win the Virginia AA Division 3 State Championship
- chose Alabama over Virginia Tech and Tennessee.

Ryan Anderson
LB
6'2"
250 lbs
Daphne, AL (Daphne H.S.)
highlight video

Ryan Anderson comes to the Capstone as one of the fastest risers in the class of 2012 - a defensive lineman that could also play outside linebacker (jack) in the Alabama defense, Anderson is a five-star prospect by 247sports.com that is ranked as the nation's No. 19 overall prospect and the No. 1 outside linebacker
 
- 247sports.com also ranks him as the No. 2 player in Alabama
- ranked 93rd in the ESPNU 150 and the site's No. 7 outside linebacker
- has four stars from ESPNU, Scout.com and Rivals.com
- listed at No. 98 in the Rivals100 as well as the No. 6 outside linebacker
- Scout.com has him as the No. 22 defensive end prospect
- No. 5 in the Mobile Press-Register's Elite 18 and No. 33 in the Super Southeast 120
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 25 linebacker
- also listed as the No. 8 player in Alabama by SuperPrep
- a member of the Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super 12
- an ASWA 6A All-State selection
- coached by Glenn Vickery at Daphne
- had 105 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior in 2011
- chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, Illinois and Kentucky.

Deion Belue
DB
5'11"
150 lbs
Tuscambia, AL (Northeast Mississippi CC)
highlight video

Deion Belue signed with the Crimson Tide in 2010 and returns to Tuscaloosa after two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College- has proven to be a playmaker on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in high school but exceled at defensive back in junior college
 
- a second-team NJCAA All-American in 2011 after recording 24 tackles with two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception
-. started at NEMCC
- ranked by 247sports.com as a four-star prospect and the nation's No. 7 JUCO player
- coming out of high school at Deshler was rated as the No. 7 player in the state of Alabama by the Tuscaloosa News and was No. 16 in the Mobile Press-Register's Elite 18
- listed as the No. 21 cornerback by Scout.com and the No. 39 athlete by ESPNU
- a two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association 4A All-State selection, named as a defensive back in 2008 and an athlete in 2009
- rated 12th in the Birmingham News' 2010 Super Senior rankings
- competed in the Alabama/Mississippi High School All-State Game
- recorded 70 tackles as a junior in 2008 with four interceptions ­– with two returned for touchdowns
- also returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns while hauling in over 800 yards receiving and five touchdowns
- picked the Crimson Tide over Auburn, UAB and Southern Miss.

Chris Black
WR
5'11"
180 lbs
Jacksonville, FL (First Coast H.S.)
highlight video

Chris Black ranks as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the nation - an explosive athlete with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical
 
- a consensus four-star prospect
- EPSNU lists Black at No. 22 in the ESPNU 150 and the No. 2 wide receiver prospect
- No. 10 in the ESPNU Top 100 Southeast Recruits and the No. 5 player in the state of Florida
- played in the Under Armour All-America Game
- 247sports.com has Black ranked 42nd nationally, the No. 4 wide receiver and the No. 8 player in Florida
- listed at No. 58 in the Rivals100 and is the website's No. 8 wide receiver prospect and the No. 11 player in Florida
- Scout.com rates him as the nation's No. 19 wide out
- No. 23 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 13 wide receiver
- a first-team Florida High School Sports Association 7A All-State selection
- No. 62 in Tom Lemmings Top 100 nationally
- ranked 11th in the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100
- also listed as the No. 10 player in Florida by SuperPrep
- caught 55 passes for 881 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011 while rushing for 222 yards on 22 carries for 10.1 yards per carry
- hauled in 49 receptions for 990 yards and 12 scores as a junior in 2010
- coached by Marty Lee at First Coast
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Notre Dame, Miami, Clemson and Tennessee.

Amari Cooper
WR
6'1"
185 lbs
Miami, FL (Northwester H.S.)
highlight video

Amari Cooper brings big-play ability to Alabama after a prolific senior season at Miami Northwestern -a fast-riser in the scouting services, Cooper showed why he was one of the nation's best at the Under Armour All-America Game where he had a 75-yard touchdown grab and a 93-yard punt return for a score
 
- a consensus four-star prospect
- No. 45 in the Rivals100 and ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver and No. 8 player in Florida
- ESPNU lists him as the nation's No. 7 wide out and No. 46 in the ESPNU 150 while ranking 25th in the ESPNU Southeast Top 100 and No. 12 in Florida
- 247sports.com has him the No. 6 wide receiver and the No. 10 player in the state of Florida while ranking him 56th in the Top247
- Scout.com rates him as the No. 12 pass catcher
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- No. 13 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 14 wide receiver
- a first-team Florida High School Sports Association 8A All-State selection
- ranked fourth the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100
- also listed as the No. 11 player in Florida by SuperPrep
- caught 33 passes for 722 yards as a senior after hauling in 16 grabs for 175 yards and four scores in 2010
- coached by Billy Rolle at Miami Northwestern
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Miami and Ohio State.

Travell Dixon
DB
6'1"
195 lbs
Miami, FL (Eastern Arizona College)
highlight video

Travell Dixon brings maturity and experience to the Alabama secondary in 2012 - the junior-college signee was a key target for the Crimson Tide, who must replace three starters in the secondary
 
- a consensus four-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247sports.com
- a first-team National Junior College Athletics Association All-American as a sophomore at Eastern Arizona Community College in 2011
- ranks as the nation's No. 3 JUCO prospect in the Rivals.com JUCO Top 50 and the No. 9 junior college player by 247sports.com
- SuperPrep lists him as the No. 3 JUCO player
- recorded 39 tackles with four interceptions, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery in 2011
- had 26 tackles and three picks as a freshman in 2010 when he earned first-team All-Region and All-WSFL recognition
- led all of Dade County in interceptions with seven in 2008 at Norland High School
-. also made 30 tackles and forced two fumbles
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Dillon Lee
LB
6'4"
240 lbs
Buford, GA (Buford H.S.)
highlight video

Dillon Lee gives the Crimson Tide an athletic and physical linebacker for its 3-4 scheme - Lee runs a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and boasts a vertical of 35.5 inches
 
- a unanimous four-star prospect in the four recruiting services
- ranks 59th in the ESPNU 150
- the sixth-ranked outside linebacker by ESPNU and the No. 5 player in Georgia
- ESPNU also lists Lee as the No. 29 player in the Southeast
- No. 105 in the Rivals250 and the website's No. 3 outside linebacker as well as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Georgia
- Scout.com rates him as the nation's No. 4 middle linebacker while 247sports.com lists him at No. 150 in the Top247
- the No. 12 outside linebacker by 247sports.com and the 13th-ranked player in Georgia
- Georgia Sports Writers Association AA All-State selections
- No. 41 in the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120
- a SuperPrep All-American and the publication's No. 7 linebacker
- also listed as the No. 5 player in Georgia by SuperPrep
- 93rd nationally by Tom Lemming
- Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six
- MaxPreps Small School All-American led a Buford defense that allowed just 7.3 points per game
- had 84 tackles with 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks along with five interceptions and a fumble recovery in 2010
- also played tight end for Buford
- brother, Dallas, is an offensive lineman at Georgia
- coached by Jess Simpson at Buford High School, which has won four straight Georgia State Championships
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Auburn and Clemson.

Alphonse Taylor
DL
6'5"
340 lbs
Mobile, AL (Davidson H.S.)
highlight video

Alphonse Taylor will give Alabama a big and physical presence in the middle of the defensive line - a four-star prospect by ESPNU
 
- ranked as the site's No. 15 defensive tackle and the No. 9 player in the State of Alabama
- 247sports.com rates Taylor as the No. 33 offensive tackle with four stars and the state's 13th-best talent
- Scout.com ranks him as the No. 31 offensive tackle and gives him four stars while Rivals.com has him as the No. 26 defensive tackle
- No. 100 on the Mobile Press-Register's Super Southeast 120 and 10th in the paper's Elite 18 (top 18 prospects in Alabama)
- PrepStar All-Southeast Region selection
- No. 11 on the Birmingham News Super Seniors list
- the No. 12 player in the state of Alabama by SuperPrep
- played in the Alabama Mississippi All-Star Game
- honorable mention ASWA 6A All-State as a senior in 2011
- recorded 30 tackles and four TFL in 2009
- chose Alabama over Florida State, Auburn, Georgia and LSU.

T.J. Yeldon
RB
6'2"
210 lbs
Daphne, AL (Daphne H.S.)
highlight video

T.J. Yeldon is an elite running back prospect who should help the Crimson Tide continue a tradition of excellence at the position - Mr. Football in the state of Alabama by the Alabama Sports Writers Association and a first-team All-State selection by the ASWA
 
- second-team USA Today High School All-American
- a five-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247sports.com
- the country's No. 1 running back by 247sports.com and the No. 2 player in the state of Alabama
- also 247sports.com's 13th overall player in the Top 247
- the No. 2 running back according to Rivals.com and the site's No. 12 in the Rivals100 and the No. 2 player in the state
- ESPNU lists him with four stars and ranks him as the No. 4 running back
- is No. 55 in the ESPNU 150
- is 28th in the ESPNU Southeast Top 100 and the No. 4 player in Alabama
- Scout.com rates Yeldon with four stars and the No. 8 running back
- SuperPrep All-American and the nation's No. 6 running back
- ranks 29th in SuperPrep's Elite 50 and No. 2 player in the state
- No. 55 on the PrepStar Dream Team
- PrepStar All-American and All-Southeast Region choice
- PrepStar's No. 8 running back
- No. 2 in the Mobile Press-Register's Elite 18 and No. 5 in the Super Southeast 120
- No. 2 on the Birmingham News Super Seniors list
- selected to the Orlando Sentinel's All-Southern team
- rushed for an astounding 2,193 yards on 232 carries and scored 31 touchdowns in 2011, averaging 9.5 yards per carry
- also caught 19 passes for 506 yards and a score
- totaled 1,112 yards and 18 scores on the ground as a junior in 2010 while also catching a career-best 34 passes for 504 yards and five touchdowns
- had 1,121 yards on 201 carries as a sophomore with 34 catches for 361 yards and one TD
- rushed for 227 yards and one score while hauling in 131 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air
- finished his high school career with 4,653 yards on the ground with 65 rushing touchdowns while accounting for 1,502 receiving yards and eight scores
- accumulated 6,155 yards from scrimmage in four years with 73 touchdowns
- coached by Glenn Vickery at Daphne High School where they won the 2010 Alabama 6A State Championship
- chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida, Arkansas and Clemson.

September 5, 2011

Depth Chart Released
By: Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Head Coach Nick Saban released the depth chart that the Crimson Tide will start the season with. A big question going into the season has been who will replace New York Jets draft pick, Greg McElroy, and be the starting quarterback for the Tide when the season starts. Coach Saban is not naming a starting quarterback at this point. He said that both sophomore A.J. McCarron (PS#9) and redshirt freshman Phillip Sims (PS#1) will get playing time and he will see if one emerges. Also, the left tackle spot may change according to the game situation. Phil Steele Preseason All-American Barrett Jones (PS#16) may move down to guard at times and be replaced at the tackle position by very highly touted freshman tackle, Cyrus Kouandjio (PS#1). The depth chart is listed as follows:

Offense
WR: DeAndrew White, Kenny Bell, Michael Bowman
TE: Michael Williams, Chris Underwood, Brian Vogler
LT: Barrett Jones/Cyrus Kouandijo; Tyler Love
LG: Chance Warmack/Barrett Jones; Alfred McCullough
C: William Vlachos; Kellen Williams; Chad Lindsay
RG: Anthony Steen; John Michael Boswell
RT: D.J. Fluker; Austin Shepherd
TE: Brad Smelley; Harrison Jones
WR: Marquis Maze; Brandon Gibson; Kevin Norwood
QB: A.J. McCarron/Phillip Sims; Phillip Ely
RB: Trent Richardson; Eddie Lacy; Jalston Fowler; Blake Sims

Defense
DE: Jesse Williams; Quinton Dial/Undra Billingsley
DE: Damion Square; Ed Stinson
NG: Josh Chapman; Nick Gentry/Jesse Williams
JACK: Courtney Upshaw; Adrian Hubbard/Xzavier Dickson
SLB: Jerrell Harris; Alex Watkins/Adrian Hubbard
MLB: Nico Johnson; C.J. Mosley; Tana Patrick
WLB: Dont'a Hightower; Chris Jordan; Trey DePriest
CB: Dre Kirkpatrick; Phelon Jones
CB: DeQuan Menzie; DeMarcus Milliner; John Fulton
S: Mark Barron; Will Lowery; Hasean Clinton-Dix
S: Robert Lester; Jarrick Williams, Vinnie Sunseri

Special teams
K: Cade Foster/Jeremy Shelley
P: Cody Mandell; Jay Williams LS: Carson Tinker
PR: Marquis Maze; DeAndrew White
KR: Marquis Maze; Dee Milliner
HLD: A.J. McCarron, Hardie Buck

September 3, 2011

Alabama’s Preseason Outlook Is Great
By: Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Welcome back to college football!  We are back and are glad that the season is kicking off.  It’s always a special time of year when September rolls around for Crimson Tide fans across the nation and around the world.

