BAMA Practice Notes

[JTEGGER]

TUSCALOOSA _ Individual drills began with junior defensive end Quinton Dial lined up next to senior nose tackle Josh Chapman and junior defensive end Damion Square as the University of Alabama football team opened a two-a-day Monday morning in cool conditions.
Junior defensive end Quinton Dial is making a major push for playing time.

Regardless of whether he lands a starting job, the junior-college transfer has made a major push this fall to be part of the rotation. While playing nose guard for East Mississippi Community College he was in on 76 tackles and 3½ sacks last season.

Sophomore cornerback Dee Milliner was at practice after Coach Nick Saban said he “Got a laceration and a little ding,” from a shot to the chin during Saturday’s scrimmage. Outside of the quarterbacks, no one was in a black no-contact jersey.

Junior linebacker Dont’a Hightower continued to work with his left hand heavily wrapped after having a procedure to repair a small fracture last Thursday. True freshman offensive lineman Ryan Kelly returned to practice after missing most of last week due to a concussion.

Redshirt freshman Blake Sims did not warm up with the quarterbacks but instead went through individual drills with the running backs. True freshman Christion Jones was practicing with the wide receivers after spending most of last week at running back.

Junior-college transfer Duron Carter has yet to be cleared academically.

Junior Barrett Jones was back at left tackle and backed up by true freshman Cyrus Kouandijo.

Alabama will practice again at 7:30 tonight, and at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. All practices are closed to the public.

 

[JTEGGER]

Updating three areas of the Crimson Tide: offensive guard, cornerback and nose tackle.

Offensive guard

For starters: LG Chance Warmack; RG Anthony Steen.
Next up: LG Alfred McCullough; RG John Michael Boswell.
What we know: Physically, both Warmack and Steen are more than capable of getting the job done. Each received valuable starting experience a season ago, sometimes at the expense of the offense.
What we don't know: If Cyrus Kouandjio proves capable of starting at left tackle, who makes way for Barrett Jones at guard: Warmack or Steen? Warmack has the edge in experience but Steen has made large strides over the last 12 months.
The future: McCullough and Boswell are seniors and Jones could opt for the NFL following his junior season, so Warmack and Steen will continue to factor heavily for the foreseeable future. In time, true freshman Isaac Luatua will make an impact on the interior of the offensive line.

Cornerback

For starters: LCB Dre Kirkpatrick; RCB DeQuan Menzie.
Next up: LCB John Fulton/Phelon Jones; RCB Dee Milliner.
What we know: The trio of Kirkpatrick, Menzie and Milliner have Sunday potential. At a lot of places, Fulton and Jones would be top three corners. At UA, they're battling for a spot on the two-deep.
What we don't know: After coming up empty in critical situations in two of UA's three losses a season ago, can these guys get off the field when their team needs them the most? Based on the schedule, we won't get a true read on how far they have come until Sept. 24 (Arkansas).
The future: Menzie and Jones are seniors and Kirkpatrick is being touted as a first-round pick as an underclassmen, so there's a strong possibility that Milliner could be the Crimson Tide's top corner come spring drills. Those kind of losses would also open the door for Fulton and true freshman Jabriel Washington. Any wonder that UA is involved with JUCO corner Travell Dixon?

Nose tackle

For starters:Josh Chapman.
Next up:Nick Gentry.
What we know: Focused and as fit as a 3-4 nose tackle can be, Chapman is poised to have the kind of season many thought he'd have in 2010.
What we don't know: Without another proven true nose behind Chapman, can Gentry and others keep UA's inside backers clean when Chapman takes a blow?
The future: Plenty of hybrid types working behind Chapman, but redshirt freshman Brandon Ivory is the only reserve who resembles a true nose. Depending on how he develops at end, Jesse Williams could be an option here at some point in the future.

 

[JTEGGER]

Cyrus Kouandijo

The University of Alabama football team enjoyed unusually cool weather for training camp, with temperatures dropping below 80 degrees Monday evening as it closed out another two-a-day.

For the most part everything was status quo from the morning, although the wrapping on Dont'a Hightower's left hand appeared to be bigger. The junior linebacker had surgery for a small fracture last Thursday.

