[Tuck4Bama]

Team Report: Notes and Quotes



-- A standing-room only crowd of 92,138 fans attended Alabama's first spring game under coach Nick Saban, breaking the previous record of 51,117 set in 1988 at Birmingham's Legion Field. In both cases, admission was free. No official SEC records are kept but the previous best reported for an SEC spring game was more than 73,000 at Tennessee in 1986.

-- With the Tide moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base defense, the nose tackle becomes even more of an anchor position for the defense. Two possible candidates for the job, Lorenzo Washington and Byron Walton, were limited in the spring while recovering from offseason injuries.

-- With Chris Capps, the returning starter at right tackle, out all spring with a shoulder injury, B.J. Stabler got his chance to move from guard and work with the first team. However, a chronic knee problem that has led to two surgeries limited Stabler's availability in the spring. Sophomore Mike Johnson took advantage of the opportunity to make progress.
SPRING MOVERS:
NT Brian Motley -- With Washington and Walton limited, Motley moved from offense to defense early in the spring and made surprising progress, particularly for a redshirt freshman. First-year coach Nick Saban called Motley the team's most improved player this spring.
RB Terry Grant -- With the departure of starter Ken Darby, the tailback spot is crowded with contenders. The Tide's leading returning rusher, Jimmy Johns, missed some of the spring working on his academics, while Grant, a redshirt freshman, emerged as a back who will get a serious look in the preseason. QUOTE TO NOTE: "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach." -- First-year Alabama coach Nick Saban on the crowd of more than 92,000 who attended the Crimson Tide's A-Day game.

[Stoney]

Our defense kinda looks like something Dom Capers would have drawn up...3-4 is hard to execute unless you have some real studs at linebacker.

[Tuck4Bama]

from what I have seen and read he is recruiting big quick defensive ends to drop into lineacker positions. After looking through all the prospects listed at this time i have seen one Middle linebacker offered a scholorshp.

[Tuck4Bama]

SEC Position Rankings: Tide corners check in
td.yspwidearticlebody { font-size: 13.5px; }By Travis Reier, BamaOnLine.com Senior Writer – Rivals.com