It has been a drama filled off-season in college football and especially in the state of Alabama.  The tornados in late April that hit Tuscaloosa and several other areas of the state are well documented.  The University of Alabama lost 6 of its students in the April 27th storms.  That was a tragic day.  It goes without saying that it was an emotional off-season for the nation because of these storms and especially for Alabama fans.  This coming season is surely to have special meaning to the players, staff, students and fans.  People bonded and came together in the aftermath of those storms.  Although we cannot bring back the lost loved ones, we can move forward with a deeper closeness and meaning to our lives, while never forgetting those we lost on that April day.  The Crimson Tide players will dedicate the season to those lost and all victims that were affected.  There will be a special ceremony before the opening kickoff of the season at the Kent State game.  Life is bigger than football.  That goes without saying.  Football, at the same time, is more than just a game to many.  It is a vehicle to bring a sense of closeness, belonging, and good times.  It can bring strangers together for a cause.  I think it has done that this off-season.  I think it will do that this coming football season.  The University of Alabama family will experience this season with a special purpose.  We are all looking forward to it. 

Alabama’s season begins with Kent State University and, many think, will end in the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans, La. on January 9th.  This entry in the blog is a quick look at some of the preseason accolades, in particular from my favorite football guru, Phil Steele.

Mr. Steele is very high on the Crimson Tide this year, as many of you already know.  I love the sound of that because his magazine has been the most accurate preseason magazine for 13 straight years.  I am sure hoping that this will be his 14th straight year. Let me list out a few of his predictions and ratings concerning the Tide.

Alabama returns 53 lettermen, 7 starters on offense and 9 starters on defense. Phil Steele has Alabama ranked #1 in his preseason top 40 and #1 in his power poll of all 120 schools in the FBS.  He ranked Alabama’s recruiting class of 2011 as #1 in the nation as well.  That is saying a lot considering some of the great recruiting classes that other prominent programs had this spring.

Mr. Steele has ranked the SEC as the toughest conference.  He is in good company as you will be hard-pressed to find many who will disagree.  The SEC has 8 teams ranked in the AP Top 25.  Alabama lands the #2 spot in the AP poll.  In forecasting the outcome of the SEC race, Phil has Alabama winning the SEC West and beating SEC East winner, Georgia, in the SEC Championship Game.

Phil always ranks the nation’s top individual position units every year in his preseason magazine.  This year he is very high on Alabama’s team.  On offense, he ranks the Tide’s running backs as the #2 unit in the country, led by Heisman candidate Trent Richardson (PS#2).  Richardson will have the blocking services of Phil Steele’s #1 offensive line unit.  On the defensive side of the ball, Phil ranks Alabama’s linebacking corps as #1 and also gives the #1 slot to the defensive backs.  This year, the defensive line unit lays claim to Phil’s #4 ranking in the nation.  Those are all great signs for the Tide.  Phil is very high on this year’s Alabama’s defense, as shown in those individual unit rankings.  He gives the defense as the main reason he is predicting such a great season for Alabama.  I love hearing that from the most accurate forecaster in the country.

Phil also puts out his Preseason All-American Team in his preview magazine and Alabama lands 7 on this very prestigious list.  Running back, Trent Richardson (PS#2), and offensive lineman, Barrett Jones (PS#16), land on Phil’s first team offensive All-American team.  William Vlachos (PS#67), Alabama’s senior center this year, makes the third team.  On Phil’s Defensive All-American Team, safety Mark Barron (PS#17) makes the first team.  Junior linebacker Don’t’a Hightower (PS#53) and junior free safety Robert Lester (PS#110) land of the second team.  Courtney Upshaw (PS#48), senior linebacker, earns a spot on Phil’s third team.

Every year, Phil puts out a preseason watch list for who he thinks are the players who have a very legitimate chance to win the Heisman trophy at year’s end.  Trent Richardson tops this year’s list.  Phil is very high on Richardson and believes that, with Alabama’s top-ranked offensive line, he will have a great shot to become the Tide’s second Heisman winner in 3 years.

To wrap this quick look at some of his predictions for Alabama up, who does Phil Steele think will hoist the crystal football after the BCS National Championship game this year?  Phil believes the Alabama Crimson Tide will beat Oklahoma for the title!  Should we book our hotel reservations in New Orleans now? 

In closing, I wanted to mention and show (see picture) a special message from Phil Steele that I received in the preseason magazine he sent me as the Alabama team blogger for PhilSteele.com.  Phil is a class guy and he signed the magazine to the people of the state of Alabama by saying,” My thoughts and prayers are with all the tornado victims in Alabama.”  I want to say a very special “thank you” to Phil Steele for that message.

Let’s have a great college football season, everyone!  Roll Tide Roll!

Brent Thomas

April 19, 2011

Coach Saban Talks About Bama’s Spring Training
By:  Brent Thomas
Email:  BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Spring practice for Alabama concluded Saturday, April 16th, with the annual A-Day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.  Just over 92,000 fans came out to see the Crimson (first team offense) beat the White (first team defense) by a score of 14-10.  It was as good showing by Alabama as there were several good performances by key players. There are, however, still some questions that remain.  I will post more about that later.

Coach Nick Saban spoke to reporters following the A-Day game.  To see video clips of the press conference, you can click here.

Kirk McNair of BamaMag.com files the following report:

April 5, 2011

QB Battle In The First Spring Scrimmage
By: Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Or

A lot of eyes and ears will be the QB battle that is taking place on the Capstone this spring.

As with any team going into spring practice, there are always questions to be answered. Alabama has several, but at a school like Alabama with such a rich history of excellent QB play, there is no question that many Alabama fans are watching what comes of this position closely.

In the hunt are A.J. McCarron (redshirt sophomore), Phillip Sims (redshirt freshman), and Phillip Ely (early enrollee freshman). All 3 quarterbacks were highly recruited coming out of high school. All 3 are talented. A.J. McCarron is the only one of the 3 with any playing experience, but that was only in mop-up duty and late in the Auburn game when senior QB Greg McElroy went down with an injury. The battle is between McCarron and Sims, as Ely will most likely be redshirted.

Coach Nick Saban seems to be pleased with the QB play so far. He says they are playing well. Yesterday, April 2, was the team's first spring scrimmage. Both McCarron and Sims looked good, but also made a couple of mistakes. Saban was pleased with their leadership. He is not giving either the edge on claiming the starting role and has even mentioned using both in the fall. Time will tell.

Here's a link from al.com about yesterday's scrimmage and Saban's comments on the QB play as well as other positions - Click here

Photo courtesy - Birmingham News

March 9, 2011

Latest List of 2012 Alabama Commits
By Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

March has arrived already and there is a lot of anticipation for the start of spring practice on campus at Bama starting with the first practice on March 21 (see schedule on my last blog post).  There are several questions to be answered this spring.  I will be posting regularly with updates as things unfold.

Recruiting is definitely a year-around activity and recruiting the class of 2012 will be no different.  So far, Alabama has landed verbal commitments from 10 top prep prospects out of the states of Alabama, Georgia and Florida.  Here is a list of the 10 commitments Alabama has as of March 8, 2011:

February 21, 2011

Spring Practice and A-Day Dates Set
By Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Now that National Signing Day for the 2011 class is over, the coaching staff at Alabama turns their focus on the 2012 recruiting class, off season conditioning, and the upcoming spring practices.

The practice schedule for spring drills has been released.  The first practice is March 21. The team gets 15 practices including the A-day game, which will be held April 16.  We will keep you updated on spring practices and more on the A-day game as it approaches.

The schedule for practices is as follows:
Practice #1     March 21
Practice #2     March 23
Practice #3     March 25
Practice #4     March 26
Practice #5     March 28
Practice #6     March 30
Practice #7     April 1
Practice #8     April 2
Practice #9     April 4
Practice #10   April 6
Practice #11   April 8
Practice #12   April 9
Practice #13   April 12
Practice #14   April 14
A-Day              April 16

February 14, 2011

Bama Players Make Phil Steele’s 2010 Postseason Teams
By Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

I want to look back and give a list of the Alabama players that made Phil Steele’s 2010 postseason teams.  A total of 17 players from the 2010 squad received the honor of being named to a postseason team.  There are 9 defensive players named and all of but one of those, DE Marcell Dareus, will return for the 2011 season. There are 8 players named on the offensive side of the ball which includes 2 special teams honors. Alabama landed 3 freshmen on the All-Freshman teams.  We are losing 4 great players from these teams to the NFL, but the 2011 season looks very good for the Tide. The following is a list of the players along with which team they were named to:

Mark Barron (DB, JR, PS# 17) – 1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC

Julio Jones* (WR, JR, PS# 1) – 3rd Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC

Marcell Dareus* (DE, JR, PS# 154) – 1st Team All-SEC

Barrett Jones (OG, SO, PS# 16) – 1st Team All-SEC

James Carpenter* (OT, SR, PS# 56JC) – 2nd Team All-SEC

Mark Ingram* (RB, JR, PS# 66) – 2nd Team All-SEC

Robert Lester (S, SO, PS# 110) – 2nd Team All-SEC

William Vlachos (C, JR, PS# 67) – 3rd Team All-SEC

Dont’a Hightower (LB, SO, PS# 53) – 3rd Team All-SEC

Trent Richardson (KR, SO, PS# 2) – 3rd Team All-SEC

Marquis Maze (PR, JR, PS# 40) – 4th Team All-SEC

Josh Chapman (DT, JR, PS# 75) – 4th Team All-SEC

Courtney Upshaw (LB, JR, PS# 48) – 4th Team All-SEC

Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, SO, PS# 2) – 4th Team All-SEC

Dee Milliner (DB, FR, PS# 4) – 1st Team All-Freshman Team

CJ Mosley (LB, FR, PS# 15) – 2nd Team All-Freshman Team

DJ Fluker (OL, rFR, PS# 2) – 3rd Team All-Freshman Team

*Will enter NFL draft

February 9, 2011

Which Bama Coach Recruited Who?
By Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

Alabama landed another top recruiting class for 2011.  As Nick Saban addressed in his National Signing Day press conference, it takes a lot of people working together to do a great recruiting job.  The entire Alabama staff and administration are involved when trying to recruit a top-tier football player.  We wanted to give specific credit to four of the assistant coaches that gave special effort and were successful in bringing in this stellar recruiting class.  Listed below is the coach along with the players that he recruited:

Coach Jim McElwain – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
NAME                            POS       HT          WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL           
Demetrius Hart                RB        5-9         185         Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix         DB        6-1         203         Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Aaron Douglas                 OL         6-7         285         Maryville, Tenn./Maryville
Jesse Williams                  DL         6-4         330         Brisbane, Australia/West AZ JUCO
Phillip Ely                         QB         6-1         186         Tampa, Fla./Plant
Isaac Luatua                    OL         6-2         299         La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada

Coach Jeremy Pruitt – Secondary
NAME                           POS        HT         WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Brent Calloway               RB          6-2        217         Russellville, Ala./Russellville
D.J. Pettway                   DL          6-2        272         Pensacola, Fla./Pensacola Catholic
Malcolm Faciane             TE          6-5        259         Picayune, Miss./Picayune Memorial
Danny Woodson             WR         6-1        205         Mobile, Ala./LeFlore
Marvin Shinn                  WR        6-3         193         Prichard, Ala./Vigor

Coach Sal Sunseri – Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers
NAME                          POS       HT         WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Cyrus Kouandjio            OL         6-6        322         Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha
Trey DePriest                LB          6-2        232         Springfield, Ohio/Springfield
Jeoffrey Pagan               DL         6-4        272         Asheville, N.C./Asheville
Ryan Kelly                     OL         6-5        281         West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West
Christion Jones              DB         5-11      175         Adamsville, Ala./Minor
Quinton Dial                  DL         6-6        315         Pinson, Ala./Clay-Chalkville
Vinnie Sunseri               LB         6-0        215         Tuscaloosa, Ala./Northridge

Coach Kirby Smart – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
NAME                            POS       HT        WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Xzavier Dickson               OLB      6-3        240         Griffin, Ga./Griffin
LaMichael Fanning           DL        6-7        275         Hamilton, Ga./Harris County
Bradley Sylve                  WR       5-11      170         Port Sulphur, La./South Palquemines
Jabriel Washington          DB        5-11      165         Jackson, Tenn./Trinity Christian Academy

February 6, 2011

Update: OT Cyrus Kouandjio Signs With Bama
By Brent Thomas
Email: BrentBlog.11@gmail.com

The wait is over.  Yesterday, Alabama received the signed Letter of Intent (LOI) from the top lineman in the country, Cyrus Kouandjio, out of the state of Maryland. 

Kouandjio stunned many fans on National Signing Day by announcing on ESPNU that he was going to Auburn University. However, after that announcement, he immediately had doubts and never signed the LOI to play with Auburn. He decided to take some time to think about his decision and discuss it further with his family.  His brother, Arie, is currently a lineman for the Crimson Tide.  So for the last few days, everyone in the Alabama and Auburn staff, team and fan base, along with most of the college football world, were very interested to see what school Cyrus would decide to play for. 

The wait ended yesterday and Cyrus will roll with the Tide!  He is a great pick-up for the Tide.  Landing the 5-star, #1 ranked lineman in the country only adds tremendous value to an already top recruiting class by Coach Nick Saban and his staff.  Alabama needs a left tackle since the slot will be open this fall because of the graduation of Phil Steele 2nd team All-SEC OT James Carpenter.  By the way, that is the only slot that Alabama does not have a returning starter on the offensive line.  The offensive line for Alabama is looking very solid for the next couple of years.

The following is the press release about the signing of Cyrus Kouandjio from UA Athletic Media Relations and rolltide.com:

Feb. 5, 2011

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama announced the addition of the nation's top offensive lineman, Cyrus Kouandjio, to the Crimson Tide's 2011 signing class Saturday evening.