The offensive line again had an unbalanced formation for a drill during the observation period. This time Cyrus Kouandijo was lined up outside junior Barrett Jones at left tackle. Last week, when Jones was filling in at center, he was next to D.J. Fluker, who flipped over from the right side.

Sophomore cornerback Dee Milliner again practiced after Coach Nick Saban said he “Got a laceration and a little ding,” from a shot to the chin during Saturday’s scrimmage. True freshman offensive lineman Ryan Kelly (concussion) also practiced for the second time Monday.

Similar to the morning, redshirt freshman Blake Sims did not warm up with the quarterbacks but instead went through individual drills with the running backs. True freshman Christion Jones was practicing with the wide receivers.

Junior-college transfer Duron Carter has yet to be cleared academically.

 

[JTEGGER]

Smelley looks to finish his UA career as the starter at H back.

Updating three areas of the Crimson Tide: tight end, running back and inside linebacker.

Tight end

For starters: Michael Williams; Brad Smelley.
Next up:Chris Underwood; Brian Vogler; Harrison Jones; Malcolm Faciane.
What we know: He's not Jason Witten, but Williams is a better receiver than some give him credit for. Actually, it was the run blocking aspect of the job that he had to make the most improvement in after spending a redshirt season at jack linebacker in 2008. If history is any indication, the tight end (Williams) and H-back (Smelley) positions can be counted on to produce 40 receptions this fall.
What we don't know: Who's the third and fourth tight ends in short yardage situations? Could be a combination of a tight end and a reserve offensive linemen, something we've seen in the past, when UA goes heavy.
The future: Vogler, Jones and Faciane will join Williams in 2012. While Vogler and Jones can handle both spots, Faciane looks to be more of a traditional tight end.

Running back

For starters:Trent Richardson
Next up:Eddie Lacy; Jalston Fowler; Blake Sims; Brent Calloway.
What we know: Richardson and Lacy are clearly the top two options heading into the season. Barring injury, Tide fans could be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,800 yards of total offense from the duo. More so than previous UA backs under Nick Saban, this position will be counted on to produce in the passing game.
What we don't know: Who is the third back? Injuries and attrition pushed Fowler up the depth chart, but Sims gives defenses an entirely different look.
The future: If not for a season-denying knee injury sustained during summer workouts, Dee Hart would have seen playing time as a true freshman. Assuming his rehab goes according to plan, he'll play a large role in 2012 and beyond. It will be interesting to see how Calloway develops at the position. His first run through spring drills will likely tell a lot about where he'll settle in position-wise.

Inside linebacker

For starters: Dont'a Hightower and Nico Johnson.
Next up: C.J. Mosley and Chris Jordan; Trey DePriest and Tana Patrick.
What we know: If you're in the top three at these spots, you're going to get a lot of playing time. Right now, that group consists of Hightower, Johnson (base) and Mosley (nickel and dime). Like the rest of the defense, when and where you will see those guys on the field is dependent on down and distance. Jordan is a talented backup who wouldn't come off the field for more than a few SEC teams.
What we don't know: Have Johnson and Mosley continued to make improvements in areas where the other is strong? For Johnson, that means pass coverage; for Mosley, that means playing the run. Might we see Hightower off the edge in the nickel this season? He was pretty much dime-exclusive in that role a year ago.
The future: A big year from Hightower and DePriest will have an excellent chance to join the top three inside backers for 2012.

 

[BadMotoWeazal]

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban hasn’t figured out who will be his primary starters at defensive end this season, but already knows that junior-college transfers Quinton Dial and Jesse Williams will be in the top four of the rotation.