1.] LSU
Projected starters: Jonathan Zenon; Chevis Jackson.
Next up: Chris Hawkins; Jai Eugene.
Best of the bunch: Too close to call between Zenon and Jackson. In picking off four passes last season, Zenon had two more interceptions than Jackson. Jackson, on the other hand, had 19 more tackles and two more pass breakups than Zenon.
Biggest loss: Daniel Francis served as the Tigers' nickel back a season ago, making three starts at the position as a senior. Francis finished the 2006 season with 31 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
Biggest concern: An area that has been home to great depth in recent years, will be looking to replace two senior backups this time around.
Biggest reason for optimism: A pass defense that ranked third nationally a season ago welcomes back both of its starting corners. In the spring, former four-star recruit Eugene flashed the ability that brought scholarship offers from all of the nation's top powers. The redshirt freshman broke up three passes in the spring game and will see plenty of action in the nickel package.
2.] Alabama
Projected starters: Simeon Castille; Lionel Mitchell.
Next up: Kareem Jackson; Marquis Johnson; Javier Arenas; Eric Gray; Tremayne Coger.
Best of the bunch: A first-team All-SEC selection in 2006, Castille led the league in turnovers with nine (six interceptions and three fumble recoveries). In addition to starting at right corner, Castille will continue to slide inside to the nickel position when the Tide goes with its extra defensive back packages.
Biggest loss: Ramzee Robinson was a three-year starter who capped his career by picking off two passes and breaking up seven others in 2006.
Biggest concern: While Jackson and Johnson did some good things in the spring, depth behind Castille and Mitchell is somewhat of a question mark. Gray finished the 2006 season as the starter at left corner, but a hamstring strain shelved the senior for much of spring drills.
Biggest reason for optimism: Castille and Mitchell combined for 10 interceptions a season ago, so there are proven playmakers at both spots. Mitchell averaged 32 yards per interception return in 2006. Jackson, who enrolled at UA in January after spending the fall at Fork Union Military Academy, had worked his way up to the No. 3 corner spot when spring practice came to a close. He and Johnson are on their way to becoming starters in the future.
3.] Georgia
Projected starters: Asher Allen; Bryan Evans.
Next up: Thomas Flowers; Prince Miller; Donovan Baldwin; Ramarcus Brown.
Best of the bunch: Based on numbers, it's Evans, who posted 26 tackles, including three for losses, and six pass breakups in 2006. However, by midseason it could be Allen, Brown, Flowers -- who returns after missing most of last season with a foot injury -- or Miller who jumps to the forefront.
Biggest loss: Paul Oliver, the Dawgs top returning corner, was recently ruled academically ineligible for the 2007 season, effectively ending his UGA career. Oliver had 57 tackles and three interceptions a season ago.
Biggest concern: Evans sustained a broken wrist in the G-Day game but expects to be ready when fall camps cranks up in August. With Oliver out and Allen expected to take over at the boundary corner, the nickel back job -- which Asher was expected to handle -- is accepting applications.
Biggest reason for optimism: There's no substitute for experience, something Oliver had in spades over the other returning corners. Still, this is one area that could withstand losing a player of Oliver's caliber. With Oliver tending to academic issues, Asher got a lot of work with the first group during the spring.
4.] South Carolina
Projected starters: Carlos Thomas; Captain Munnerlyn.
Next up: Stoney Woodson; Chris Hail.
Best of the bunch: Mobile native Munnerlyn replaced Thomas as the starter in the final month of the 2006 regular season. The sophomore finished the season with 36 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups. Though not particularly large in stature or swift afoot, Munnerlyn gets by on instincts and a physical style of play.
Biggest loss: A second-team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches in 2006, Fred Bennett posted a team-high 11 pass breakups to go along with his two interceptions a season ago. Bennett, who was selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, racked up 108 tackles and nine interceptions in 48 career games.
Biggest concern: A former wide receiver, Thomas is an excellent athlete (he also returns kickoffs), but he lacked consistency in his first full season in the secondary.
Biggest reason for optimism: Woodson and Thomas shared Most Improved Cornerback honors at the end of spring drills. A converted safety who picked off a team-high three passes a season ago, Woodson returned an interception 97 yards in a spring scrimmage last month. Highly regarded signees Akeem Auguste and Jamire Williams are expected to arrive on campus this summer.
5.] Arkansas
Projected starters: Jerell Norton; Matterral Richardson.
Next up: Jamar Love; Shedrick Johnson.
Best of the bunch: Richardson started all 14 games a season ago, posting 63 tackles, one interception and 10 pass breakups.
Biggest loss: Chris Houston bypassed his final season of eligibility after recording 45 tackles, three interceptions (with returns averaging 43 yards) and 13 pass breakups in 2006. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Biggest concern: Norton has a knack for getting his hands on the football, but as you might expect, the young corner made some mental mistakes in coverage during spring drills.
Biggest reason for optimism: Norton and Richardson both have the size and athleticism needed to hold up in defensive coordinator Reggie Herring's press coverage scheme. And there's experienced depth in Johnson and Love behind the starters.
6.] Vanderbilt
Projected starters: D.J. Moore; Myron Lewis.
Next up: Josh Allen; Darlron Spead; Jared Fagan; Alan Strong.
Best of the bunch: Moore was named to the freshman All-SEC team after recording 37 tackles, one interception and three fumble recoveries in 2006. The sophomore picked off two passes in one of the Commodores' spring scrimmages.
Biggest loss: After starting at corner a season ago, former Hoover standout Joel Caldwell made the move to safety during spring drills, making way for Lewis at the spot opposite Moore.
