UPDATED 9 p.m.: As I mentioned earlier today, three quarterbacks had separated themselves: Jake Coker, Alec Morris and Cooper Bateman. Well as of today, Bateman has made a major move towards the job. As I type this tonight, the competition is mainly between Coker and Bateman. I hesitate to type this because of how much movement we've seen in the competition since fall camp opened. But multiple sources have indicated to me right now it's between Coker and Bateman. Stay tuned.
Sept. 5 gets closer every day, and the want for Alabama football information, lets face it, that never dies down. If you're one of those people expecting big things from Crimson Tide football this year, you have reason to be excited. This team is loaded with talent.
I've spent the last several days talking to multiple sources to get the most up-to-date and accurate information. So here it is, the Insider Report.
Looking at this team, it's not difficult to see that it is elite. As I said above, the team is stocked with talent. The offensive line is quite good, the running backs are good, the defensive line is elite, the linebackers are great, the secondary is improved. There is a feeling that with solid quarterback play, this is a national championship team. That talk isn't hyperbole. The team compares quite nicely, in fact to the 2011 and 2012 teams. But there is a hiccup. The team hasn't gotten solid quarterback play, the wide receivers aren't particularly helping the quarterbacks much and the season opener is less than two weeks away.
We'll start with the quarterback competition. Three quarterbacks have created a little distance between themselves and the others, with two of those locked in a tight competition. Alec Morris was the first quarterback to take the field in the second scrimmage. He's the subject of much speculation at the moment. Many favor him to win the starting job. It's true that Morris finds himself in good position right now. And to be truthful, it's probably more from what the other quarterbacks have not done than what Morris has done. That's not a knock on Morris. He's actually done what's been asked of him, and, primarily, it's taking care of the football. He's not turning it over, and that is the No. 1 priority to Nick Saban. Saban said during a recent press conference the team doesn't need a quarterback to win the game. Think about that for a second. What does that statement mean? It means, that he knows the offense can run the football. He knows he's got a weapon at punter in JK Scott. And he knows how good his defense is going to be. You've heard him say before that as long as every drive ends in a kick, it's a good thing. That means that he's not afraid to punt and play defense. Turning the ball over is a no-no. So from that end, Morris is doing what is asked from him. But he's also not making many plays. Maybe that doesn't matter. But there will a time this season where the defense won't be able to shut down an opposing offense. Can Morris help win a 35-31 game? That's the question. A better question is can another quarterback protect the football like Morris can?
Jake Coker is the other most likeliest candidate to start. Coker's strengths don't need to be listed. You know them. He's got plenty of arm strength. He's athletic. He's big. He's strong. And he's tough. Coker's toe injury, while not severe, was quite painful. And he had the mental toughness to come back quickly to get right back in the competition. And don't believe what you may have read from a national writer that Coker hasn't won over the locker room. That's simply not true. Coker's teammates respect him. Anyone who says anything less is being less than truthful or reaching for a storyline that quite simply doesn't exist. I was told by multiple sources that Coker made the best five throws on Saturday. It was the other throws that are holding Coker back. He must be more accurate and protect the football.
None of the quarterbacks lit it up during the second scrimmage. To put it into proper context though, you must consider that the offense had to go up against one of the best defenses in the country. Unofficially: Morris was 6 of 19 (there were some drops). Cooper Bateman was 16 of 27 (lots of check down throws). David Cornwell was 1 of 10. Coker attempted 26 passes (one interception) and Blake Barnett attempted 11.
Morris connected on the day's biggest play, about a 95-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster. Sources told me that it was defensive bust. It wasn't a deep throw, Foster made the catch and then shook Eddie Jackson for the long touchdown.
I was told Bateman had the best day of the five, but he also played mostly with and against the second team mostly. At this point of the competition, the coaching staff has to cut the list of quarterbacks they're working with so it becomes manageable. To that end, Barnett and Cornwell are essentially out of the competition. Saban hasn't uttered Cornwell's name in more than two weeks. That's especially peculiar considering he exited spring camp as one of the two main competitors.