Jesse Williams better get ready for a lot of playing time this fall.
“We think we have four guys who are capable, and we ask the young guys who are freshmen and (Undra) Billingsley who could probably contribute as well,” Saban said Tuesday afternoon. “But those guys have made a ton of progress since the spring, Jesse and Quinton both. They are a little older and stronger guys, and have confidence in what they are supposed to do.
“Typically what happens when they come into fall camp is, if a guy hasn’t been here before and even some of the young guys who have been here in the spring, they hit the wall a little bit this time of year. They kind of make progress, they hit the wall a little bit, and at some point in time they kind of catch back up mentally and get confidence in what they are doing, and you start to see them make progress again.
“I think all the new guys in the program at some point in time in these first 13 or 14 practices have done that, but those two older guys have been able to sustain a little better, and I think that’s because of their maturity.”
Junior Damion Square played in 13 games with six starts last season, while sophomore Ed Stinson, a converted linebacker, has also been working extensively with the top unit. He played in nine games in 2010, with two starts.
Some of the younger defensive linemen, like freshmen Jeoffrey Pagan and D.J. Pettway, have been working with the third and fourth units.
“They are all doing fine,” Saban said. “They are making progress. But each one of those guys I think maybe got a little bit overloaded with new information and knowledge in terms of assignments, and then they begin to worry about what to do and then they forget about how to do it. And they don’t have an idea of why it’s important to do it that way because they can’t see the big picture yet. But I see those guys sort of making progress.”

A second time for No. 3
Junior running back Trent Richardson is one of five players featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview issue, which will hit newsstands Thursday. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick are also on the regional-based covers.

Trent Richardson is on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second time.
It’s the second time Richardson is on the magazine cover, the other time for a story about breakout players after the first week of last season, and 11th time for the Crimson Tide since Nick Saban was hired in 2007.
“It is an honor and a great thing for the program to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated,” Richardson said in a release. “This is a testament to all the hard work that this team has put in leading up to the start of this season. This entire team has put this program in a position to be successful, and I am just a small part of that.”
Saban says …

An early entry for quote of the year about the learning curve of the new players: “We have more stuff in on offense, and more stuff in on defense, than we’ve ever had for one game. Because we throw all the you-know-what on the wall and see what sticks. And whatever doesn’t stick we put in the bucket and throw it on the wall again. Capiche? You understand what I’m trying to say? Some of those guys still have a lot in their bucket.”

On true freshman safety Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix: “He is the most pleasant, upbeat, positive, smile on his face all the time, easy-to-coach guy that wants to learn, that we've probably had around here for a long time. I mean he really has got a great disposition about doing it and I think that will help him in the long run.”

On the offensive line’s improved communication: “That’s one of the things we didn’t do as good a job last year. I felt like we had enough ability, but we made a lot of metal errors on the offense line because of lack of experience, freshmen guys playing, and even when we made the right calls and we made the right calls a lot of the time, they don’t trust and believe in it and execute it. That’s gotten a lot better and that’s why I feel like our offensive line should be better this year.”
Tide-bits

Saban didn’t come and say that he's in favor of the Southeastern Conference expanding with Texas A&M, but made it clear he wouldn’t oppose it due to his experience with the Big Ten: “When Penn State came into the league there were all kinds of naysayers and I don’t remember the year but I think it was in the ’80s, the first time I was there as a defensive coordinator, about why would let another team in the league as good as Penn State, it’s going to mess up the balance of the league, and all these different negative things that people had to say about it. The fact of the matter was Penn State opened up the whole East to the Big Ten. “Two players he said it helped the Spartans recruit were wide receiver Plaxico Burress and linebacker Julian Peterson/

Nick Saban had a few things on his mind Tuesday.
While a lot of attention has been given to freshman Cyrus Kouandijo, and his progress at left tackle, sophomore Anthony Steen has made a lot of headway at right tackle. “I’ve been so proud of Anthony because he’s done a great job,” junior Barrett Jones said. “He’s done a great job of stuff this year. He’s gotten tons better, light years better, really. He’s just improved so much and we’re all going to see this year just how much he has improved. He just feels so much more comfortable in the offense and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Square practiced while using an eye patch after being poked by a teammate. Otherwise, the coach reported no new injuries.

The Million Dollar Band made it annual appearance at football practice so new players could learn “Yea, Alabama.”
The Crimson Tide will hold its final two-a-day on Wednesday, at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. All practices are closed to the public.

 

[JTEGGER]

TUSCALOOSA _ The University opened its final two-a-day of the fall Wednesday morning without a single player wearing a black no-contact jersey due to injury.