Biggest concern: Moore, listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, struggled with bigger receivers late in the 2006 season and did not start the final two games of the campaign. Size isn't an issue for Lewis, a converted safety who stands 6-foot-3, but opponents will be quick to test his cover skills.
Biggest reason for optimism: Vandy returns plenty of game experience at corner. Allen and Fagan started contests in 2006 and nickel back Spead led all players at the position with three interceptions last season.
7.] Auburn
Projected starters: Pat Lee; Jonathan Wilhite.
Next up: Jerraud Powers; Walter McFadden; Zach Gilbert.
Best of the bunch: Lee posted 25 tackles, one interception and six pass breakups last season.
Biggest loss: David Irons was a second-team All-SEC choice by the league's coaches after picking off two passes and breaking up 12 others in 2006.
Biggest concern: The Tigers' top five corners combined for two interceptions last season. Wilhite was benched in favor of Lee late in the 2006 season. He'll be sporting a bullseye when opposing offenses go to the air.
Biggest reason for optimism: McFadden impressed defensive coordinator Will Muschamp during spring drills and the sophomore could be in line to take over should either Lee or Wilhite struggle.
8.] Florida
Projected starters: Markihe Anderson; Markus Manson or Joe Haden.
Next up: Jacques Rickerson; Wondy Pierre-Louis; Ahmad Black.
Best of the bunch: Anderson was tabbed as a starter by UF head coach Urban Meyer at the end of spring practice. The sophomore posted eight tackles in 13 games a season ago.
Biggest loss: Ryan Smith's decision to forgo his final season of eligibility left one of three big holes in the secondary. A first-team All-SEC choice by the Associated Press in 2006, Smith -- who bailed the Gators out a year ago when he transferred from Utah to UF as a graduate student -- posted eight interceptions in his lone season in Gainesville. The Gators must also replace their other starting corner, Reggie Lewis, who picked off four passes a season ago.
Biggest concern: Pierre-Louis, Rickerson and Black all missed practice time in the spring, leaving former running back Manson and January enrollee Haden as the top two candidates for the spot opposite Anderson. How inexperienced is this group? The six corners listed above have combined for one career pass breakup.
Biggest reason for optimism: Anderson will become a good one in time. Haden was a two-way star in high school, but the plan is to work him on defense for the time being. Talent isn't the issue. Once all of these guys are healthy, UF will put three or four solid corners on the field.
9.] Kentucky
Projected starters: Trevard Lindley; E.J. Adams.
Next up: Paul Warford; Shomari Moore; Ahmad Grigsby, Jr.
Best of the bunch: Lindley picked up freshman All-America honors after recording 52 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups in 2006. He was named to Rivals.com's All-Bowl team after coming up with a pair of red zone turnovers in the second quarter of the Cats' Music City Bowl win over Clemson.
Biggest loss: Starting corner Karl Booker racked up 44 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups as a senior.
Biggest concern: Kentucky ranked dead last in the SEC in pass defense in 2006.
Biggest reason for optimism: Lindley carried over his strong play to the spring, picking off starting quarterback Andre' Woodson twice in the Blue and White game. Adams, Warford and Moore saw a good bit of game action a season ago.
10.] Tennessee
Projected starters: Marsalous Johnson; Antonio Gaines.
Next up: Art Evans.
Best of the bunch: Johnson was the Vols' top performer at corner in the spring.
Biggest loss: A second-team All-SEC choice in 2006, Jonathan Wade posted 52 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass breakups as a senior. The St. Louis Rams selected Wade with their third round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Biggest concern: The Volunteers went through spring drills with just three scholarship corners available. In addition to losing Wade to graduation, three other players -- Inky Johnson, Antwan Stewart and Roshaun Fellows -- with starting experience must be replaced. Johnson sustained a severe shoulder injury in week two of the 2006 season and was replaced by Stewart, who finished his senior campaign with 46 tackles and three interceptions. Roshaun Fellows, a freshman All-America choice in 2004, sat out the entire 2006 season with a pectoral injury before being dismissed from the squad last month.
Biggest reason for optimism: Marsalous Johnson -- who was suspended for the first four games of the 2006 season -- made large strides during spring drills and appears to be a lock to start. True freshman Evans, five-star signee Eric Berry and JUCO transfer DeAngelo Willingham transfer will battle Gaines for starting honors, with one of the three likely to handle nickel back duties.
11.] Mississippi State
Projected starters: Anthony Johnson; Marcus Washington.
Next up: Keon Humphries; Tay Bowser.
Best of the bunch: Johnson recorded 12 tackles and one pass breakup in 2006.
Biggest loss: David Heard finished his MSU career in solid fashion, posting 45 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups a season ago. Derek Pegues, who racked up 32 tackles and a team-high four interceptions in 2006, has moved to free safety.
Biggest concern: The Bulldogs' smallish corners will open the 2007 season against Early Doucet and LSU on a Thursday night. Welcome to the SEC, Anthony and Marcus.
Biggest reason for optimism: Coaches don't move a proven corner like Pegues to safety unless they feel good about what's behind him.
12.] Ole Miss
Projected starters: Dustin Mouzon; Cassius Vaughn .
Next up: Nate Banks; Rob Campbell.
Best of the bunch: Mouzon posted 28 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups in 2006.
Biggest loss: The Rebels must replace a three-year starter in Trumaine McBride, a seventh round selection by the Chicago Bears in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Biggest concern: Banks has more game experience than any of the other corners, but it hasn't been of the positive sort.
Biggest reason for optimism: Mouzon showed well after replacing Banks in the starting lineup late in the 2006 season. The best news for this group is that better things are expected from a pass rush that ranked among the league's worst a season ago.
Top four SEC cornerbacks for 2007: Simeon Castille, Alabama; Chevis Jackson, LSU; Trevard Lindley, Kentucky; Jonathan Zenon, LSU.

