Tide looks younger, more athletic in Fan Day practice
August 04, 2008
I saw more good than bad at Alabama’s Fan Day practice at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
There are more playmakers than there were a year ago, at least on offense. Sure, the Tide loses DJ Hall, Keith Brown and Matt Caddell, guys who produced a lot of yards and points a year ago. But freshmen Julio Jones and B.J. Scott are special. Redshirt freshmen Marquis Maze and Brandon Gibson looked ready to contribute. And Mike McCoy, Earl Alexander, Darius Hanks and Nikita Stover all return with experience. What I thought might be a problem area is going to be a strength at receiver. Plus, tight ends Nick Walker and Travis McCall are both returning for their senior seasons. In new coordinator Jim McElwain’s system, however, we’ll likely see less of Walker and McCall on the field at the same time, the way they were last season.
John Parker Wilson looks good. Star Jackson took a lot of snaps. McElwain will give him a close look early—how ready is he?—before setting the depth lineup behind Wilson.
It was mostly a throwing practice, but there didn’t seem like a lot of running lanes were created in the few periods dedicated to the ground game. Maybe I’m being oversensitive to the “spread offenses can’t run the ball when it counts” mentality. You have to run in the SEC, particularly with four returning starters on the offensive line.
Defensively, Cory Reamer spent a good bit of time at inside linebacker next to Rolando McClain. True freshmen Jerrell Harris of Gadsden, Courtney Upshaw of Eufaula and Don’ta Hightower of Lewisburg, Tenn., got a lot of work at various linebacker slots. Still way too early to tell.
The secondary and receiver corps will make each other better. They put on a good show Sunday. The secondary is more experienced, but I’m worried that teams will throw over their heads. Literally. Not deep, mind you, just high. Bama’s tall receivers had a reach advantage and the quarterbacks, particularly JPW, took advantage of that.
It’s early, but it’s encouraging.