Junior defensive end Damion Square had the only injury of note when he was recently poked in the eye and wore a protective shield during drills.

During a drill reporters saw with the defensive backs and interior linebackers in base formation, senior DeQuan Menzie appeared to be shadowing senior Phelon Jones at right cornerback on the first unit, with sophomore Dee Milliner working with the second unit.

Redshirt freshman Blake Sims was again with the running backs, while true freshman Christion Jones was practicing with the wide receivers.

Junior-college transfer Duron Carter has yet to be cleared academically.

Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was at practice.

 

[JTEGGER]

TUSCALOOSA _ The University of Alabama football team held its final two-a-day practice of the fall under the lights of the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility on Wednesday evening.

During a passing drill that reporters observed the base formation had senior DeQuan Menzie at right cornerback, with sophomore Dee Milliner working with the second unit.

Also notable on the second unit were true freshmen safeties Vinnie Sunseri and Hasean Clinton-Dix and Xzavier Dickson at Sam linebacker. Coaches have been cautious with senior Alex Watkins, who is coming off a knee injury, and holding him out of most drills during the two-a-day evening workouts.

On offense, the second unit had both Kouandijo brothers with Cyrus on the left side and Arie on the right. The rest of the line was from left to right senior Alfred McCullough, sophomore Kellen Williams and senior John Michael Boswell.

Redshirt freshman Blake Sims was again with the running backs, while true freshman Christion Jones was practicing with the top wide receivers as the unit is usually split during drills.

Junior-college transfer Duron Carter has yet to be cleared academically.
Alabama will return to practice at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. All practices are closed to the public.

 

[BadMotoWeazal]

From AL.com

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Alabama held an afternoon preseason practice at its indoor facility Thursday afternoon, a nice escape from the heat and humidity outdoors.


News of the day
Cris Carter, father of wide receiver Duron Carter, was at Alabama's practice Thursday afternoon. He sat on a bike wearing Alabama apparel and spoke with one of the practice referees. Duron Carter, who was expected to join the Crimson Tide for preseason camp as a junior college transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, was not seen at practice. Duron Carter has not participated in the preseason because he is working on a transcript issue from a former school.


The grind
During Alabama's media viewing, Alabama's offensive line worked in the following combination: Barrett Jones (left tackle), Chance Warmack (right guard), William Vlachos (center), Anthony Steen (right guard), D.J. Fluker (right tackle). Alabama coach Nick Saban has said there is a lot of competition for playing time on the offensive line.


On the mend
Dont'a Hightower continues to wear a "club" on his surgically repaired hand and continues full contact. The senior star linebacker has said he expects to have the wrap gone by Alabama's game Sept. 3 against Kent State. ... Trent Richardson continues to wear a wrapped around his left leg from after he tweaked a hamstring before the season. The star junior running back also had his left foot taped. He worked through drills during the viewing periods and really popped a blocking bag running with full force through one particular drill.


What's next?
Alabama returns to practice Friday for one final practice before its second scrimmage of the preseason. That scrimmage takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

 

[JTEGGER]

Three areas of interest heading into Saturday's scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Second scrimmages usually determine starting jobs. Not so much for Sims and McCarron.

Quarterback

This much we know: statistics from the Crimson Tide's third scrimmage of the preseason will be made public. Well, if you consider the Kent State game a scrimmage, that its.

And really, with Nick Saban on record stating that both AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims will see game action early in the season, the competition was never going to be completely settled in August, anyway. With that in mind, I won't be surprised if the depth chart UA releases on Monday of Kent State week has an "or" separating the two signal callers.

So how will this all shake out?

While ball security will always rank atop the list of contributing factors in the final decision of a quarterback competition, I don't think there will be a lot of separation between McCarron and Sims in the turnover department. Ultimately, it will likely come down to the quarterback who can make a solid-if-not-spectacular receiving corps better than its resume would suggest.

Pulling that off will require confidence from the guy pulling the trigger. Not just in the people he will be throwing the ball to, either. Does he trust his protection enough to hang in the pocket for that extra nanosecond, which is the difference in bailing on the play and finding the open guy?