Updated on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:00 pm EDT

[Stoney]

I think Saban is looking for the next Kevin Greene he was a bull in the 3-4 scheme for the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Stoney

I think Saban is looking for the next Kevin Greene he was a bull in the 3-4 scheme for the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

And the Rams, too. Greene was a Ram before going to Pittsburgh.

He was the kind of player whose motor was always running. Every team could use a linebacker like that.

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

And the Rams, too. Greene was a Ram before going to Pittsburgh.

He was the kind of player whose motor was always running. Every team could use a linebacker like that.

The only blemish was he played at Auburn.. and the WWF thing...that and the contract hold out that sent him to Jacksonville but he was never the same.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Stoney

The only blemish was he played at Auburn.. and the WWF thing...that and the contract hold out that sent him to Jacksonville but he was never the same.

Ha ha, oh, crud, Stoney... I completely forgot about his whole foray into pro wrestling! That's Green for you, though. If ever the word "unconventional" fit a person to a tee, it would be Kevin Green. Odd monkey, but when he and Greg Lloyd were together in Pittsburgh, man was that something special to watch.

[Stoney]

His best season was 1996 when he just about singlehandedly got the Panthers to the NFC title game.

[Tuck4Bama]

Day To Think About Upsets
Nick Saban is Tide football general
By Kirk McNair

Posted Jul 4, 2007

If The University of Alabama was paying the chairman of the School of Communications $4 million a year and the professors were all making princely sums in excess of a quarter of a million a year, how long would we be patient in waiting for the Crimson White to read like the New York Times?