Kouandjio brings UA's 2011 recruiting class to 24 total student-athletes, including nine players who enrolled in January for classes at the Capstone and will participate in spring drills. The Tide's signing class comes from 10 states - Alabama (7), Florida (4), Georgia (3), Ohio (2), Tennessee (2), Maryland (1), California (1), Louisiana (1), North Carolina (1) and Mississippi (1). The Crimson Tide also went outside the United States to land defensive lineman Jesse Williams from Brisbane, Australia.

Listed by position, UA added six defensive linemen, four offensive linemen, four wide receivers, three defensive backs, three linebackers, two running backs, one tight end and one quarterback. Below is a biography of the Crimson Tide's latest addition.

Cyrus Kouandjio
OL, 6-6, 322, Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha

Cyrus Kouandjio is one of the elite prospect at any position in the 2011 signing class ... the younger brother of 2010 Alabama freshman Arie ... the consensus top offensive line prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, ESPNU, Scout.com, SuperPrep and Tom Lemming ... the No. 2 overall player nationally by Scout.com and SuperPrep Magazine ... No. 3 prospect in the ESPNU 150 and third nationally by Tom Lemming at MaxPreps ... Rivals.com ranked Kouandjio as the No. 4 player in the country ... an overpowering run blocker with excellent athleticism ... tremendous overall speed and quickness for a player his size ... started at left tackle in the Under Armour All-American Game ... SuperPrep All-American and the No. 1 player in the MidAtlantic Region ... SuperPrep MidAtlantic Offensive Player of the Year ... a consensus first-team All-State selection in Maryland ... held over 60 scholarship offers ... chose the Crimson Tide over virtually every major college football program.

February 6, 2011

Alabama Blog Intro and Recruiting
By Brent Thomas

Hello, Crimson Tide fans!  Let’s get this Alabama Crimson Tide blog going again!  Phil Steele and the Crimson Tide is a great combination.  I am excited for the opportunity to blog for the Alabama team page on PhilSteele.com! 

A brief blurb about me:  My name is Brent.  I have been an Alabama fan my entire life.  I have been a Phil Steele magazine and PhilSteele.com fan for several years.  I played quarterback my whole football career. I was recruited in high school by Alabama beginning with Coach Dave Rader my freshmen year.  After I strained my rotator cuff my senior season, most schools stopped recruiting me but did tell me that if I went to junior college that they would keep an eye on me.  So after I played one season at Southwest Mississippi Junior College, I was invited to walk-on at Alabama. I walked on in the spring of 1989 along with current Clemson head coach and former Alabama wide receiver and coach, Dabo Swinney.  It was a great experience.  I love Alabama football and have kept up with the team and former players.  I currently help with recruiting coverage for Crimson Nation Illustrated and CrimsonBloodline.net.   I am really looking forward to blogging about Alabama football here on PhilSteele.com.

For comments and/or questions, please email me at BrentBlog.11@gmail.com. Thanks!

National Signing Day was Wednesday, February 2, 2011.  I decided to start off by posting information about the recruiting class of 2011.  As most of you know, highly coveted offensive tackle from Maryland, Cyrus Kouandjio, first verbally committed to Auburn on Wednesday, but never signed his National Letter Of Intent.  As of the writing of this blog post, he still has not decided if he will stick with his choice of Auburn or join the Crimson Tide.  I will post an update on Cyrus as soon as there is announcement about his decision.

For today’s post, I’ve decided to use this article from the recruiting class article on CrimsonNation.net and CrimsonBloodline.net with contributions from the University of Alabama Athletic Media Relations Office:

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban announced the signing of 14 student athletes that will join the Crimson Tide in 2011. The signees are in addition to the nine that enrolled early in January putting the total to 23.

The following are bio thumbnails on the 2011 signees along some signing day notes and quotes from the UA Athletic Media Relations office.

Among the 23 players are:

Five-Star
Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix (Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Trey DePriest (Scout.com)
Demetrius Hart (Rivals.com)

Four-Star
Brent Calloway (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Ronald Carswell (Scout.com – 2010)
Quinton Dial (Rivals.com)
Xzavier Dickson (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Aaron Douglas (Rivals.com)
Malcolm Faciane (ESPNU, Rivals.com)
LaMichael Fanning (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Christion Jones (ESPNU, Rivals.com)
Ryan Kelly (Scout.com)
Jeoffrey Pagan (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
D.J. Pettway (ESPNU, Rivals.com)
Marvin Shinn (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Vinnie Sunseri (ESPNU)
Bradley Sylve (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)
Jabriel Washington (ESPNU, Scout.com)
Jesse Williams (Rivals.com)
Danny Woodson (ESPNU, Rivals.com, Scout.com)

2011 Alabama Football Signing Class

January Enrollees

NAME                                   POS        HT          WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Ronald Carswell                     WR         6-0          180         Macon, Ga./Westside
Trey DePriest                          LB           6-2         232         Springfield, Ohio/Springfield
Quinton Dial                           DL           6-6         315         Pinson, Ala./Clay-Chalkville
Aaron Douglas                        OL           6-7         285         Maryville, Tenn./Maryville
Phillip Ely                               QB          6-1          186         Tampa, Fla./Plant
Demetrius Hart                 RB           5-9          185         Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Wilson Love                     DL           6-3          275         Mountain Brook, Ala./Mountain Brook
Vinnie Sunseri                  LB           6-0          215         Tuscaloosa, Ala./Northridge
Jesse Williams                  DL           6-4          330         Brisbane, Australia/West AZ JUCO

February Signees

NAME                                   POS        HT          WT         HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Brent Calloway                      RB           6-2          217         Russellville, Ala./Russellville
Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix             DB          6-1          203         Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Xzavier Dickson                    OLB        6-3          240         Griffin, Ga./Griffin
Malcolm Faciane                   TE           6-5          259         Picayune, Miss./Picayune Memorial
LaMichael Fanning                DL           6-7          275         Hamilton, Ga./Harris County
Christion Jones                      DB          5-11       175         Adamsville, Ala./Minor
Ryan Kelly                             OL           6-5          281         West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West
Isaac Luatua                           OL           6-2          299         La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada
Jeoffrey Pagan                       DL           6-4          272         Asheville, N.C./Asheville
D.J. Pettway                           DL           6-2          272         Pensacola, Fla./Pensacola Catholic
Marvin Shinn                         WR         6-3          193         Prichard, Ala./Vigor
Bradley Sylve                         WR         5-11       170         Port Sulphur, La./South Palquemines
Jabriel Washington                 DB          5-11       165         Jackson, Tenn./Trinity Christian Academy
Danny Woodson                    WR         6-1          205         Mobile, Ala./LeFlore

2011 Alabama Signing Day Bios

Brent Calloway
RB, 6-2, 217, Russellville, Ala./Russellville

Brent Calloway comes to the Capstone as one of the nation’s most explosive and versatile athletes … a consensus four-star prospect who joins the Crimson Tide as a running back after an outstanding senior season that saw him run for 1,974 yards and 29 touchdown … participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … the No. 1 prospect in the state according to Rivals.com and the nation’s No. 38 overall prospect … No. 140 in the ESPNU 150 and No. 4 on the Birmingham News Super Senior list … Rivals.com ranks Calloway as the nation’s No. 5 outside linebacker while Scout.com has him at No. 7 … ESPNU lists him 23rd as an athlete … 2010 ASWA Super 12 selection … Tom Lemming’s No. 3 outside linebacker and No. 81 overall prospect nationally … No. 2 athlete nationally, No. 47 overall prospect and an All-American by SuperPrep … ranked as the No. 2 player in Alabama by SuperPrep … No. 22 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 and No. 1 on the newspaper’s Elite 18 … had nine tackles at linebacker in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game … two-time first-team ASWA 5A All-State choice and was the 2010 5A Back of the Year … rushed for more than 1,600 yards as a junior with 32 touchdowns … also recorded more than 100 tackles on defense with 22 sacks … as a sophomore in 2008, Calloway carried the ball 236 times for 1,460 yards with 23 scores while making 25 tackles and two sacks on defense … chose the Crimson Tide over Auburn, Southern California, Tennessee, LSU and Mississippi State.

Ronald Carswell
WR, 6-0, 180, Macon, Ga./Westside

Ronald Carswell is a speedy and versatile wide receiver prospect out of Georgia in the 2010 signing class … comes to the Capstone as a four-star prospect by Scout.com and the nation’s No. 38 wide receiver prospect in 2010 … started classes at the University of Alabama in January of 2010 and will participate in spring drills …ranked as the No. 65 wide out by ESPNU and the No. 71 wide receiver by Rivals.com … listed as the No. 48 player in the state of Georgia by Rivals.com and the No. 35 player in the state by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … a AAAA All-State selection by the AJC …listed at No. 28 among Alabama players by SuperPrep Magazine … caught 41 passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior at Westside High School –  the same high school as former Tide cornerback Kareem Jackson … hauled in 34 receptions for 627 yards and three scores in 2008 while compiling 33 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006 … chose Alabama over Georgia, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.

Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix
DB, 6-1, 203, Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips

Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix comes to the Capstone as one of the nation’s elite safeties and most heralded recruits … the No. 1 safety in the nation according to Rivals.com and Scout.com and tagged the No. 2 safety by ESPNU … a five-star recruit with tremendous athletic ability and ideal size for his position … No. 7 in the Rivals 100 and Scout 100 while ranking 19th in the ESPNU 150 … 2011 Under Armour All-American … top-ranked player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com … SuperPrep Magazine All-American and the publication’s No. 6 player in the nation and No. 1 player in the state of Florida … No. 2 in both the Orlando Sentinel’s 2011 Central Florida Super 60 the Sentinel’s Florida Top 100… No. 3 in the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … first-team All-Southern selection by the Orlando Sentinel … No. 54 player nationally by Tom Lemming … recorded 112 tackles as a senior in 2010 with four forced fumbles, two interceptions, six sacks and eight pass breakups while recording 10 tackles for loss … on offense rushed the ball 23 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per carry … caught five passes for 156 yards for a team-best 31.2 yards per catch average while returning eight punts for 199 yards (24.9 ypr) and 11 kickoffs for 291 yards (26.5 ypr) … as a junior in 2010, Clinton-Dix recorded 93 tackles with six sacks, 13 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and three interceptions while causing three fumbles … averaged 20.3 yards per punt return and 74.5 yards on two kickoff returns with one touchdown … chose Alabama over Florida, Florida State, Southern California, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Trey DePriest
LB, 6-2, 232, Springfield, Ohio/Springfield

Trey DePriest is one of two Crimson Tide signees out of Ohio … a five-start prospect by Scout.com and that publication’s No. 1 middle linebacker and No. 6 overall player nationally … a versatile player with outstanding strength and speed … started classes at the University of Alabama in January of 2010 and will participate in spring drills … No. 38 in the ESPNU 150 and the nation’s No. 2 outside linebacker by ESPNU … ranks 97th in the Rivals 100 and is listed as the No. 5 player in Ohio and the No. 7 outside linebacker nationally … a 2011 Under Armour All-American … SuperPrep Magazine All-American and the publication’s No. 8 player in the state of Ohio and the No. 45 player nationally … No. 54 player nationally by Tom Lemming …  the Ohio Division-I Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 after finishing his senior season with 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks …  recorded 101 tackles as a junior in 2009 with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss while recovering three fumbles … also rushed for 812 yards and caught 13 passes for 202 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns … also handled the punting duties at Springfield, averaging 37.7 yards … 2009 and 2010 All-Area Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-State selection … chose Alabama over Ohio State, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

Quinton Dial
DL, 6-6, 315, Pinson, Ala./East Mississippi CC/Clay-Chalkville

Quinton Dial is an imposing presence along the defensive line the originally signed with the Crimson Tide out of Clay-Chalkville in 2009 … enrolled at east Mississippi Community College where he was a two-year standout at nose guard … started classes at the University of Alabama in January of 2010 and will participate in spring drills … No. 9 in the SuperPrep JUCO 100 … a four-star prospect who is ranked 15th in the Rivals.com 2011 JUCO Top 50 … made 76 total stops for EMCC in 2010 with 3.5 sacks. … played in 12 games as a freshman at EMCC and made 24 tackles with three sacks … a member of the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Super 12 team and a first-team All-State selection by the ASWA out of high school in 2008 … was the 2008 ASWA’s 6A Defensive Lineman of the Year … also garnered second-team All-State honors from the Birmingham News … ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s 33rd ranked defensive tackle … was No. 12 on Rivals.com Alabama Postseason Top 40 … ranked as the 28th defensive tackle nationally by ESPNU and 49th by Scout.com …rated No. 11 on The Birmingham News Super Senior list … on the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team … a member of the Scout.com Southeast 150 … on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and No. 10 on the Press-Register’s Elite 18 … made 87 tackles with eight sacks as a senior … had 61 tackles as a junior in 2007 with seven tackles for loss, four sacks and four fumble recoveries … coached by Brent Smith … chose Alabama over Florida, Auburn and Clemson.

Xzavier Dickson
OLB, 6-3, 240, Griffin, Ga./Griffin

Xzavier Dickson gives the Crimson Tide a talented defensive end prospect who can play the run and rush the passer with equal prowess … No. 22 in the ESPNU 150 and the No. 48 in the Rivals 100 … ESPNU and Rivals.com ranks Dickson as the No. 4 defensive end prospect in the 2011 recruiting class … a consensus four-star prospect … Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 10 player in the state of Georgia … No. 8 defensive end nationally by Tom Lemming and the No. 86 player nationally … SuperPrep Magazine All-American and the publication’s No. 12 player in the state of Georgia … ranks 80th in the Scout 100 … 2009 and 2010 first-team AAAA All-State selection … No. 33 in the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … made six tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Under Armour All-American Game … as a senior in 2010, Dickson recorded 19 sacks and 25 total tackles for loss … had 20 quarterback hurries while fighting off double teams most of the season … earned defensive All-Area Player of the Year honors … finished his junior season in 2009 with 94 tackles, 14 sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown … had 10 receptions for 200 yards on offense … chose Alabama over Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, South Carolina and Notre Dame.