Tomorrow's scrimmage will offer another opportunity to evaluate the intangibles both guys bring to the position. You know, the kind of things that don't always show up on a stat sheet.

Running game

Saban's comments on the Crimson Tide's lackluster rushing attack following the first scrimmage shouldn't have come as a surprise. Afterall, the Alabama defense returns a wealth of experienced players and while rushing the passer may not be their forte, the defensive front is going to be very stout against the run.

Still, it goes back to the identity of the program that the Alabama offense must be able to run the football effectively against any and all comers. It could be argued that it's the difference between 14-0 and 10-3.

Playing Barrett Jones at left tackle helps ease pass protection concerns, but does it come at the expense of the interior running game? If Cyrus Kouandjio eventually proves to be Jones' equal at left tackle, UA will improve at two offensive line spots.

Pass rush

According to right tackle DJ Fluker, the first-team offensive line didn't surrender a sack in last Saturday's scrimmage. Now, how much of that came against the first defense we don't exactly know, but the need to get more pressure on the quarterback isn't a well-kept secret.

Much like the quarterback position, competition between ends Quinton Dial, who looks to be making a strong push for starting honors, Ed Stinson and Jesse Williams won't end with the close of fall camp.

 

[JTEGGER]

TUSCALOOSA _ Even though the regular season is just over a week away, football took a bit of a back seat both at the University of Alabama and the Southeastern Conference as a whole Tuesday.
Nick Saban commented Tuesday on Pat Summitt's diagnosis and the arrest related to Aaron Douglas' death.

In the morning, the Fernandina Beach (Fla.) Police Department announced they had arrested the taxi driver who gave/sold methadone to offensive lineman Aaron Douglas, which was determined to be the cause of his death May 12. Rodney Young Odum was charged with manslaughter and sale/delivery of a controlled substance.

“Nothing can erase the pain of what happened with Aaron,” Coach Nick Saban said. “It’s been tough on our team, when you lose a comrade, when you lose someone who is a part of your team. Certainly, I think, at least, now there is some … you know, the person who did the wrong-doing is being held accountable for it, which is a positive thing. But nothing can really make that wrong, right.

“It is good that maybe this person will be convicted and not be able to this to other young people. I’m hopeful that we can crack down on that in all areas so that we wouldn’t have that kind of problem in our country with our young people.”

A couple of hours later, legendary Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt disclosed that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, which could lead to Alzheimer's.

The 59-year-old, who plans to continue coaching the Lady Vols , is college basketball's winningest coach, with 1,071 career victories over 37 seasons and eight national championships.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for her, as a person as a coach, who has probably achieved as much as anyone in our profession as a coach,” said Saban, who knows Summitt. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family, I hope she can continue to affect young people and live a normal, healthy live for many years to come. Certainly she has made a mark in our profession that few will ever be able to match or challenge.

“I always have a tremendous amount of respect for the way her players always compete, respond to her and have a tremendous amount of loyalty to her and what she’s doing for her programs throughout the years for her players. We certainly hope that her and her family have happy, healthy lives ahead of them.”

Looking back at the scrimmage

Phelon Jones (9) is challenging for a starting job.

After reviewing Saturday’s closed scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Saban continued with his good, but could be better, assessment.

“There a lot of fundamental improvement that we need to make,” he said. “I think the things coming out of the scrimmage that we need to improve on.

“Mental toughness as a team, especially younger players to be able to persevere and sustain and finish the plays, persevere the scrimmage, stay focused on what you need to do, focus on the details and finish. Those are the big things as an overall team we need to improve on.

“Offense continuing to improve on the route-running in tandem with the quarterbacks. We had a few too many turnovers. We did a much better job in protection, much better job in running the ball, more physical on the line of scrimmage.

“Defensively, the second team gave up far too many big plays, too many mental errors, need to play zone better, missed too many tackles, need to tackle better, had too many penalties.

“First defense played pretty decent, but we need more guys to be able to compete and finish and be responsible.”

