Film study: Alabama’s DBs starting to look like NFL prospects again

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
39,407
6
0
Prattville
Eddie Jackson? Anthony Averett?
Not really sure how I forgot Eddie. Rivals ranked Eddie as a 3* WR.

I didn't include Averett's 3* ranking for two reasons: Rivals listed him as an athlete and he's like the Smith's in that he's playing more of a hybrid safety/CB role rather than just CB.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
We had some misses at DB in 2011-2013 that has really came back to bite us over the last few seasons. There are several guys starting on other programs right now that we narrowly missed out on in recruiting. We started feeling it on the field more each season since 2011 and probably - well, hopefully - culminated in the lackluster 2014 secondary. 2014 and 2015 seem like a return to recruiting form (we're finishing the deal) and paying off on the field (the guys are showing a lot of promise by contributing early).
 

IH8Orange

Hall of Fame
Aug 14, 2000
7,017
31
0
Trussville, AL, USA
So this is why he kept throwing it backwards...
he thought uga had found a soft spot in our zone
I've been saying all season that we've got to cover those throwing lanes behind the QB. :wink:
I think this is why he was throwing it backwards



GD even commented on how Coker had bigger hands and thumb tip to pinkie tip is a combine measurement for QBs
:biggrin: Holy Crap! I was enjoying a Good People IPA and I blew it all out my nose. ROTFL!!!
 

efd840

1st Team
Nov 23, 2009
474
0
0
My take is that our DBs have been and remain vulnerable (just as every team) vs new wave spread pass-happy teams with QBs that can scramble and capable of operating their offense. Our DBs will always do good against the pro set teams as that is how we are built. Our recruiting is now changing to more versatile athletes on the DLine and backer crew to help them going forward with these types of offenses but I think our problems in the defensive backfield have been more scheme adaptation oriented rather than lack of talent. JMHO, of course.
I'll hold off until after the TAMU game before I feel very comfortable, but I'm not so sure this is the case in 2015.

The sample set is small, but thus far we've played 3 spread teams with 1 supposedly very good (OM) and another (MTSU) decent one. In each case, we've held the opposing team to their lowest completion percentage of the season thus far and in every case but OM we've held them to their lowest yards per attempt thus far.

MTSU v Bama: 23/43 189 53.4% 4.4 ypa
Next lowest - v. Vandy 23/51 286 62.7% 5.6 ypa

ULM v Bama: 20-43 83 46.5% 1.9 ypa
Next lowest - v. Georgia Southern: 21-36 232 58.3% 6.4 ypa
Of note - v UGA: 23-29 206 79.3% 7.1 ypa

And finally,

OM v Bama: 18-33 341 54.5% 10.3 ypa
Next lowest - v. Vandy: 24/42 321 57.1% 7.1 ypa
Of note: v. Florida: 26/40 259 65% 6.4 ypa

The Florida numbers are noteworthy for a couple of reasons. UF clearly dominated OM, and yet Bama held OM to a much worse completion percentage. Going a step further, it is well documented that two OM deep passes shouldn't have happened (one fluke, one badly missed penalty). Remove those, and the OM numbers drop to a 51.6% completion rate 6.5 ypa - virtually the same as OM had vs UF.

To sum it all up, the final verdict won't be rendered until the end of the season but so far this year Alabama's defensive performance against the style of offense that has befuddled them for the last couple of seasons has been fantastic. Even more impressively, they've done it without having to sacrifice performance against traditional pro-style rushing attacks.

If this keeps up, Bama should pay Mel Tucker whatever it takes to keep him around.
 

REBELZED

All-American
Dec 6, 2006
4,010
1,092
187
...but I think our problems in the defensive backfield have been more scheme adaptation oriented rather than lack of talent. JMHO, of course.
As RTR91 pointed out, there is a glaring misconception that our defensive backfield has been loaded with talent the last few years. Sure, we've had #1 recruiting classes, but the star power was NOT at DB. Our starting DB's have mostly been young 3 stars/converted WR's and the results have reflected that. It doesn't matter what scheme you run or how you adapt it if you don't have the players. As the saying goes, you can't make chicken salad with the chickens ;)

In the last 2 years, we have had a serious influx of talent at DB (Humphrey, Brown, Fitzpatrick, Harrison, etc). The more snaps those guys get, the better our secondary becomes. We've had a lot of naysayers claiming Coach Saban is "teaching the wrong technique" or that he just plain stinks at coaching DB's. It will be funny when they're singing a totally different tune when our 4/5 stars are upperclassmen and we have one of the best secondaries in the country next year...
 

mdb-tpet

All-SEC
Sep 2, 2004
1,477
1,189
182
I remember looking at the recruiting classes expecting to see one of the top 5 DBs in the class every year, and I was confused at why we whiffed in 2011 and 2012. Then 2013 came and we were only a bit better. Had we only had 1 or 2 years of down recruiting in the DB category (I'm not saying the 2013 DB's won't be great as they mature), I believe we would have another NC. And if it weren't for Cyrus Jones, we'd be looking at a much worse record in 2013 and 2014, where our typically stout defenses started to give up deep passes. I think a lot of schools saw both the fall back in recruiting and certainly the lack of technique our DBs were showing and tooled their offenses around that weakness. Probably the best exploitation was last year's sugar bowl. The Georgia game was the first game in memory where I saw a panicked opposing QB struggling to even find an open receiver/throwing the quick crossing route where the DBs, Safeties, and Linebackers were in phase and knocking the ball out of the receiver's hands. I hope to see a lot more of this stepped up DB play the rest of the year.
 
Last edited:

Nolan

Hall of Fame
Jul 4, 2006
5,591
679
137
Oahu
We are seeing tangible improvement in the secondary. It's going to be really tested in two weeks against aTm, though. If the pass rush, pocket push, whatever you call it can continue to advance it will only make our DBs look better.
 

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.