Saban said he's going to go with the guy who is least likely to lose the game. At this point, that fits the description of Morris. I think Coker can fill that role too. In fact, if it stays the same as it is at the moment, I think both Morris and Coker will play. Even if one starts against Wisconsin, it doesn't mean much. We'll know who the staff feels best about when we see who takes the field against Ole Miss.
With all that said, the wide receivers must begin helping their quarterbacks more. There was little separation from defensive back during Saturday's scrimmage. I knew there would be some growing pains with the departure of all-world talent Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White and Christion Jones. That's a lot of experience to lose. The current crop needs to do a better job of consistently getting open. That's not happening right now. There were also plenty of drops in the scrimmage. Saban acknowledged that the unit is younger than they'd like, and some of that is due to Cam Sims and Raheem Falkins being out with injury. Multiple sources tell me that the best overall wide receiver at the moment is transfer Richard Mullaney. He is the most polished of the group -- runs great routes, good hands. He'll be the possession receiver this season. ArDarius Stewart has the most potential for this season. He is fast and he'll make the tough catch. He's also real tough. But he needs to improve his consistency. The way it was told to me "Stewart might be the most flashiest or most talented, but Mullaney looks like a pro. He will catch way more passes than most fans think." Robert Foster has great potential as he showed during that 90+ yard touchdown catch. Chris Black almost made a SportsCenter Top 10 catch for a touchdown but couldn't hold onto the ball. Calvin Ridley has a ton of talent. The coaching staff is excited about him.
Saban is calling O.J. Howard "special." Whether that translates to a larger role in the offense remains to be seen.
The team feels good about the running backs with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. So much so that they limited both workloads during the first two scrimmages. There is a feeling that Drake is the best player on the team. Kiffin will use him a variety of ways. Damien Harris will see carries this season. Harris runs behind his pad level well. He has good vision, nice cutting ability and good speed. He may not get a ton of carries this season, but he is the future at running back without doubt.
The secondary's athleticism has been upgraded. Moving cornerbacks Geno Smith and Eddie Jackson to safety accomplished that. This should help defend the pass much better. There is a trade off though. Neither is particularly skilled at coming into the box and playing physical. Saturday Marlon Humphrey was the cornerback opposite Cyrus Jones. This secondary can cover more ground and make more plays. When the team goes dime there will essentially be six corners on the field. Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Star defensive back in nickel and the Money in dime. Ronnie Harrison is the third safety right now. Tony Brown worked exclusively with the second team at corner Saturday. Talent isn't the issue with Brown. It's the off-the-field stuff that's hindering him. Saban didn't even mention him after Saturday's scrimmage in a talk to boosters. With Anthony Averett banged up, Bradley Sylve was the other corner with the 2s. Averett had a good camp.
Adam Griffith had a nice fall camp. When he's healthy, he is good. When his back hurts, he’s not so good. This camp his back’s been pretty good. He had nice distance on his kickoffs. He missed a 52-yard field goal during Saturday' scrimmage that landed in the seats. It had the distance for well over 60, but he missed it left.
Other things I've heard from sources
"The offense is going to have to give Wisconsin points for Wisconsin to score much. If they score more than 14 on their own without help, I’ll be shocked."
"Daron Payne is a beast. He showed up ready to go. There is tremendous depth on the defensive line, but the coaching staff loves him. He's the next Marcell Dareus."
"This defense is in the conversation with the 2011 defense. It's that good."
"Blake Barnett has the 'It' factor in terms of being a leader. Guys naturally flock to him."
"If it comes down to a strictly protecting the football decision, Alec Morris is in good shape."