Carter update

Junior-college transfer Duron Carter is still waiting for his transcripts to be amended with his updated grades so Alabama can clear him to join the team.

“We still don't know,” Saban said. “Until we get the information back on Duron Carter, which I haven't heard anything on compliance today, we do have a few more days to be able to get this done. We'll make some decision on Danny Woodson probably in the next week or so. The first day of school is not the drop-dead date for when somebody can start school. We're weighing several options in several circumstances and situations. I'm not really at freedom to discuss those. We don't have all the information to make those decisions now. I can't really give you any idea of how it will all end up until we get all the information.”

Tide-bits

While talking about how much senior Phelon Jones has improved, Saban disclosed that he’s challenging for a starting job. “I feel like we have really four corners that I view all as starters,” he said. “I don’t know which ones will end up playing the most. Phelon can play star and he can play corner as well. Menzie has been the star. Dee Milliner and Phelon are battling it out for who plays the other corner.” Jones filled in for Dre Kirkpatrick when he missed a couple days last week with a leg laceration and on Tuesday he was lined up at right cornerback ahead of Milliner during the observation period.

Even though he’s already twice been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, junior running back Trent Richardson only has one copy of him on the regional college football preview edition along with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick. “My mom, she has a couple. It’s a special thing. It’s an honor, especially with the other four guys on there.”

When asked who’s the team clown this season, senior tight end Brad Smelley had a quick answer, sophomore tight end Michael Bowman. “He could probably do some standup,” Smelley said. “ He’s just a funny guy. He cracks everybody up and gets everybody going, which is not a bad thing, because he works hard on the field, but he’s a pretty funny dude.”

Saban on Alabama’s practices the rest of this week: “The focus is on improvement and the things we need to improve on as a team. We will also look at some things that our first four opponents do that is a little bit different, and we will probably start working on Kent State on Friday.”

With classes beginning Wednesday, Alabama will go to a full roster. Added players will go through two days in shorts and helmets and then two days of half-pads so the scout team can be ready to go for Monday’s practice.

 

[JTEGGER]

Ten returning players who are ready to take another step in their UA careers:
White is on the clock at wide receiver.

1.] WR DeAndrew White: Duron Carter or no Duron Carter, the redshirt freshman was going to be heavily involved in the offense. With Darius Hanks out for Kent State and Penn State, he'll be on the field in each of the Crimson Tide's wide receiver sets. Along with Marquis Maze, White has the speed needed to take the top off opposing secondaries.

2.] CB DeQuan Menzie: Assuming the multiple roles left behind by Javier Arenas was tough enough. Performing them while hobbled made the task even more diffiult for Menzie in 2010. Healthy and comfortable with the defense, the biggest difference for Menzie this season will likely be confidence.

3.] QB AJ McCarron: Still no announcement of a starter for Kent State but if game week follows the pattern of every practice since March, McCarron will get first crack with the 1s in the season opener. Assuming he starts, it will be interesting to see how the sophomore handles opening-day jitters.

4.] QB Phillip Sims: With all the inexperience in the passing game, look for UA to go to the air a good bit against Kent State, which would seem to suit Sims just fine. Due to his willingness to take shots down the field, the redshirt freshman is a good bet to be on the passing end of one of the opener's highlights.

5.] OG Anthony Steen: Pretty impressive when a sophomore guard is backed up by a pair of fifh-year seniors. And it doesn't appear as if Steen is going to be the odd man out if Barrett Jones moves back to guard.

6.] OT DJ Fluker: Will team with Steen to form a devastating run-blocking duo on the right side. Hard to recall a five-star recruit who has been less heralded after winning a starting job, but I guess that's the difference between a right tackle and a left tackle. To his credit, Fluker has the work ethic of a two-star who was snubbed by his home-state school.

7.] CB Dee Milliner: Appears to have lost out to Menzie for the right corner job in the base defense, but he'll have a visible role at the position in the nickel and dime -- if he can hold off senior Phelon Jones. Listed as one of two return men on kickoffs, where his plus speed could result in big plays.

8.] RB Eddie Lacy: Based on what's been previously asked of running backs in his current role, Lacy can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of eight carries per game. Of course an injury to Trent Richardson could jump the number to 18 in an instant.