Would we be willing to wait for the School of Journalism to recruit Rick Bragg-types before turning out the product?
Alabama Coach Nick Saban doesn’t come across as a patient type person, but he has insisted that Crimson Tide fans must be patient while he and his staff institute the process that will lead to unarticulated results. The process includes recruiting and conditioning and coaching.
Saban may not want to hear it, but Alabama fans know the goal. It has been a decade and a half since it has been reached, and patience is thin. That is not to blame the Crimson Tide staff. This group is just getting started, and any reasonable observer recognizes there are obstacles to a national championship.
The Fourth of July seems an appropriate time to think about upsets. After all, what were the chances of General George Washington’s rag-tag army defeating the most powerful military machine on the face of the planet? (Today we might think what the chances would be of getting military help from the French, but that’s a subject for another venue.)
Did Bama’s Fourth Quarter off-season program harden the Crimson Tide like Valley Forge did the revolutionary army?
Does Saban face stiffer competition than Washington did against Cornwallis at Yorktown?
What would become the United States of America defeating Great Britain is one of the great upsets in history. No college football game can approach it. Still, Alabama could use an upset. And soon.
In order to effect an upset, Bama must first be the underdog. That won’t come in the first two games of 2007. Against Western Carolina on September 1, the only Alabama concern will be that quarterback John Parker Wilson not suffer an inexcusable season-ending injury the way Brodie Croyle did in 2005. Vanderbilt in Nashville the next week will be something of a test. The Commodores, historically depth-poor, are usually tougher early in the season, but still aren’t likely to be able to match Alabama firepower.
What about Arkansas? The Razorbacks have had a lot of success against Alabama, particularly as the underdog. Bama is likely to be the favorite in this game on September 8 in Tuscaloosa. It will make you dizzy trying to decide if since the Tide will be favored that it would be an upset if Alabama won against the Hogs on September 15.
How about Georgia in Tuscaloosa on September 22? The Bulldogs are picked in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division about like Alabama is picked in the Western Division, which is to say middle of the pack. So it’s hard to say that a win over Georgia would be much of an upset.
FSU and Alabama in Jacksonville on September 29 is one of the better non-conference games in recent Alabama history. There have been seasons when Bama vs. Florida State would be big bowl talk. But the Tide is coming off the Independence Bowl and the Seminoles took their 6-6 record to the Emerald Bowl last year. This looks like a toss-up, not the stuff of upsets.
Houston in Tuscaloosa on October 6 is likely to be a better game than was expected when the Cougars were scheduled. Still, the Conference USA team will be an underdog against Bama.
Game seven of 2007 is at Ole Miss. Even though it took overtime for Alabama to win last year’s game in Tuscaloosa, there is a good reason the Tide has an all-time record of 43-9-2 against the Rebels. There is no Manning in Oxford, and a Bama win on October 13 will not be an upset.
Several teams have had excellent success against Alabama thanks to a big assist from the NCAA, which crippled the Crimson Tide with unprecedented penalties. Bama has made progress in recovering from that handicap. One of the programs most responsible for Alabama problems and which most benefited from them is Tennessee. Cloach Phil Fulmer’s team is considered an under-achiever by many. The Vols come to Tuscaloosa on October 20 in the unusual position of having played a game the previous week (against Mississippi State). An Alabama win over the Vols would be most welcome, but hardly an epic upset this year.
Alabama and LSU will have two weeks to get ready for the November 3 game in Tuscaloosa. The Bengal Tigers do not have Bama on their Best Friends List since the Crimson Tide brought in Saban. Odd, since he stockpiled LSU with national championship type players. It is primarily because of what Saban did at LSU that the Tigers have more firepower than the Tide. There is no doubt Saban will have his team prepared for LSU, but the Bengal Tigers will have been building for this game like no other on the schedule. If somehow Alabama could win this game, it would be a true upset.
One reason Saban is at Alabama is because of a 2006 upset. Alabama lost to Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa last year, a sure sign that the Mike Shula era was near its conclusion. This year the Tide has to travel to Starkville for the November 10 game, but Alabama will be expected to win. Only the most hardcore fan knows that on November 17 Alabama will be hosting Louisiana-Monroe. This is the kind of game Bama needs fewer of. Alabama closes out the inaugural Nick Saban regular season with a chance at a real upset. Auburn partisans are thinking the Tigers can compete for the national championship this year, and the game is in Auburn on November 24. Particularly since Tommy Tuberville became Auburn’s coach, the Tigers have seemed to play with great hate for Alabama. That ferocity has not been matched by Alabama teams. Bama should be tougher under Saban, but judging by conversation among Auburn partisans the infusion of Saban into the rivalry has increased Auburn hate. Expect Alabama to return to dominant football force in the state under Saban, but it would be a real upset for Bama to end the Tigers’ winning streak this year.

[Stoney]

"Return to Dominance" That should be the Alabama slogan.