Alabama Crimson Tide : Fall Camp Questions
At last the long dark of the off-season is nearing its end. Football is less than one month away, and that means that Fall Camp is getting underway throughout the SEC. The month of August will be absolutely critical in determining how each team fares in September, October, November, and beyond. With that in mind, each team has pressing questions they have to answer before the end of the month. We will begin our series by taking a look at the questions facing Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Who Will be the Quarterback?
This has to be the question that is weighing most heavily on the hearts and minds of the Tide faithful. As LSU has discovered, to their detriment, quarterback is the position that makes the offense run. If you don’t have one who can at least keep defenses honest, you will find tough sledding in the SEC.
As of now there are still four quarterbacks competing: Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell, Blake Barnett, and Jalen Hurts. All four have weaknesses that could hold them back. Bateman has no ability to stretch the field, as his deep ball tends to “come apart on him,” according to Phil Savage. Cornwell, by contrast, has all the arm strength in the world but can’t hit the broad side of the barn. Barnett likes to throw interceptions, which Saban simply won’t tolerate. And finally, Jalen Hurts is a raw true freshman who may need some seasoning before he is ready to run with the big dogs in the nation’s toughest conference.
Verdict: Bateman is going to be the guy. He is the oldest, takes care of the ball the best, and has good accuracy on short and intermediate throws. Bama fans will clamor for Barnett and Hurts, but Saban will go with the savvy veteran who can manage the game, just like he always does.
Can the Tide Find Depth at Running Back?
Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa back in 2007, he has had an abundance of talented running backs to carry the load. However, while the talent is certainly there this season, the abundance is a bit lacking. Alabama has Bo Scarborough, a Derrick Henry clone, and Damien Harris, who has a similar build to Mark Ingram. Both were highly regarded recruits, and Harris was the MVP of the Tide’s A-Day game. If they can stay healthy, they should form a formidable one-two punch.
But if one of them should go down with an injury the situation gets scary in a hurry. The Tide have two true freshman backs coming in: BJ Emmons (who may be academically ineligible) and Joshua Jacobs. They also have Xavian Marks who is incredibly tiny (5’8″ 163) and would undoubtedly explode into a fine powder if an SEC linebacker met him in the hole.
Verdict: If Emmons qualifies and the top two can stay healthy, then yes. If not it could be a long season in Tuscaloosa.
Will there be a Drop-off in the Front Seven?
Last year the Tide had the most dominant defensive front seven that I can recall watching. The Tide led the nation in sacks, with 52, and was dominant against the run, holding Leonard Fournette to just 31 yards on 19 carries (1.6 ypc). It truly was remarkable.
Unfortunately, the Tide lost a few key cogs from that unit. A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Reggie Ragland, and Denzell Devall, are all off to greener pastures. Nevertheless, the Tide still has talent to burn. Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams, and Ryan Anderson are all proven pass-rushing masters. Daron Payne, a true sophomore, provides the beef in the middle of Saban’s 3-4 defense. And Reuben Foster has the raw athleticism to be an even better middle linebacker than Ragland was.
Verdict: Yes. But not with the starters. Alabama is loaded again. The question is can the Tide replace the depth they lost to the draft? The answer to that is “not right away.” Teams who commit to running the ball early and often may find success late in the 4th quarter, when fatigue begins to become a factor.
Alabama has questions, as all teams do each season, luckily for Tide fans Nick Saban usually manages to find the answers. Will he this time? Let us know in the comments. And be sure to check back tomorrow to see which questions are facing the Arkansas Razorbacks.