Aaron Douglas
OL, 6-7, 285, Maryville, Tenn./Western Arizaon CC/Tennessee/Maryville

Aaron Douglas comes to the Capstone as one of the top offensive linemen from the junior college ranks … a four-star offensive tackle who earned Freshman All-America honors as a freshman at the University of Tennessee in 2009 … moved on to Western Arizona Community College in 2010 and earned NJCAA All-America recognition … enrolled for the spring semester at Alabama and will participate in spring practice … ranked No. 10 in the Rivals.com 2011 JUCO Top 50 … started 10 games at tackle and saw action in 13 contests as a redshirt freshman in 2009 at Tennessee after making the move from tight end … was named the SEC offensive lineman of the Week following the Vols win over Memphis … earned Freshman All-SEC from league coaches … father, David, was an offensive linemen for UT in the mid-1980s while his mother, Karla, started three seasons for the Lady Vols basketball team and contributed to head coach Pat Summitt’s first national title team … twice named Class 4A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year in Tennessee at Maryville High School … PrepStar Top 135 Dream Team … named to the TSWA All-State team in 2006 and 2007 named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 team … 2007 All-Southern team … No. 1 prospect on Knoxville News Sentinel Top 25 … Street and Smith Top 50 All-America … Tennessee Region 3 Lineman of the Year … totaled 44 catches for 740 yards receiving and four touchdowns as a tight end in 2007 … made 26 grabs for 454 yards and three scores in 2006 … caught 20 passes for 241 yards as a sophomore … helped Maryville to a 60-0 record with four consecutive Class 4A state championships … played in the East/West All-State Game … coached by George Quarles … chose Alabama over Arkansas, Oregon and Southern California.

Phillip Ely
QB, 6-1, 186, Tampa, Fla./Plant

Phillip Ely is the Crimson Tide’s lone quarterback commitment in the 2011 signing class … U.S. Army All-American … ranked as the No. 20 pro-style quarterback prospect by Rivals.com and the No. 48 player in the state of Florida … No. 40 quarterback by ESPNU and the No. 41 QB by Scout.com … ranked 69th player in Florida by SuperPrep Magazine … No. 107 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … No. 77 on the Orlando Sentinel Top 100 players in Florida … threw for 2,731 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2010 for Plant High School while completing 64.3 percent of his passes and leading his team to the state championship game … As a junior in 2010, he led Plant to the Florida 5A State title while throwing for 1,860 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning 5A honorable mention All-State honors … also led his team to a state championship as a sophomore in 2008 … chose Alabama over LSU, Clemson, Mississippi, Wake Forest and Rutgers.

Malcolm Faciane
TE, 6-5, 259, Picayune, Miss./Picayune Memorial

Malcolm Faciane is a talented tight end prospect out of Mississippi with impressive size, good hands and deceptive speed … could help the Tide at either tight end position … No. 82 in the ESPNU 150 and ranks as the service’s No. 4 tight end nationally … a four-star prospect who is the No. 7 player in Mississippi according to Rivals.com and the No. 16 tight end … SuperPrep Magazine All-American and the No. 7 player in the state of Mississippi … No. 97 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … also listed as the No. 22 tight end nationally by Scout.com … suffered a season-ending knee injury in October of 2010 … named to the 2010 Dandy Dozen by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger … second-team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Coaches … first-team from Mississippi on the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern team … caught seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown as a junior in 2009 … an impressive all-around athlete, Faciane also excels at tennis, swimming, basketball and track … picked Alabama over Mississippi, Stanford, Southern Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

LaMichael Fanning
DL, 6-7, 275, Hamilton, Ga./Harris County

LaMichael Fanning is an outstanding athlete out of Georgia who will bolster the Crimson Tide’s defensive front … a four-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 14 defensive end by ESPNU … ranked as the No. 25 defensive end nationally by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … the No. 21 player in Georgia by Rivals and No. 22 by SuperPrep Magazine … the nation’s No. 20 defensive tackle by Tom Lemming … Fanning chose Alabama over Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas Tech.

Demetrius Hart
RB, 5-9, 185, Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips

Demetrius Hart enrolled at Alabama in January with plans on pushing for playing time as a freshman in 2011 … one of the top running back prospects in the nation and high school teammates with fellow signee Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix … a five-star prospect by Rivals.com who is also listed as the nation’s top all-purpose back … is both a gifted runner and receiver … No. 19 in the Rivals 100 and the No. 6 player in the state of Florida … the No. 8 running back nationally by ESPNU and Scout.com … No. 79 in the ESPNU 150 and No. 63 in the Scout 100 … No. 12 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … was selected as the MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after rushing for 100 yards in the game … also named the U.S. Army National Player of the Year while setting 23 school records at Dr. Phillips High School … finished as the school’s leader in rushing yards (4,151), 100-yard rushing games (18), 200-yard rushing games (four), points scored (518), total touchdowns (88) and all-purpose yards (7,405) … rushed for 2,224 yards on 253 carries as a senior in 2010 … averaged 8.8 yards per carry and scored 41 rushing touchdowns and 50 total touchdowns with seven receiving and two on returns … caught 31 passes in 2010 for 563 yards and totaled 3,394 all-purpose yards … Hart has been named to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team, selected as the Class 6A State Player of the Year, runner-up for Mr. Football in Florida, All-Central Florida Offensive Player of the Year, Orange County Offensive Player of the Year, District Player of the Year … as a junior in 2009, Hart rushed for 827 yards on 104 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns while catching 20 passes for 236 yards and three scores … chose Alabama over Michigan, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State and Georgia.

Christion Jones
DB, 5-11, 175, Adamsville, Ala./Minor

Christion Jones is a four-star defensive back out of Minor High School … one of the state’s top athletes … the No. 10 cornerback nationally by ESPNU … the No. 8 player in Alabama by Rivals.com and the publication’s No. 18 safety … a two-time first-team 6A Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State selection … ranked as the No. 29 cornerback nationally by Scout.com … the No. 12 player in Alabama by SuperPrep Magazine … Rivals.com ranks him fifth among defensive back nationally in ball skills … No. 7 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Elite 18 and No. 87 on the Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … a versatile athlete who ran for 1,010 yards and 19 total touchdowns as a senior with two kickoff returns for scores while making 57 tackles and intercepting four passes in 2010 … as a junior in 2009 recorded 65 tackles with seven interceptions and scored seven touchdowns … chose Alabama over offers from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Iowa, UCLA and Texas A&M.

Ryan Kelly
OL, 6-5, 281, West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West

Ryan Kelly is one of the country’s most versatile offensive line prospects with impressive strength and athleticism who can possibly play all five positions … a consensus four-star prospect and a big pickup for the Crimson Tide out of the state of Ohio … was selected as an Under Armour All-American, but unable to play in the game coming off of a knee injury … ranked the nation’s No. 2 center by Scout.com … ESPNU lists Kelly as the No. 4 center in the country while Rivals.com has Kelly ranked sixth at center and the No. 15 overall prospect in the state of  Ohio … suffered a torn ACL in 2010, which forced him to miss time, but was still named third-team Division I All-Ohio … was a first-team all-conference and all-city selection on the offensive line as a junior in 2009 … SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 42 player in Ohio … selected Alabama over offers from Arizona, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina State and Tennessee.

Wilson Love
DL, 6-3, 275, Mountain Brook, Ala./Mountain Brook

Wilson Love is a jumbo athlete who follows his brother, Tyler, to the Capstone … a three-star defensive lineman who is ranked as the No. 34 defensive tackle by ESPNU in the class of 2010 … the No. 42 strongside defensive end prospect by Rivals.com and the No. 30 player in the state of Alabama in the 2010 rankings … the No. 25 player in Alabama by SuperPrep Magazine and No. 22 by Scout.com … rated 15th in the Birmingham News’ 2010 Super Senior rankings … No. 22 in the Tuscaloosa News Top 50 Players in Alabama … made 94 tackles while recording 12 sacks and four forced fumbles and making three fumble recoveries as a senior at Mountain Brook for head coach Chris Yeager … registered 112 tackles as a junior in 2008 … a first-team All-Metro selection and a honorable mention All-State choice … chose Alabama over Auburn, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Duke and Stanford.

Isaac Luatua
OL, 6-2, 299, La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada

Isaac Luatua is an explosive offensive line prospect out of La Mirada, Calif. … a powerful-run blocker who is ranked as both a center and guard by recruiting publications … Rivals.com lists Luatua as a center and has him 10th nationally while both ESPNU and Scout.com ranks him as the No. 18 offensive guard nationally … participated in the All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., following his senior season … the No. 35 player in California by SuperPrep Magazine … the first-team All-State selection by Sectionsports.com while also being represented on the Sectionsports.com All-Southern team … … SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 45 player in the state of California … chose Alabama over offers from Arkansas, UCLA, Boston College, Connecticut, Minnesota, Syracuse, Washington State and Tennessee.

Jeoffrey Pagan
DL, 6-4, 272, Asheville, N.C./Asheville

Jeoffrey Pagan is one of the elite defensive line prospects in the nation … a versatile athlete who comes to the Capstone as a consensus four-star prospect … played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Shrine Bowl … the nation’s No. 4 defensive end prospect according to Rivals.com and a member of the Rivals 100 at No. 42 … Rivals.com lists Pagan as the No. 3 player in North Carolina … ESPNU has him listed as the No. 2 player in North Carolina and the No. 8 defensive end nationally … is No. 53 in the ESPNU 150 … Scout.com lists Pagan as the country’s No. 16 defensive end … Tom Lemming of MaxPrep’s ranks him as the No. 4 defensive end in the country, a five-star prospect the No. 36 overall recruit … SuperPrep All-American and the publication’s No. 16 defensive line prospect … listed as the No. 3 player in North Carolina by SuperPrep … missed a portion of his senior season with two torn ligaments in his right knee which required surgery but still finished with 35 tackles and 16 quarterback hurries … recorded 54 solo tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2009 as a junior while also recording two interceptions and two forced fumbles … his final decision came down to Georgia and Alabama … also received offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, South Carolina, USC and Virginia Tech.

D.J. Pettway
DL, 6-2, 272, Pensacola, Fla./Pensacola Catholic

D.J. Pettway is a versatile defensive lineman with excellent size, strength and quickness … the four-star prospect is ranked as the No. 13 strongside defensive end nationally by Rivals.com and the site’s No. 145 player overall … Rivals.com lists him as the No. 25 overall player in Florida … ESPNU has Pettway as the No. 21 defensive end in the 2011 class while Scout.com ranks him 23rd … participated in the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl where he was selected as the No. 3 prospect  … No. 57 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … No. 96 on the Orlando Sentinel’s Florida Top 100 … No. 34 player in Florida by SuperPrep Magazine … registered 78 tackles and four sacks as a senior in 2010 … made 85 stops and 16 sacks as a junior in 2009 while also forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble … a second-team All-State choice on the defensive line in the 2B classification in 2009 … also a first-team All-Area choice by the Pensacola News Journal … chose Alabama over Florida State, Florida, Miami, Clemson and Southern California.

Marvin Shinn
WR, 6-3, 193, Prichard, Ala./Vigor

Marvin Shinn was one of the top wide receiver targets for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 recruiting class … Alabama’s first commitment for the class of 2011 … a big and physical wide receiver with terrific measurable and great ball skills … an Under Armour All-American … a consensus four-star prospect … No. 78 in the final Rivals 100 and the site’s No. 10 wide receiver and the No. 4 player in the state of Alabama … No. 75 in the ESPNU 150 while ranking 14th among wide receivers … ranks 17th among receivers by Scout.com … No. 29 in the Mobile-Press Register’s Super Southeast 120 and No. 3 on the newspaper’s Elite 18 … Tom Lemming’s No. 17 wide receiver … a SuperPrep All-American and the publication’s No. 5 player in Alabama … SuperPrep’s No. 13 wide receiver …  two-time 5A ASWA First-Team All-State selection … caught 50 passes for 782 yards nine receiving touchdowns in 2010 … had over 900 yards of total offense and 17 touchdowns as a junior in 2009 … made 46 catches for 872 yards for a 19.0 yards per catch average while scoring 17 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2008 … chose Alabama over offers from LSU, Auburn, California, Florida State and Texas Tech.

Vinnie Sunseri
LB, 6-0, 215, Tuscaloosa, Ala./Northridge

Vinnie Sunseri is the son of Alabama linebacker coach Sal Sunseri … has shown the instincts and play-making ability to be an impact player in Tuscaloosa … enrolled for the spring semester at Alabama and will participate in spring practice … ESPNU ranks Sunseri as the No. 18 outside linebacker prospect nationally and a four-star prospect … the No. 28 middle linebacker by Scout.com … selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game … also named the biggest surprise at the Under Armour All-American Game … SuperPrep All-American and the publication’s No. 10 linebacker nationally … SuperPrep’s No. 7 prospect in Alabama … … first-team on the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern Team … the 2009 Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year in North Carolina and the 2010 Class 6A ASWA Defensive Player of the Year in Alabama and Lineman of the Year … recorded 144 stops for Northridge High School (Tuscaloosa) as a senior … No. 18 on the Mobile-Press Register’s Elite 18 … first-team 2010 ASWA All-State selection while adding 19 tackles for loss, three interceptions, four fumble recoveries and two touchdowns … 2010 ASWA Super 12 selection … made 107 tackles as a junior at Marvin Ridge High School (Waxhaw, N.C.) with 15 tackles for loss, two sacks and five interceptions while also rushing for 305 yards and three touchdowns … chose Alabama over offers from Louisville and Pittsburgh.