Other tidbits
**Cyrus Jones played a couple of plays at wide receiver during the scrimmage
**Kenyan Drake returned kicks
**When it was 1s against 1s, the defense forced three-and-out nearly every time
**Reuben Foster and Derrick Henry had a big collision on the goal line that brought a lot of "ooohs"
**Foster laid out Damien Harris on one hit
**Marlon Humphrey had a pick six
**It took a hour and a half for the offense to score on the first team defense and even that came during a situational drill
Sept. 5 gets closer every day, and the want for Alabama football information, lets face it, that never dies down. If you're one of those people expecting big things from Crimson Tide football this year, you have reason to be excited. This team is loaded with talent.
I've spent the last several days talking to multiple sources to get the most up-to-date and accurate information. So here it is, the Insider Report.
Looking at this team, it's not difficult to see that it is elite. As I said above, the team is stocked with talent. The offensive line is quite good, the running backs are good, the defensive line is elite, the linebackers are great, the secondary is improved. There is a feeling that with solid quarterback play, this is a national championship team. That talk isn't hyperbole. The team compares quite nicely, in fact to the 2011 and 2012 teams. But there is a hiccup. The team hasn't gotten solid quarterback play, the wide receivers aren't particularly helping the quarterbacks much and the season opener is less than two weeks away.
We'll start with the quarterback competition. Three quarterbacks have created a little distance between themselves and the others, with two of those locked in a tight competition. Alec Morris was the first quarterback to take the field in the second scrimmage. He's the subject of much speculation at the moment. Many favor him to win the starting job. It's true that Morris finds himself in good position right now. And to be truthful, it's probably more from what the other quarterbacks have not done than what Morris has done. That's not a knock on Morris. He's actually done what's been asked of him, and, primarily, it's taking care of the football. He's not turning it over, and that is the No. 1 priority to Nick Saban. Saban said during a recent press conference the team doesn't need a quarterback to win the game. Think about that for a second. What does that statement mean? It means, that he knows the offense can run the football. He knows he's got a weapon at punter in JK Scott. And he knows how good his defense is going to be. You've heard him say before that as long as every drive ends in a kick, it's a good thing. That means that he's not afraid to punt and play defense. Turning the ball over is a no-no. So from that end, Morris is doing what is asked from him. But he's also not making many plays. Maybe that doesn't matter. But there will a time this season where the defense won't be able to shut down an opposing offense. Can Morris help win a 35-31 game? That's the question. A better question is can another quarterback protect the football like Morris can?
Jake Coker is the other most likeliest candidate to start. Coker's strengths don't need to be listed. You know them. He's got plenty of arm strength. He's athletic. He's big. He's strong. And he's tough. Coker's toe injury, while not severe, was quite painful. And he had the mental toughness to come back quickly to get right back in the competition. And don't believe what you may have read from a national writer that Coker hasn't won over the locker room. That's simply not true. Coker's teammates respect him. Anyone who says anything less is being less than truthful or reaching for a storyline that quite simply doesn't exist. I was told by multiple sources that Coker made the best five throws on Saturday. It was the other throws that are holding Coker back. He must be more accurate and protect the football.
None of the quarterbacks lit it up during the second scrimmage. To put it into proper context though, you must consider that the offense had to go up against one of the best defenses in the country. Unofficially: Morris was 6 of 19 (there were some drops). Cooper Bateman was 16 of 27 (lots of check down throws). David Cornwell was 1 of 10. Coker attempted 26 passes (one interception) and Blake Barnett attempted 11.
Morris connected on the day's biggest play, about a 95-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster. Sources told me that it was defensive bust. It wasn't a deep throw, Foster made the catch and then shook Eddie Jackson for the long touchdown.
I was told Bateman had the best day of the five, but he also played mostly with and against the second team mostly. At this point of the competition, the coaching staff has to cut the list of quarterbacks they're working with so it becomes manageable. To that end, Barnett and Cornwell are essentially out of the competition. Saban hasn't uttered Cornwell's name in more than two weeks. That's especially peculiar considering he exited spring camp as one of the two main competitors.