9.] NT Josh Chapman: After a strong finish to the 2010 season, Alabama needs three Novembers-worth of production from the big man in his swansong campaign. Problem is, if the defense is as good against the run as most anticipate, he won't be on the field a lot.

10.] S Jarrick Williams: Another interesting case of a former highly-regarded prospect who has flown under the radar somewhat. Hasean Clinton-Dix and Vinnie Sunseri are promising newcomers, but Williams looks to be the third safety heading into the season. Will also see time at money in the dime package.

 

[JTEGGER]

TUSCALOOSA _ Although the casual observer would probably never notice the difference, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban has been a little different around his players in the practice field this fall.
Newsflash: Nick Saban has been known to yell a little during practice.

No, it’s not a kindler, gentler version of the coach, rather one who has nearly everyone returning on defense after having almost no one a year ago.

“He’s always going to be Coach Saban,” junior linebacker Dont’a Hightower said. “He’s always going to yell, that’s just the way he coaches. But I feel that we don’t have as many mental mistakes.

“Sometimes he yells because he feels he has to.”

Although Alabama again heads into a season highly ranked in the polls, in 2010 the Crimson Tide had the double-whammy of being the reigning national champions and facing eight consecutive teams coming off byes. That it finished 10-3 was disappointing, but also served as motivation during the offseason – especially when combined with other factors from a tumultuous summer.

“The way we went out last year was not the way that we wanted to,” junior safety Robert Lester said. “We want to regain ourselves and get things going the way we want.”

Despite the hype that again surrounds the program, Saban, so far, believes the team is handling it better as it heads into the season opener Saturday against Kent State at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“I do like the attitude of the team, I like the way the team has approached the season,” he said. “I think that hopefully they have learned from past experiences that none of these things really matter. That all the things that are important is how we perform, how we play with consistency, the kind of effort, the kind of toughness, the kind of competitive character we have as a team. But all those things are going to be determined by what we do.

He added: “You’ve got to do the work, put in the work, go in with the idea that you deserve it but you understand what it takes to earn it.”
Dont'a Hightower will probably have more than a glove on his left hand Saturday.

Injury report

Hightower isn’t quite ready to play with his left hand completely unprotected after having surgery on a small fracture a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m still going to wear a protective padding over it,” he said. “There’s not really as much pain, it’s still a little swollen. There’s still a little scar tissue in it.”

Hightower compared it to the procedure Julio Jones had last year, but not as extensive. The wide receiver briefly played the following week.

He was also disappointed that a reporter asked about the progress of his knee, which he’s maintained has been fine since the end of spring.

“You have to let that knee go,” he quipped.

Although Barrett Jones has also been wearing something to protect the interior fingers of his left hand during the last couple of practices, the junior offensive lineman called it “Routine maintenance” and even held his hand up to reporters to show that he was fine.

Tide-bits

Junior running back Trent Richardson was excused from Monday’s activities due to a death in his family. Sophomore Eddie Lacy led the unit through drills, followed by sophomore Jalston Fowler and redshirt freshman Blake Sims.

Speaking of Blake Sims, he wasn’t on the initial depth chart at either running back or quarterback. “That’s why I don’t like depth charts,” Saban said, immediately blaming an assistant and laughingly called it “his” depth chart. “As soon as you omit a guy it creates problems.” Saban then added that Sims should be on the depth chart.

Alabama players were a little surprised to hear that Kent State coach Darrell Hazel said during conference call that Crimson Tide quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims were different in styles. “Phillip might be a little faster, but that’s pretty much the only difference I can see,” senior safety Mark Barron said.

According to senior nose tackle Josh Chapman, true freshman defensive lineman LaMichael Fanning’s nickname “Dink” comes from high school. “I call him Big Country because he’s strong.”

Senior wide receiver Marquis Maze called his chances of taking the opening snap of the season in the “Bobcat” formation “Very slim.” He attempted one pass out of the wildcat last season and connected with Michael Williams for a 19-yard touchdown, but said he hasn’t practiced any throws lately.