Bradley Sylve
WR, 5-11, 170, Port Sulphur, La./South Palquemines

Bradley Sylve is one of the biggest playmakers in the 2011 class … a versatile, explosive and fast athlete who could contribute at both wide receiver and in the return game … an Under Armour All-American … had a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Under Armour All-American Game where he was selected as the fast player at the game … a consensus four-star prospect … ranks as the No. 41 player nationally in the ESPNU 150 and No. 122 in the Rivals 250 … the nation’s No. 5 wide receiver by ESPNU and the No. 14 wide out by Rivals.com … the No. 10 player in Louisiana by Rivals.com … SuperPrep Magazine All-America and the publication’s No. 14 receiver … named the No. 8 player in Louisiana by SuperPrep … ranks 61st in the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … Tom Lemming’s No. 24 wide receiver … won Louisiana state titles in the 100 and 200 meters … was a wide receiver for the first five games of the 2010 season before moving to quarterback and leading South Plaquemines to a state runner-up finish … rushed for 1,200 yards and threw for over 500 yards in the final five games of the 2010 season while earning 1A All-State honors as a defensive back … missed most of the 2009 season due to injury … had 1,174 yards receiving while helping his team win the 2008 state championship … chose the Crimson Tide over LSU, Southern California, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Stanford and Nebraska.

Jabriel Washington
DB, 5-11, 165, Jackson, Tenn./Trinity Christian Academy

Jabriel Washington comes to the Capstone as an electric athlete and a four-star prospect … ranked as the No. 19 cornerback in the class of 2011 by Scout.com … listed as an athlete by Rivals.com and ESPNU and ranked20th and 29th, respectively … the No. 3 prospect in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com … 109th on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … honorable mention on the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern team … the No. 2 prospect in Tennessee by SuperPrep … threw for 2,635 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior while rushing for 1,006 yards and 17 scores … on defense in 2010 had a team-high 111 tackles, six interceptions for 127 return yards, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble … also returned eight punts for 245 yards for a 30.6 yards per return average … completed 88-of-155 passes as a junior in 2009 for 1,255 yards and 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions … also rushed for 867 yards while recording 83 tackles with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries … had 114 tackles and seven interceptions as a sophomore in 2008 with 11 rushing touchdowns and 17 passing … had over 30 scholarship offers … chose Alabama over LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Jesse Williams
DL, 6-4, 330, Brisbane, Australia/Western Arizona CC/Cavendish Road

Jesse Williams joins the Crimson Tide after anchoring the defensive front at Western Arizona Community College the past two seasons … enrolled for the spring semester at Alabama and will participate in spring practice … the 6-4, 330-pound defensive lineman, who hails from Brisbane, Australia … is the No. 2 player in the Rivals.com 2011 JUCO Top 50 … No. 10 in the SuperPrep JUCO 100 … the four-star prospect made 30 tackles in just seven games in 2010 with six tackles for loss (-29 yards) and two sacks (-12 yards) … led a defensive line that allowed just 48.64 rushing yards per game to rank second in the NJCAA … also deflected two passes and recorded one interception as a sophomore … as a freshman in 2009, Williams registered 46 tackles in 11 games with seven tackles for loss and four sacks … a two-time All-Region I selection and named to the All-Western States team at WACC … originally signed with Hawai’i in 2008 … grew up playing rugby and basketball in Australia before taking up football at the age of 14 … quickly took to the game while attending Cavendish Road State High School and playing for the Bayside Ravens and Queensland Sun Devils … chose the Crimson Tide over LSU, Oklahoma State, Southern California, Arkansas, Oregon State, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Danny Woodson Jr.
WR, 6-1, 205, Mobile, Ala./LeFlore

Danny Woodson Jr. is the son of former Crimson Tide quarterback, Danny Sr. (1990-91) … a U.S. Army All-American … a four-star prospect who is No. 137 in the ESPNU 150 and No. 222 in the Rivals250 … Rivals has him as the No. 6 player in the state … the No. 22 wide receiver nationally by ESPNU and the No. 25 wide out by Rivals.com … Scout.com lists Woodson as the nation’s No. 28 receiver … Tom Lemming ranks him as the No. 16 wide out nationally … SuperPrep All-American, the publication’s No. 27 receiver and No. 9 player in Alabama … honorable mention on the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern Team … No. 64 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 and No. 6 on the newspaper’s Elite 18 … two-time first-team 5A ASWA All-State selection … 2010 ASWA Super 12 choice … as a senior in 2010 hauled in more than 1,100 receiving yards … caught 78 receptions for 1,360 yards (17.4 ypc) and 25 touchdowns in 2009 … chose Alabama over offers from Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas Tech.

Along with signee quotes from Trey DePriest, Vinnie Sunseri and Jesse Williams

Head Coach Nick Saban

Opening Statement:

“First of all, everybody here should be able to write this story. I shouldn’t even have to give it. If Coach Bryant was up here 40 years ago, he would be saying the same thing, ‘I’m pleased with this year’s recruiting class; filled a lot of needs; got a lot of character; quality guys in this class. So did anybody need me to say that, or could you have just written it on your own. Doesn’t every coach say that after recruiting? Just like you never have a bad spring practice, you ever hear any coach say you had a bad spring ball.

There’s a lot that goes into a recruiting class, there’s a lot of people here at the University who do a fantastic job of helping us recruit. First of all, our assistant coaches do an unbelievable job. It’s a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of travel, a lot of missed family time – they certainly did an outstanding job this year. The people in the University community here from President Dr. Witt right on down to the University community, our deans, the administrative staff in our office here who set up the weekends. They do a great job in terms of academics, Jon Dever and his staff in academic support. We could just go on and on and on of how many people contribute to the success of having a good recruiting class. Our players do a good job of hosting and engaging with the players when they come here, making them feel part of our team, our family, when they come here. There are a lot of people responsible for all this. Our fans, who do a fantastic job of creating a lot of positive energy and attitude relative to their passion in terms of why players would want to come and play here because of the atmosphere and environment they create in terms of our games as well as the support throughout the state on the street as well as their positive attitude about the kind of program that we have here. I think all those things contribute to the success here at the University of Alabama.

The challenge for us as coaches is to help these players mature and develop in to all they can be. I’ve commented on this before, just because you pick the best puppy dog with the biggest feet that doesn’t mean he’s going to grow up to be the best hunting dog. A lot of these young players are very good. They are very talented. They’ve had great success as high school players but they are going to make a tremendous amount of improvement, almost as much as the time they were freshmen in high school to the time they are a senior in high school, they’re going to do the same thing in college. I think the challenge for us is to help these players develop so that they can have success not only on the field but in the classroom and to continue to develop personally, academically and athletically. We want to be able to shape these guys into people who can be more successful in life because they were involved in the program and they have a tremendous amount of success here personally, academically and athletically. That’s really the challenge, for us, as coaches and for these players to have the right attitude about what it takes for them to be successful as players, to be a complete player, to do the things they need to do at their position to be a complete player will obviously enhance how rapidly they do improve and develop into very good college football players.”

On this year being more unique signing four players from outside the SEC footprint:

“We look all over for players and try to get the best possible players on our board. I think recruiting to a larger degree is a little bit of a numbers game. We have an evaluation system. The more players we can get on our board that past our evaluation system, that meet the criteria for what we want for a position and have the athletic ability to meet those criteria, with the size and speed to meet the criteria, as well as the character and attitude we’re looking for in our players here, the more guys we get on the board the better we’ll do. Like in baseball if we’re going to bat .333 – 1-for-3 – so if we have 90 guys on the board then we’ll get 30 good players. If we have ten good players on the board, then we’re going to get three. That is kind of our approach. Sometimes we have really good players in our state. Sometimes there are a lot of really good players in a five hour radius, so we’ll obviously have less players from further away that we’ll have to look at in recruiting. Recruiting is so global now and I think we have a very recognizable program, so for us not to take advantage of players who live outside our five hour radius would not be in our best interest and I think that we got some very good players this year from far away.”

On how the numbers will work out with the incoming players:

“I think that there has been quite a bit written about over-signing so to speak, but we have never gotten rid of a player because of his physical ability. Any player that has left this program prematurely has created his own exit route. He’s created his own conditions for leaving, if that makes sense. Whether they are academic in terms of not doing what he needed to do academically, whether it is some violation of team or school policy, some of those things we are not allowed to talk about. We have so many seniors; we have some guys going out for the draft. Nobody really knows how many guys we had on scholarship last year, but it wasn’t 85. I can tell you that. We have some people that could not finish the season that will probably not be able to continue to play, that will be replaced and we have several players that can graduate and may not come back for their fifth year, who have been redshirted. When you add all those things up, plus guys we have that may not qualify, it is not fair to criticize the numbers. When you look at the numbers without knowing all the facts and internal information, I think that is a little premature and unfair. Then for people to go out and use that against you in recruiting is even more unfair. This is the number of players that we could take and we could add one or so to that if the opportunity presents itself in the future and we do have some guys that may greyshirt.

“Let me address that too, because I think there is a lot of criticism in greyshirting that is unfair. First of all, we have never greyshirted a guy here who when he decided to come here didn’t know the circumstances that we were going to take him at The University of Alabama. The reason is sometimes academic, the reason is sometimes physical development and maturity, but never has a player not known (they might be greyshirted.) We have never not done it upfront, so the player comes here with the idea that I’m going to start school in January. Now I don’t think that is a bad thing. If we were not able to do that, those players would never have the opportunity to come here. So we are actually creating an opportunity for a guy to come here, not taking one away. That is why I think there is some disconnect out there and understanding about what greyshirting is all about.”

On the signing of Brent Calloway after a brief commitment to Auburn University:

“He was committed to us for a year and he dismissed it for a while. That is all I can say about that. Then he came back and visited and decided he wanted to come back here. It is tough on these guys. It really is. I actually wish, if we want to make a commitment worth something, then when a guy commits people should stop recruiting them. In the Southeastern Conference when a guy commits, that just makes them a target. It isn’t like that everywhere in the country. It’s really not, but it is that way here, so we expect it. We are not really upset about it when it happens. We just try to manage it. We got a couple of guys too, so I’m not saying we’re squeaky clean because there are a couple of guys that we got that were committed to someone else, but they decommitted from those places and they were interested in Alabama. That is just the way people do business here in the Southeastern Conference. When I was in the Big Ten, we all had a gentleman’s agreement that if a player made a commitment we stopped recruiting them. If there was a guy committed somewhere and he called you, then we contacted the other school and told them, so they knew. That way everybody could manage their business better. It is hard to manage your numbers when all of the sudden they aren’t there anymore. You didn’t recruit anyone else because you thought they were coming. But we’re pleased to have Brent. We believe he is one of the best players in the state. He could certainly play on either side of the ball. He is going to start out at running back here. He had a tremendous amount of success there in high school. We’re excited to have him on our team.”

On what it took to get Jesse Williams:

“I’ll tell you what, I wanted to go on a home visit to see Jesse Williams’ family more than any player that we have ever recruited. When we looked at the logistics of getting there, it was a three day trip and I could never figure how to fit that in there. That was one where if I went, I think Miss Terry would have had to go with me because there was no way I was going on a recruiting trip for three days to see one family and he would not have even been there. I think it all started just because we had a good relationship with the family. They were in Australia. Great people, absolutely outstanding people. Jesse was in junior college here and a very good player that passed our evaluation, so we spent a lot of time getting to know them. Jesse is here in school now and he is doing very well and we’re very pleased and happy to have him. We think he is a guy with the possibility of helping us immediately and certainly looking forward to his development this spring. That was certainly one of the most interesting recruiting situations we’ve had. It is amazing though how many Australians are here in Alabama. I go out to do my radio show and on at least two occasions people said after he committed to us ‘I’m glad we got Jesse, because I’m from Australia too.’ So there are a few people down under in Tuscaloosa.”

On how a guy with good character such as Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix can positively affect the entire signing class:

“I think Ha Ha is a guy that was the top guy at his position. He committed early and never ever once wavered. I would be worried and call him and say ‘are you sure you’re ok?’ because people are hammering him for the last six months. It never fazed him. He always knew what he wanted to do and was anxious to try to help us recruit the best players that we could get and he was anxious to get here and get started and do everything he could do as a player. Their team went to the finals this year, so he got to play a lot of football. We actually practiced on their (Dr. Phillips High School) field for the bowl game, so he did watch us practice a few times even though we couldn’t have contact with him. I watched him practice when I was out recruiting and just his presence on the field and how he affected other players was something that really impressed me. The fact that you expect a guy like that to get a lot of attention in recruiting and he never got fazed by it speaks a lot to me about not really caring about the attention, just wanting to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. I think that is a special kind of person.”

On signees who have stood out in terms of leadership qualities:

“I think we have a lot of good players in this class. I think Trey (DePriest) and Vinnie (Sunseri) both, and maybe because they’re been here so they were involved on a couple of recruiting weekends, you’re talking about guys who are everything you could wish for if your children grew up to be like them. They have a lot of ability, they are hard workers, they are very committed but they’re very personable and caring for other people and can put somebody else ahead of themselves in terms of what they’re doing and what their commitment is. Those two guys have been very impressive to me as well.”