Saban said he's going to go with the guy who is least likely to lose the game. At this point, that fits the description of Morris. I think Coker can fill that role too. In fact, if it stays the same as it is at the moment, I think both Morris and Coker will play. Even if one starts against Wisconsin, it doesn't mean much. We'll know who the staff feels best about when we see who takes the field against Ole Miss.
With all that said, the wide receivers must begin helping their quarterbacks more. There was little separation from defensive back during Saturday's scrimmage. I knew there would be some growing pains with the departure of all-world talent Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White and Christion Jones. That's a lot of experience to lose. The current crop needs to do a better job of consistently getting open. That's not happening right now. There were also plenty of drops in the scrimmage. Saban acknowledged that the unit is younger than they'd like, and some of that is due to Cam Sims and Raheem Falkins being out with injury. Multiple sources tell me that the best overall wide receiver at the moment is transfer Richard Mullaney. He is the most polished of the group -- runs great routes, good hands. He'll be the possession receiver this season. ArDarius Stewart has the most potential for this season. He is fast and he'll make the tough catch. He's also real tough. But he needs to improve his consistency. The way it was told to me "Stewart might be the most flashiest or most talented, but Mullaney looks like a pro. He will catch way more passes than most fans think." Robert Foster has great potential as he showed during that 90+ yard touchdown catch. Chris Black almost made a SportsCenter Top 10 catch for a touchdown but couldn't hold onto the ball. Calvin Ridley has a ton of talent. The coaching staff is excited about him.
Saban is calling O.J. Howard "special." Whether that translates to a larger role in the offense remains to be seen.
The team feels good about the running backs with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. So much so that they limited both workloads during the first two scrimmages. There is a feeling that Drake is the best player on the team. Kiffin will use him a variety of ways. Damien Harris will see carries this season. Harris runs behind his pad level well. He has good vision, nice cutting ability and good speed. He may not get a ton of carries this season, but he is the future at running back without doubt.
The secondary's athleticism has been upgraded. Moving cornerbacks Geno Smith and Eddie Jackson to safety accomplished that. This should help defend the pass much better. There is a trade off though. Neither is particularly skilled at coming into the box and playing physical. Saturday Marlon Humphrey was the cornerback opposite Cyrus Jones. This secondary can cover more ground and make more plays. When the team goes dime there will essentially be six corners on the field. Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Star defensive back in nickel and the Money in dime. Ronnie Harrison is the third safety right now. Tony Brown worked exclusively with the second team at corner Saturday. Talent isn't the issue with Brown. It's the off-the-field stuff that's hindering him. Saban didn't even mention him after Saturday's scrimmage in a talk to boosters. With Anthony Averett banged up, Bradley Sylve was the other corner with the 2s. Averett had a good camp.
Adam Griffith had a nice fall camp. When he's healthy, he is good. When his back hurts, he’s not so good. This camp his back’s been pretty good. He had nice distance on his kickoffs. He missed a 52-yard field goal during Saturday' scrimmage that landed in the seats. It had the distance for well over 60, but he missed it left.
Other things I've heard from sources
"The offense is going to have to give Wisconsin points for Wisconsin to score much. If they score more than 14 on their own without help, I’ll be shocked."
"Daron Payne is a beast. He showed up ready to go. There is tremendous depth on the defensive line, but the coaching staff loves him. He's the next Marcell Dareus."
"This defense is in the conversation with the 2011 defense. It's that good."
"Blake Barnett has the 'It' factor in terms of being a leader. Guys naturally flock to him."
"If it comes down to a strictly protecting the football decision, Alec Morris is in good shape."
Other tidbits
**Cyrus Jones played a couple of plays at wide receiver during the scrimmage
**Kenyan Drake returned kicks
**When it was 1s against 1s, the defense forced three-and-out nearly every time
**Reuben Foster and Derrick Henry had a big collision on the goal line that brought a lot of "ooohs"
**Foster laid out Damien Harris on one hit
**Marlon Humphrey had a pick six
**It took a hour and a half for the offense to score on the first team defense and even that came during a situational drill
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