Spring Practice Thread (Practice Reports, Press Conference Updates, etc)

gtgilbert

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When you have the best OT prospect in the 2017 draft at LT and the best OT prospect in the 2019 draft at RT, you look like a genius if you're worth a darn at your job. Key had the biggest uphill climb because we've had issues solidifying the guard positions the last few years. By the time we find someone, their eligibility counter is up. Maybe recruiting misses at OG? We've done well at OT and C but some of our targets there just haven't panned out.
that's a great point about CMC coaching the tackles. He had very, very good material to work with. I haven't done a detailed analysis, but it seems that recently we have been recruiting mostly OTs with the expectation we'll find some of them who can move to OG/C and very few natural OG and Cs. I wonder if this has something to do with the lack of solid OG play.
 

RTR91

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that's a great point about CMC coaching the tackles. He had very, very good material to work with. I haven't done a detailed analysis, but it seems that recently we have been recruiting mostly OTs with the expectation we'll find some of them who can move to OG/C and very few natural OG and Cs. I wonder if this has something to do with the lack of solid OG play.
Going off the position the recruiting services gave the players, here are the guards and centers Alabama has signed since 2014:

JC Hassenauer
Joshua Casher
Lester Cotton (Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I had to double check.)
Dallas Warmack
Richie Petitbon
Brandon Kennedy
Chis Owens
Deonte Brown

In regards to Mario's benefit of having Jonah and Cam, remember he also worked with the TEs. Anyone want to argue OJ's blocking didn't drastically improve this year?

The main problem with the OL was the issue at OG. Key had no control over that, either.
 
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TiderJack

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Going off the position the recruiting services gave the players, here are the guards and centers Alabama has signed since 2014:

Joshua Casher
Lester Cotton (Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I had to double check.)
Dallas Warmack
Richie Petitbon
Brandon Kennedy
Chis Owens
Deonte Brown

In regards to Mario's benefit of having Jonah and Cam, remember he also worked with the TEs. Anyone want to argue OJ's blocking didn't drastically improve this year?

The main problem with the OL was the issue at OG. Key had no control over that, either.
I don't think we can blame coaching on our inside problems last year. I don't agree Cristobal was not a good coach either. 2012 was a blessing but also a curse when we judge our OL and coaching over the past several years. We will most likely never have that OL talent again.
 

LA4Bama

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Jan 5, 2015
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Going off the position the recruiting services gave the players, here are the guards and centers Alabama has signed since 2014:

Joshua Casher
Lester Cotton (Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I had to double check.)
Dallas Warmack
Richie Petitbon
Brandon Kennedy
Chis Owens
Deonte Brown

In regards to Mario's benefit of having Jonah and Cam, remember he also worked with the TEs. Anyone want to argue OJ's blocking didn't drastically improve this year?

The main problem with the OL was the issue at OG. Key had no control over that, either.

Hassenauer?
 

gtgilbert

All-American
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Going off the position the recruiting services gave the players, here are the guards and centers Alabama has signed since 2014:

Joshua Casher
Lester Cotton (Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I had to double check.)
Dallas Warmack
Richie Petitbon
Brandon Kennedy
Chis Owens
Deonte Brown

In regards to Mario's benefit of having Jonah and Cam, remember he also worked with the TEs. Anyone want to argue OJ's blocking didn't drastically improve this year?

The main problem with the OL was the issue at OG. Key had no control over that, either.

This list proves the point. The recruiting services will often take a guy playing one spot in HS and project him at another spot in college. If you go watch their HS highlights it's a different story

Casher - OT mostly and some OG
Cotton - OT in HS
Warmack - mostly OT, slid inside to OG to pull sometimes
Pettibon - OT, couple highlights at OG.
Kennedy - True OG
Owens - OT
Brown - OT
 

RTR91

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This list proves the point. The recruiting services will often take a guy playing one spot in HS and project him at another spot in college. If you go watch their HS highlights it's a different story

Casher - OT mostly and some OG
Cotton - OT in HS
Warmack - mostly OT, slid inside to OG to pull sometimes
Pettibon - OT, couple highlights at OG.
Kennedy - True OG
Owens - OT
Brown - OT
I agree to a point. Often times, these players are at a position in high school because they are so physically gifted they can play it and still get by without being best suited for said position.

Take Ronnie Clark as an example. He played QB at Calera, but the recruiting services knew he wouldn't be a QB in college. He was just the best athlete on the team, so he played QB. The recruiting services might look at a guy on the OL and dissect if he's best suited for the same position when he gets to the next level or if he'll need to switch.

Heck, we see it with draft prospects, too. Some have Cam projected to slide inside when he gets to the NFL.
 

Nolan

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I recall CNS saying in a presser recently, the first I think, that he feels we have enough able guys at the G and C positions. How it shakes out is the key. Who will grab a spot and hopefully become dominant, not just "good enough" to start?
 

rgw

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I feel pretty good about our picture on the interior. RG is the concern but we have a lot of guys who should be physically developed and mentally ready at guard.
 

gtgilbert

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I agree to a point. Often times, these players are at a position in high school because they are so physically gifted they can play it and still get by without being best suited for said position.

Take Ronnie Clark as an example. He played QB at Calera, but the recruiting services knew he wouldn't be a QB in college. He was just the best athlete on the team, so he played QB. The recruiting services might look at a guy on the OL and dissect if he's best suited for the same position when he gets to the next level or if he'll need to switch.

Heck, we see it with draft prospects, too. Some have Cam projected to slide inside when he gets to the NFL.
All true. My point was that these guys who play their entire hs career at one spot and then are projected to move are harder to really assess than someone who plays that position in HS. some can make the transition, some can't.
 

Rush

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That's what I REALLY liked about the final 2 games of the 2015 season. All the talk was about stopping Heisman winner Derrick Henry (he still went for 2 TD's against Clemson) and if Jake Coker could beat them with his arm. He completely dissected Michigan State and was clutch in the Clemson game. That pass to Ardarius Stewart down the sideline that he threw while he was getting hit might be the unheralded clutch pass of the season, (might be). I think Hurts has that ability. When a team is dead set on stopping the run the coaching staff can feel comfortable enough to say, "Ok, let's drop bombs." That's the offense we've been able to boast since at least McCarron's 2nd season.

I remember that play like it was yesterday.

"Unheralded clutch" pass describes it perfectly...
 

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