On the advantages of enrolling early:

“I think there are a couple of advantages even though I think there are probably some disadvantages too for them personally. No disadvantages for us as a team, but out of compassion for the player we never really encourage guys to come in mid-semester unless that’s what they choose to do. I think they have to be committed to that to make it work. They miss their senior year, if they play another sport they don’t get to play that, they don’t get to go the senior prom, there are a lot of things you never get to go back and do. When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait to get to high school, I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license, I couldn’t wait to get to college, I couldn’t wait to graduate, I couldn’t wait to get a job and now I wish I could go back in any kind of way and go back and experience some of those things again. We believe everybody should enjoy what’s happening now in their life, and they’ll have all these stations of life that they’ll have the opportunity to enjoy when the time comes. Saying all that, there are some advantages in terms of their academic and athletic career here at Alabama. First of all, it’s an easier transition for a guy to start in the winter and winter semester. You don’t have football season coming up for a long time, not until August. They can make a better social and academic adjustment because there is less happening right now for them. I think the idea they can learn systematically, in football, what’s expected of them through the off-season program as well as spring practice, puts them a half of a season ahead of the guys that come in the fall in terms of maybe having an opportunity to play. I think those are probably some of the big advantages and the disadvantages are only personal in terms of what they give up to do it.”

On finishing this year’s recruiting class:

“It’s quiet so we can’t travel, we can’t go on the road, we can’t continue to recruit, they can come and visit us and we can call so those are kind of the rules.”

On looking ahead to the 2012 recruiting class:

“We’ve been pretty much 90% full for two or three weeks. So probably as much of my time in January on recruiting was spent on junior recruiting, and I think we all try to do that more now because of the rule that you’re not allowed to go out in the spring. So really the time ahead a coach has is really condensed. You have a couple of weeks in December, a couple of weeks in January and that’s it. There’s no other time you can go out on the road and go to high schools and see high school coaches.  I don’t think that’s a good thing and I disagree with it, and I’ll always disagree with it, but it is what it is. I don’t think there’s a – well here’s where we start on next year – I think there’s  a constant transition and you’re recruiting guys for 2012, you’re recruiting guys for 2013 and you’re recruiting guys for 2011 all at the same time. The rules are a little bit different for each of those classes in terms of what you can and can’t do. But you’re involved in that process 365 days a year. To me, today is always the day where I jump into next year with both feet. I’ve probably talked to 20 guys on the phone for next year and spent a lot of time getting things going for next year today. Really everybody says you’re busy on signing day, you’re just sitting there shaking your leg all day waiting for those papers to come in, there’s nothing else you can really do about it. It’s like waiting to go out and warm up before a game; everybody thinks you’re really busy but you’re just sitting there nervous about what’s going to happen in the next hour.”

On how this year’s returning starters affected recruiting in terms of playing time:

“One of the things that mislead and misguide players more than anything else is what we use as coaches to try to get a guy to come to our school because we tell him he can start next year. I hear that a lot in recruiting. Statistically, there are very few freshmen who start anywhere. Some play and we’ve had a few start here and we’ve had a few more play. That is a very short-term and short-sighted decision for a guy making a decision about where he wants to develop a career academically and athletically with all the other factors that go into him developing as a person, student and a player. It’s more realistic to say, where am I going to be the best in three years. In three years where will I develop the best opportunity to get the best education, the best opportunity to develop as a person, the best opportunity to be the best football player? That’s how we approach it. Does that hurt us on some guys? I think maybe some guys who are a bit immature, a bit entitled and maybe have been told a lot by a lot of people around them that they should go start wherever they go. But I always feel like I’m being a little bit disloyal to the players we have here if I sell some guy in high school he can come start at tailback next year. I think that Trent Richardson deserves a little more respect than that based on the football he’s played here and what he’s done to be successful and so have our other players. Now will he be given every opportunity to play? Absolutely. We usually pick our squad as to how we’re going to coach our players a little more like a pro team. Because a pro team you have to cut down to 47 guys or 53 guys or whatever it is, then you can put eight more guys on the practice squad, but you can’t always keep the guys that are the absolute best players when you have to cut the team. If that were the case then you would almost get rid of all the rookies. We try to decide these are the guys we’re going to coach, these are the guys we’re going to develop, and these are the guys we’re going to play based on what they do in camp. And that’s why we play a few more freshman than most people even though that’s not what we try to sell in recruiting. But does it hurt you sometimes? Only on the guy who is too immature to understand. But what about the issue where you tell a guy he is going to start or he’s going to play when he’s a freshman and then he doesn’t, that creates a tremendous issue. That guy is very frustrated, feels betrayed, and probably is not going to develop like he should because his attitude is not going to be what it needs to be.”

On the signing of Jeoffrey Pagan as well as other defensive lineman recruits:

“One of the things that was a goal and objective in this year’s recruits for defensive linemen is we were extremely athletic up front two years ago. And I don’t know how many sacks we had for sure but it was pushing 50. Even though we had some good players last year and I was pleased with the progress our defense made throughout the course of the year, so I’m not in any way trying to be critical, we weren’t quite as athletic, we didn’t have as many good pass rushers. Marcell (Dareus) is athletic, Courtney (Upshaw) is athletic but we didn’t have as many guys and we were forced to play guys the year before on third down we could put fresh guys in that were athletic because they didn’t have to play all the time and this year the guys that were playing all the time started to play on third down. I’m saying all that to make this point. One of the goals in recruiting is to get more athletic up front on defense, more guys who can pass rush, more guys that could move and push the pocket in the middle and affect the quarterback. Jeoffrey Pagan can do that, he’s a very good athlete, he can run, he’s got good athleticism and I’m sure like all the freshman we recruited, he’s going to go through some developing personally and athletically like all the freshman are. I do think we have several guys who fit that profile and I think that will help us. When will these guys be able to contribute, I’m not sure. And we’ve exited a lot of good defensive front guys. We had three guys from two years ago all make a pro team, Marcell is probably going to be a top-10 guy and Luther Davis is a senior. We’ve had five guys that played with their hand in the dirt that have graduated in the last couple of years so we needed to replace those guys and the quality of those guys and I think this year we were able to get several of those guys who have that type of athleticism.”

On having true freshman as starters:

“Woody Hayes made the statement, and this was years ago, for every sophomore that starts, when freshmen were ineligible, we will lose one game. If a sophomore is playing now it’s like he’s a veteran. It’s all about expectation of the players and of us as coaches. When the numbers got limited, when they made freshmen eligible, there was more opportunity and I think there are more guys that sort of develop better physically, there are more good programs. The big thing is the guys who can play as freshman, it’s usually not about their physical ability, it is more about their emotional maturity. The focus that it takes, the attention to detail, a lot of things they’re not really used to being better than everyone else, they haven’t had to maybe pay as much attention to. I think those are the critical factors that help guys develop quickly. Some positions are easier to play as a freshman in terms of what you learn; you don’t have to learn the complete position like at running back or receiver. You can give a guy a part of what he’s going to do and play him in those parts. If you’re an offensive lineman, if you can’t block every play, every front, every blitz somebody’s going to get killed so you have to know it all. It’s all or nothing. But you can play a running back who only knows certain plays. You can’t really play a guy on defense who doesn’t know the whole system and the whole scheme unless you just make him a pass rusher. There are some roles you can fit guys into when they have special abilities but some positions are a little bit easier than others. But I don’t believe in that, I think that we’ve had some freshman who’ve played extremely well here and contributed to us being very successful and if they’re the best players I have absolutely no problem playing them. And we have done that. Most of these guys are capable. Do they have the maturity to do it, will they develop quickly enough to do it, that’s what makes it a little bit of a crapshoot in terms of how their development is going to be. But that’s the challenge for us is to be able to give them the direction and the guidance to maybe enhance that development so more of these guys could play and contribute to the team in some kind of way.”

Signee Quotes

Jesse Williams, DL

On his impressions of Alabama so far:

“It’s been good so far.  I’ve really enjoyed all of the support from the student body, that’s been really nice.”

On the Alabama Coaching Staff:

“They are great.  Starting with recruiting and then all the way through helping me get adjusted here and getting me through the drills, they have been great every step of the way.”

On the biggest challenge in adjusting for him:

I think transferring from a junior college to a division-I school is always going to be hard with technique, but I think it made it just a little bit harder coming from Australia as well.  So far I am just getting my mind around the concepts of how they play football around here is the hardest thing.  I’ll get there, slowly but surely.”

On the recruiting visits the coaches made to his family:

“I actually wasn’t there when he (Coach Saban) was there; I think he went to see my family.  I was probably in Arizona, but I hope that he enjoyed the weather and the scenery as much as I do.”

On whether football has been beneficial in his international transition:

“I think it has.  It drew a little bit more attention to me, but I’ve tried to stay open minded and try some new things here and I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

On his favorite thing about the Alabama Community:

“Like I said earlier, I love the support that the football team has.  Not just the football team, but the whole athletic department has here.  It’s a little bit different than what I’m used to.  It’s going to take a while to get used to everyone saying hello to me and knowing who I am.  On the other hand it’s a nice gesture, I like it.”

On his knowledge of Alabama before he was recruited by them:

“The first time I found out about Alabama was when they were playing Florida and I heard everybody saying “Roll Tide”, and I had no idea what that meant at all.  That was really the first time I found out about Alabama specifically.  I knew that there was good football down here, and I knew that the SEC was a powerhouse.  All of my junior college teammates when they found out that I was getting recruited by Alabama tried to feed me information, not all of it accurate, obviously, but that’s how I learned about it.”

Trey DePriest, LB

On Coach Saban’s praise of his character:

“That Coach Saban said that is pretty big to me.  Character is just being yourself in whatever you do.  Don’t try to do anything out of the ordinary and just play football like you live your life.”

On picking Alabama and what made it special:

“I get asked that a lot, but I couldn’t tell you what it was specifically.  What I can tell you is that my comfort level here is better than it was everywhere else.  I felt more comfortable here.”

On whether Saban’s coaching style and track record of producing NFL talent affected his decision:

“It ran through my mind and everything.  That and the kind of defense they run were both important to me.  If you can run the 3-4, it’s so complex that you are always one leg up on everybody else if you can get to the combine and everything down the road.”

On the benefit of enrolling early:

“It’s going to help a whole lot because everybody else is coming four months after you, and you’ve spent that time in the film room, and watching the plays and the calls.  You definitely are ahead.”

On whether he’s going to use that head start to help his fellow signees:

“I’m definitely going to do that.  If they need help why not help them?  They are going to be playing with me, so they need to know it just as much as I do.”

Vinnie Sunseri, LB

On Coach Saban’s praise of his character:

“Anything positive Coach Saban says about you is super special because if you think of a guy that has your respect in every single way, that’s Coach Saban.  If you walk into his office you make sure that you do everything right.  If you see him in the halls you make sure you introduce yourself and say “yes sir” and “no sir” to him.  Everything positive he says about you is something you need to take to heart and make sure you remember because you don’t meet a guy like that very often.”

On what character in a football player looks like:

“You need to go to class everyday and make sure you are doing things right.  Not just the big things like scoring touchdowns, but you need to do the little things right too.  Whether it’s getting an A on a test or pushing those other guys to get to class, you just want to make sure everybody is doing everything right.  I think that is what he means by that.  There are so many leaders on a football team, in the aspect that there isn’t just one leader on the team.  There is a leader on the field, the quarterback, and a leader in the classroom.   Here at Alabama everyone looks up to each other and that is what makes it such a good program.”

On what he gained from getting to know Coach Saban when he was younger:

“I actually met Coach Saban at LSU and he was still intimidating when he was there.  He’s a good guy and he is somebody who earns your respect right away.  I’m excited to play for him and that I’ll be able to say that I played for Nick Saban.”

On how excited he is to play for his dad:

“That is something that I am going to cherish for the rest of my life.  Growing up I didn’t get to see him too often because he was always out recruiting, always talking to other kids and stuff and I grew up envious of that.  Actually being able to be with him 24/7 is something that I’ll remember the rest of my life.  He is my hero.  Everything he does I look up to.”

On whether his dad jokes about the pressure of filling his shoes:

“He always says that kind of stuff, but then I always remind him that I got the scholarship and that he had to walk on.  Then, of course he pulls the All-American card on me so I’ve got to try to prove myself, and I’m excited about the opportunity to do that.  I expect that he is going to be harder on me than the other linebackers, but I’m excited about that because the harder he is on me the better person and the better player I am going to become.  That is something that will be very influential in my life.”

December 11, 2009

Mark Ingram is Primed for the Heisman
By Matthew Melon

(iliveforsaturdays.blogspot.com)

On Saturday, the Heisman Trophy will be given out to the “most outstanding player” of the 2009 season. Is there a clear-cut candidate that has trumped everyone and showed dominance throughout this season? Before the season, I wrote about how it will be a three-way dance for the Heisman: Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford. However, Tebow has had a down year, nothing close to his 2007 Heisman year, McCoy has been up and down this season and pretty much killed his shot with a poor display against Nebraska, and Braford re-injured his shoulder, that required surgery, and he is off to the NFL.

I know everyone is clamoring over defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska; rightfully so, he finished the season with 12 sacks (four coming against McCoy) with a total of 82 tackles (47 solo). But the Heisman has only been won by one defensive player and that was Charles Woodson in 1997. I have a hard time seeing a defensive player winning the coveted award unless that player does something really exceptional every game and has the backing from the media. I have to say that the trophy will be contested between two dynamic running backs: Mark Ingram of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford.

If I had a vote, it would go to Ingram. He has meant the world to an Alabama team that has been struggling on offense for much of the season. Quarterback Greg McElroy has been shaky throughout the season and has benefitted from his sophomore running back. Ingram finished the season with 1542 yards and 15 touchdowns.

On the other hand, Gerhart finished with an outstanding 1736 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. If you look at the stats, Gerhart gets the nod. Mind you, I love Gerhart and his tough no-nonsense approach of running over and through defenders. But he is on a Cardinal team that has four losses and the team is on the West Coast. People outside of the West Coat do not get to see Pac-10 games, or they are aired very late.

Ingram benefits from playing in the SEC which is probably the most watched conference. Pac-10 games are showed on Versus (which is not available to DIRECTV owners anymore) and FSN. But you have many replays of SEC games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, CBS network, and CBS College Sports channel. The sheer availability of SEC games allows the nation to fall in love with Ingram.

Ingram’s defining moment was in the SEC Championship game against Florida, a game where Alabama dominated the Gators for four quarters. Coming off a disappointing game against Auburn (30 yards of rushing), he had to prove to the nation that he is an elite-caliber running back and he did. He had a 113 yards rushing and three touchdowns with 76 yards receiving.  And Gerhart’s defining moment was the ABC primetime game against a Notre Dame team. He finished the night with 205 yards and three touchdowns.

Clearly, we see Gerhart again trumping Ingram, but the level of competition comes into play as well. Florida is a better defensive team than The Fighting Irish, and no one can dispute that and also the number of athletic kids in the Southeastern Conference allows for a higher level of competition. But if you average out the run defenses that Ingram and Gerhart have played against, it comes out to: Ingram has played against rush defenses that average 66th in the nation, and Gerhart has rumbled against rush defenses that have averaged 59th in the nation.

This shows that the SEC has not been that dominant in defense, especially rush defense this year and it also shows the how good the Pac-10 teams have been at defending against the run.

However, I stick to my guns and say that Ingram deserves it. Even last year, running behind Glen Coffee, he was dynamic. He sports a good blend of speed and power. No, he does not running a blazing sub-4.3in the 40 like Chris Johnson (former East Carolina player now with the Tennessee Titans), but he gets those tough yards and has breakaway speed as well.

Think about it, when a kid practices against a top 5 defense, he cannot help but be a tough running back. Ingram has willed his team to stay undefeated and get that revenge match with Florida and go to the national title game. And he was the prime reason that Alabama accomplished all those feats. It is really nice to see two young gentlemen being represented for their hard work: Ingram is the quiet guy who has been deflecting Heisman talk all season long, and Gerhart is the humble kid that never thought his name would be in the same sentence as “Heisman.”  Ingram has a chance to be the first ever Alabama player to hold this prestigious award.

Feel free to leave comments on my site or at matthewmelon617@verizon.net

October 12, 2009

Alabama pulls ahead in the AP Poll to No. 2
Matthew Melon (soularchives.blogpsot.com)

Alabama has been playing really well since the season kicked off. On Saturday, they downed an overmatched Ole Miss team to get the victory, 22-3. Later that night, Tim Tebow came back after suffering a concussion against Kentucky to pull the Florida Gators ahead of an LSU team that has no identity on offense.  A turn of events in the polls (AP Poll) have the Crimson Tide No. 2 behind Florida; and rightfully so, they have looked far better than Texas. 

There is no denying that ‘Bama has the best defense in the SEC from the games I watched.  They are ranked 2^nd nationally in total defense, allowing on average 220.50 yards per game. The national leader in total defense is Florida, but Alabama’s wins over Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ole Miss is far more impressive than Florida’s resume at this point in the season. 

The Gators have wins over Charleston Southern (total offense ranks 34^th in the FCS), Troy (total offense ranks 50^th), Tennessee (total offense ranks 48^th), Kentucky (ranks 89^th), and LSU (total offense ranks 109^th).  Alabama sports a top 10 rushing defense that only allows on average 65.67 yards per game; Florida’s defense allows twenty yards more on the ground.

With a stellar running game spearheaded by Mark Ingram and his understudy Trent Richardson, the Crimson Tide are ranked 11^th in the nation in rushing with an average of 223.50 yards per game. Ingram is averaging a whopping 5.9 yards per carry and Richardson is, right up there with him, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Junior quarterback Greg McElroy has been a surprise to everyone, except the Alabama coaching staff.  In a recent interview, Nick Saban mentioned that he knew what McElroy had to offer by watching him in practice. McElroy shows he has the arm to make all the throws and you can see that he is highly competitive. He has to try to make better decisions and realize that he needs to spread the ball around to all his available weapons.

 At times, he tries to get the ball to Julio Jones (their playmaker at wide receiver) in double coverage or triple coverage and that is very dangerous. ‘Bama has had trouble in the red zone because of trying to find the jump ball for Jones, but there are other options that are open: Tight end Colin Peek, who is a big target (6’6, 255 pounds), play-action is an option as well, and screen passes to the running backs. McElroy is completing 61% of his passes so far and has passed for 1233 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception.

Alabama sits at No. 2 in the AP Poll while the USA Today coaches ‘poll has them at No. 3.  I really feel like Florida and Alabama will meet again in the SEC Championship game; and who knows, there might be a different outcome this season. Florida’s receiving corps has suffered a rash of injuries, and they do not have that X-Factor at wide receiver like they had in previous years with Percy Harvin. If Alabama continues to win, there is no doubt they will be No. 2 in both polls, and the showdown with Florida will be big or bigger than last year’s meeting.

Texas has not look that impressive and Colt McCoy has not been himself: McCoy gets in the groove in the second half and in the first half he has not been accurate with his throws; you can see him settle into the game when the third quarter rolls around. The Longhorns matchup with Oklahoma in the Red River game next Saturday will be telling. Texas must be careful because they face an Oklahoma team that has two losses and has all to gain if they beat the Longhorns. If Texas beats Oklahoma, it does nothing for them because of Oklahoma’s 20th ranking in the AP and 18^th in the USA Today poll.  A loss by Mack Brown’s team will surely kill their national championship hopes. After the Red River game, Texas will face only two top 20 teams, so it is crucial they continue to win and look impressive. One loss by the Longhorns will be detrimental to their cause unless other teams falter at the top; a one loss SEC team will still be in the mix because of the strength of the conference.

Nick Saban will have his boys ready to play every Saturday, but they are only kids and they have a lot on their plate. And there is even more pressures for these players to balance everything going on in their lives, especially at a strong football program like the University of Alabama. But this season sets up nicely for Alabama to be the most consistent team in college football.  All that lies ahead is that caped crusader named Tebow.

Feel free to leave me comments at matthewmelon617@verizon.net 

September 6, 2009

Mark Ingram Seals the Win for Alabama against the Hokies
Matthew Melon (soularchives.blogpsot.com)

With 74,000 plus fans in the Georgia Dome on Saturday night, Alabama made a statement against the consensus best team in the ACC. Who would have thought that this game would have been an offensive explosion? There were many experts that thought a score of 14-7 or 9-3 would have been the norm because of the stellar defenses of Alabama and Virginia Tech. But that was not the case as the scoreboard read 34-24 in favor of the Crimson Tide, at the end of the night.

After last season’s embarrassing loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl, to the tune of 31-17, there was redemption on the mind of Nick Saban and his squad and boy did they show it.

Junior quarterback Greg McElroy was not all-world on Saturday night but showed his mettle as he got over the hump and gained the victory. He had one interception because of the pocket collapsing and a defender hit his arm as he was throwing the ball. McElroy did well for his first primetime start ending the night 15/30 for 230 yards and one interception. With the departure of John Parker Wilson to the NFL, it was expected there would be a drop-off in the quarterback category, but he delivered a good performance and showed confidence.

Miscues and penalties had allowed Virginia Tech to stay in this one. A dynamic 98 yard return by Dyrell Roberts got the Hokie nation excited, hoping this would sway the momentum in their favor. But a fumble by running back Ryan Williams allowed ‘Bama to score three points.

The Crimson Tide defense has to be noted for its stellar performance as well. ‘Bama defense aggravated quarterback Tyrod Taylor all night. Taylor only had one run play late in the second half; the containment and pressure by Alabama deterred him from using his legs. Even though this defense gave up 24 points, they should showed they are one of the best defenses in the SEC. I was rightfully impressed last Thursday night with South Carolina’s defense as well.

Even with the good performance by McElroy and the defense, the stellar performance by sophomore running back Ingram was one for the ages. This compact back ran for 150 yards on 26 carries with an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Ingram display burst and speed shuttling through the defensive line and linebackers of Virginia Tech. He also had 3 catches for 35 yards and the last catch scored the game-winning touchdown for ‘Bama.
In the ’08 season, you could see the potential and game-breaking quality when he shared time with the now departed Glenn Coffee. Watching Ingram, one must say that he probably is the best running back in the SEC: he has the best combination of speed, acceleration and power.

Equally good was Roy Upchurch who was running on a mission until he fumbled and was pulled from the game. Upchurch gained 90 yards on 7 carries with a 12.9 average per carry on the ground.

Alabama had 498 total yards compared to 155 yards by Virginia Tech. This was total domination, and they could have scored more if it wasn’t for penalties or not capitalizing on plays in the Hokies’ redzone. Taylor was 9/20 for 91 yards with no interceptions. The team only rushed for 64 yards on 31 carries, Williams was the only significant runner gaining yards on the ground. The receivers pulled down 9 passes for 91 yards on the night, with a 10.1 yard average per catch. Running back Williams added to this total with 2 catches for 42 yards.

Alabama should their true mettle in their season opener against Virginia Tech. Maybe this will be the year they knock off Florida in the SEC Championship game: with McElroy coming along, a decent running game with Ingram (his left knee was iced at the end of the game, so we will have to keep an eye on him) and Upchurch and a stellar defense, this team could be the second best team in the SEC. Before ‘Bama can think about Florida they have to get past Ole Miss, LSU, and finish the season with Auburn (which they cannot look past).
Feel free to email me with comments at matthewmelon617@verizon.net

 

September 4, 2009

2009 Preview
Joey Sparks

These are the projections I made and posted for the past several days on Twitter & Facebook:

Sept 5, @ Virginia Tech (Atlanta): Chick-fil-A Kickoff, year two. ‘Bama catches banged up Hokies in ATL. Still won't be 2008's blowout.
Bama 20 - VaTech 13                          

Sept 12, Florida International: FIU used to be cupcake game. They're slightly improved, but not enough to hang in it.
Bama 48 - FIU 7                      

Sept 19, North Texas: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wake me up when Screamin' Eagles leave town. <b>
Bama 55 - UNT 10

Sept 26, Arkansas: Improved Hogs air it out in T-town. Bama won't win by 5 touchdowns this year.
Bama 34 - Ark 23                    

Oct 3, @ Kentucky: Bama travels to Lexington. Letdown game stays close while ‘Bama fans wait to pull ahead. Doesn't happen.
Bama 20 - UK 23

Oct 10, @ Ole Miss: National pundits going with Rebels on 10/10. Could happen, but ‘Bama will be ready for big SEC West game.
Bama 33 - Miss 27

Oct 17, South Carolina: Don't look past the Gamecocks the week after a tough game in Oxford. They'll bring a tough D into BDS, but it won't be enough.
Bama 27 - SCar 13

Oct 24, Tennessee: (Should be) 3rd Saturday in October. Welcome to the SEC, Kiff. Bama won't pour 100 on the Vols like Florida, but they'd love to.
Bama 30 - UT 6

Nov 7, LSU: Game of the Year for 'Bama. Mad Hatter vs. Straw Hat in T-town. Talent on both sidelines through the roof.
Bama 22 - LSU 17

Nov 14, @ Mississippi St.: Potential 'trap game' in Starkville after a huge week 10. Scrappy MSU plays hard, but gets blown out late.
Bama 41 - MSU 13

Nov 21, Tennessee-Chattanooga: Snooze-fest in week 12 vs. horrible FCS team, UT-Chattanooga.
Bama 62 - UTC 0

Nov 27, @ Auburn: Iron Bowl. Auburn improves over season & keeps it close at home.
Bama 27 - Auburn 20

September 2, 2009

Fall Practice Review
Joey Sparks

In Tuscaloosa, as all across the country, fall practice has ceased and official game week preparations have begun. Generally speaking, fall practices prepare for the upcoming season by acclimating newcomers, sorting out the "depth chart," and previewing schemes the team will face during the season--all while hoping to avoid serious injury.

Though we can see the depth chart, released early this week; (via Gentry Estes at The Bama Beat), we won't know how successful those players will be--or observe the other fall practice objectives--until the season actually kicks off on the evening of September 5th. We can make a more tangible observation about the serious injury situation. The only season-long casualty this fall was RB Jeramie Griffin, who tore his ACL in practice a few weeks ago. Other than that injury, the main health focus has been the spreading of flu-type bugs. The swine flu has spread all across the state in high schools and colleges; the team has not confirmed any of the players have missed due to the specific H1-N1 strain, but several have missed practiced, been quarantined from the team, or fought through the bug during workouts. Terrence Cody, Cory Reamer, A.J. McCarron, Alfred McCullogh were among those who missed practice type while sick. Hopefully, it runs its course and is not a season-long epidemic and distraction. In a scary development, returning defensive end Brandon Deaderick was shot Monday night in the arm and the hip during an attempted robbery; fortunately, he suffered only flesh wounds. He spent one night in the hospital and was released Tuesday. Clearly, football is not among priorities in a situation such as this; everyone wishes Brandon the best and hopes he gets well soon.

One of the side notes Alabama fans have been excited to see once Coach Saban arrived on campus is the competition on the depth chart among elite athletes. Considering his recruiting prowess, everyone knew he would bring in several highly talented and motivated players at each position and let them fight one another for the right to play. The depth battles at OL, Safety, and backup QB have been well documented. But defensive lineman, linebackers, and wide receivers have also been competing for opportunities to make significant contributions to this year's team. The talent on campus is now 3-4 men deep at almost every position, something that's not been the case for years--if not decades. Several positions could still improve their quality depth, but this team has come a long way in a short time. Major injuries at most positions should not be as devastating as in most other programs in the country. The biggest concerns about depth reside with QB, OL, and CB.

For the most part, there are now answers to the major questions left from the 2008 campaign:

Who's going to replace the 3 lost offensive linemen? James Carpenter (LT), William Vlachos (C), Barrett Jones (RG)

Who's going to be the new QB? Junior Greg McElroy

Who's going to replace safety Rashad Johnson? Sophomore Mark Barron (and it even appears as though he leapfrogged returning starter Justin Woodall on the depth chart)

Who's going to replace departed Jack LB Brandon Fanney? Erik Anders (and Courtney Upshaw will definitely be in the mix)

Who's the backup QB? 3-man race between Thomas Darrah, Star Jackson, and A.J. McCarron

Who's going to complement Julio Jones at WR? Reports have Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks stepping up. Though it's nice to have names and faces for these questions, the bigger question is, "How will these guys perform when it matters most?" We'll have to wait until September 5th to see if Alabama is "re-building" their personnel or if they are to the stage where they simply "re-load."  

August 22, 2009

Camp Over, Classes Begin
Joey Sparks

Alabama held their first fall scrimmage on Saturday, August 15th. A few days, later, they ended fall camp with their final two-a-day practice in preparation for the beginning of classes and the rest of fall practice.

Now is the time of the practice schedule where players are working through fatigue, soreness, and start-of-the-school-year distractions. Focus and preparation during these practices could easily make the difference between 9-3 and 12-0.

Saturday's scrimmage went over considerably well, especially considering the lack of serious injury during it. The practice week since started out less than great, especially on Tuesday. Practice frustrations and nosy journalists led to one of Coach Saban's 'depth chart' rants. Interestingly enough, after Thursday's practice, Saban claimed they had 'turned the corner.' Unfortunately, Courtney Upshaw got caught up in some of the social distractions that seem to accompany the start of classes. He was arrested late Wednesay evening on a 3rd Degree Misdemeanor charge of Domestic Violence/Harrassment. Saban released a statement that Upshaw would be disciplined internally and would not be suspended for any portion of the season.

The injury bug has been overall kind to Alabama so far. During the week before the scrimmage, however, they suffered their first casualty, when RB Jeramie Griffin tore his ACL, sidelining him for the season. Though not expected to compete for first team carries, Griffin would likely have shared short-yardage and junk-time carries with Upchurch. Additionally, he provides experience on the special teams side of the ball, where Saban loves to use young RBs & LBs. Few players have sat out practice due to injuries. Among them are two freshman, DB Dre Kirkpatrick (undisclosed muscle pull) & WR Kenny Bell (shin splints). Neither is expected to miss game time. Others who have went through nagging injuries of late: Julio Jones, Roy Upchurch (not the most encouraging situation given his past injury struggles), and Marquis Maze.

As far as the scrimmage stats are concerned, there were no major surprises or disappointments reported by the UA staff. As for new QB Greg McElroy, his numbers looked good, especially for his debut scrimmage as the clear-cut starter. He was effecient (over 50%), with no INTs. What may have been most impressive was hearing him describe his dissatisfaction with the performance. No light was shed on the backup QB situation, as Star Jackson, Thomas Darrah, and A.J. McCarron received equal attempts. Right now, the speculation is that Jackson will see the field in short-term relief and mop up situations. If something unexpected happens to McElroy affecting his long-term status, they may go with the golden arm of McCarron for the duration. With the RB situation, Mark Ingram received the bulk of the carries, with Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson, and Roy Upchurch receiving equal attention. As a group, they were unable to bust any long runs, and their touchdowns came from goal line situations. Big plays from the running game were foundational to Alabama's success in 2008; let's hope they get it turned around by the start of 2009. The one surprise from the WR position was the attention given to freshman Kevin Norwood. He reeled in 3 catches, putting him on the same level as everyone else not named Julio Jones, who had 6 catches. Defensively, the stat sheet showed predictable performances across the board. McClain and Hightower led the team with tackles; Anders had 3 of the team's 6 sacks.

The second, and final, scrimmage of the 2009 pre-season will be Saturday, August 22nd at 1 pm.

August 12, 2009

Fan Day Down, Two-a-Days Ahead
Joey Sparks

The Alabama Crimson Tide held public Fan Day practice on Sunday, August 9th, in preparation for 2009's debut against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Atlanta. The team begins two-a-day practices Tuesday morning with full pads.

Nothing of major significance has transpired since fall camp began last week. It's this time of year where "no news is good news."

There is, however, plenty to discuss, as Birmingham sports talk radio would attest.

Coach Speak
In a rare occurrence, OC Jim McElwain and DC Kirby Smart appeared before the media Sunday morning. It's obvious Coach Saban has trained them both on handling the media. They disclose very few specifics, especially regarding who's leading at impact positions. A common refrain from their comments is the high level of practice displayed by team leaders such as Julio Jones, Javier Arenas, Rolando McClain, and Donte Hightower. It's a clear mandate to current players on the roster and future recruits that practice excellence is expected.

Coach McElwain did remind everyone that this is the second year for the entire offensive staff. Continuity has not been on Alabama's side over the past decade, so fan's should be thankful for the staff's full return as well. He also noted the importance of building depth at the WR position. If they are able to get some dependable guys at the position, they'd like to go with two TE's less than they did last year, when the formation was a hallmark of the offense.

Administrative Groupings
For the third summer now, the buzzword among media outlets is "administrative groupings." It's trendy to poke fun at Coach Saban's lack of an official depth chart. I respect his stance and am content not knowing who is starting at each position at this point. Because of his approach, very little can be deduced from day-to-day work with groupings. Effort and consistency are going to determine who plays and where they end up. If any current players on the roster are reading this at the moment, know that these speculations are just that, speculation. Go out and work hard no matter which grouping you are on for the day.

The most common assessment of the OL has J. Carpenter (LT), M. Johnson (LG), W. Vlachos (C), A. McCullogh (RG), D. Davis (RT). McCullogh is a slight suprise to replace the senior Marlon Davis, but is apparently proving himself worthy of the position. T. Love, J.M. Boswell, and B. Jones are regularly in the mix in the second grouping.

Hightower has been both inside and outside at LB since camp began. Still, don't be surprised if he ends up outside in the JACK position by September. He confirmed on video that he is in consideration for the position--a hybrid DE/LB. So far, Jerrell Harris, a highly-touted 2008 recruit, seems to be the most likely candidate to play inside alongside McClain, allowing Hightower to move outside.

The deepest position on the team is almost certainly defensive line. As such, DL Undra Billingsly has been working out with the TE's over the past several practices. DT Kerry Murphy has returned to the team following a leave of absence due to the sudden death of his brother in Birmingham. It's of course possible that Murphy may need to miss additional time tending to his family needs. Our prayers remain with Kerry and the Murphy family.

Injury Corner
There are no significant injuries to report, which is outstanding news at this point. Only QB's have been wearing black no-contact jerseys. Several players have fully recovered from offseason surgeries: Julio Jones (arm, hernia), Roy Upchurch (neck), DJ Fluker (shoulder), Colin Peek (shoulder). The most significant injury news at present involves Peek, who will be playing the season with a fractured foot. At present, he is lauding the medical staff for improving the pain and usability of the foot. Peek could easily become a #2 receiver behind Jones; if he does, the team can ill-afford for his foot to flare up or undergo additional damage. Though not major at this point, it is a situation to watch.

Freshman Frenzy
Fans are once again abuzz about the incoming freshman class--the second straight ranked at #1. Some observers have labeled this as the deepest, strongest, and most talented class to arrive in Tuscaloosa in over 15-20 years. The fan buzz surrounds youngsters at the skill positions, namely QB A.J. McCarron and RBs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. It's also hard to miss the gargantuan OL D.J. Fluker, who's been working at both LT and RT. Reports have DL Chris Bonds and DB Rod Woodson literally making noise with their hard hits. Everyone is gushing over McCarron's arm strength and "zip" on the ball (then again, it's nothing new for 'Bama fans to gush over a backup QB) despite his predictable freshman mental errors. Stud CB Dre Kirkpatrick has seen the field with the first group at times, enabling Arenas to play the nickel back position. Kirkpatrick has the size and skill set rarely seen in CB's at any level. As of right now, Fluker may still need a little work; but he has the raw skills and size to be a dominant force at tackle. And he's much better "shaped" than Andre Smith, though he lacks the experience and consistency. Few freshman are working with the first administrative grouping, but Julio and Hightower weren't working with it this time last year, either. Things certainly can change over the next three weeks. Amazingly, of the 27 signees in the 2009 class, 26 qualified academically (3 will delay enrollment and can be back-counted to 2009 next year or be applied to the 2010 class). This staff is following through with its commitment to recruit not only the hardest working athletes, but also the hardest working students and all-around individuals.

More details will take shape as the intensity, frequency, and humidity of practice increases. This time of year isn't the most exciting, but it's when identities are forged and games are won. Check back next week for more updates.

Joey Sparks’ writes for his personal blog—which is not sports or Alabama-related—at joeysparks.net. You can follow him on twitter at twitter.com/joeysparks.

August 7, 2009

30 Days, 30 Tweets
Joey Sparks

Thursday, August 6th, marked the 30-day mark until the start of the season for most teams, including the Alabama Crimson Tide. On Saturday, September 5th, they’ll face Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

As an alternative to a long explanation of what has transpired since January’s Sugar Bowl or a deep analysis of the question marks surrounding the 2009 team, I offer a “social media”-approved approach. With roughly 30 days left until the start of the season, here are 30 tweets about football at the University of Alabama.

1. Don’t misunderstand OL concern, It’s a talented & deep group. Need to prove they can play together--& thru injury/absence.

2. How will roster #’s work out? 3 have transferred (C. Jackson - GA Tech; C. Higgenbotham - USA; Corey Smith - W Va)

3. How will roster #’s work out? 4 injury departures (E. Cardwell - graduated; C. Kirschmann - graduated; J. Hester; I. Matchett)

4. How will roster #’s work out? 4 dismissed from team (B. Fanney; P. Hall; J. Preyear; A. Lawrence)

5. How will roster #’s work out? 3 freshman will delay enrollment (D. McKeller; A. Orr; P. Smith; K. Williams not on roster due to injury).

6. If OL pass blocks = great season; if not = good season; if they can’t run block (see Sugar Bowl) = disappointing season

7. Still unsure about how he’ll play, but Greg McElroy has something JPW didn’t (& I was a JPW supporter/sympathizer). Could be special.

8. ESPN would love for McElroy to have standout year, if only to make jokes connecting “McEl-roy” & “McEl-wain.”

9. Don’t be surprised if True Frosh AJ McCarron is McElroy’s backup when the season starts (& he’s a “Mc” last name).

10. 2008 success was built on by leaders who’d experienced mediocrity. How will this year’s team build on 2008 excellence?

11. 2 seasons & still no consistent Saban pass rush. Is 2009 the year to dominate the opposing QB?

12. With Fanney gone, watch out for D. Hightower at JACK. He may be the answer to pass rush concerns (& he’s great in coverage).

13. Ro McClain takes over as “QB of the D.” But will R. Green (or whoever lands at FS) provide Rashad’s range & support?

14. Will M. Maze & D. Hanks take pressure off of Julio? Or were their Spring’s anomalies?

15. 2009 team is more talented & deeper than 2008 group. Does that guarantee undefeated season? Not exactly.

16. 2007 Indy Bowl set stage for 2008. Need to use 08-09 Sugar debacle as motivation to setup 2009 season.

17. Phil Savage makes his debut in the broadcast booth next to Eli Gold. Not the swagger of Snake, but he knows his stuff.

18. Probable 2009 All-Americans: Julio, Ro McClain, T. Cody

19. Could work way in as 2009 All-American: Hightower, Mike Johnson, J. Arenas, C. Peek, K. Jackson

20. Most Improved since last spring: D. Hanks, M. Maze, W. Vlachos, J. Harris, R. Green, C. Upshaw

21. Incoming Frosh who may contribute early: T. Richardson, D. Kirkpatrick, E. Lacy, T. Patrick/N. Johnson

22. Team was spared from major injury problems in 2008. Will they enjoy the same fortune in 2009?

23. Don’t gloss over games vs. FIU, Kentucky, & South Carolina. Remember Tulane last year?

24. Will Ro McClain have his name pronounced correctly by V. Lundquist (instead of “Orlando McCain”)?

25. Will V. Lundquist & G. Danielson realize that Julio isn’t on the bench? (Chris Rogers also wears #8)

26. Who is the nation’s active punt return average leader? Javier Arenas, with 13.54.

27. Who will go down as Coach Shula’s best recruit? Andre Smith, Javier Arenas, (after 2010) Greg McElroy, or someone else?

28. How will fresh faces respond when--not if--the Va Tech defense/special teams makes big plays or forces mistakes?

29. Will a year of study & prep help Saban to better shut down the spread (MSU, Auburn, poss Fla in SECCG)?

30. Will fans be satisfied if 2009 does not end with a statue of Saban in front of Bryant-Denny?

Alabama reported to camp Wednesday, August 5th, and began split practices Thursday, August 6th. They host “Fan Day” practice on Sunday afternoon, August 9th from 2:30-4:30 pm.

Joey Sparks’ writes for his personal blog—which is not sports or Alabama-related—at joeysparks.net. You can follow him on twitter at twitter.com/joeysparks.