Opening day of practice means there are plenty of tidbits to share:
- Get ‘yer new players’ jersey numbers here.
- Booch on new graduate transfer Shaq Wiggins: “I love Shaq, but Shaq’s got a long way to go in terms of the intangibles, our practice habits, our style of play, working through some things,” Jones said. “But I know this about Shaq: He’s very prideful, he’s very willing and he wants to do it.” It’s the beginning of a bee-yoo-tee-full friendship, I tells ‘ya.
- In case you didn’t get the subtle message, Akhil Crumpton’s been assigned Isaiah McKenzie’s number 16.
- It’s the first day of practice, so of course the quotes reflect the usual hunger, happy talk and anti-hype.
- If you think fall practice is starting earlier than before, you’re not alone. It’s the fallout from the new two-a-days ban. Many coaches are unhappy about that, and, surprisingly, they have a point.
- Roll ‘Bama Roll grades the SEC’s non-conference schedules. Not surprisingly, ‘Bama is graded on a bit of a curve, but overall, pretty solid analysis.
- Player weights here. Note that Chubb and Michel have dropped a few pounds.
- Read the comments about how Georgia would have used 2018 o-line commit Warren Ericson five years ago versus now.
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On the ban for two-a-days, did they leave open time for film room/”skull sessions” to replace that practice time? I recall they had a time limit for practices on the field, but I don’t see any reason to not allow more time for the mental aspect of the game in a no contact, air conditioned environment. Seems this might alleviate the coach’s concern for the loss of 2nd practice. Incoming freshmen, in particular those who do not arrive until June/July really need more time with coaches on learning the system and viewing film to help visualize the playbook discussions.
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Sounds like Shaq’s ‘personality’ has arrived in Knoxville.
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It’s just a matter of time before jersey numbers will be replaced by emoticons. Just imagine an appropriate Auburn jersey….A Yorkshire hog in the scoot with Benjamins in his mouth and grunting out silver certificates. Troopah Taalah waving a kitchen flag to cool him off and trying to fit Nike kicks on all four pig feet.
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I saw one signee in the article under 6’0. I saw several with a DB callout. Is this staff actually recruiting players to defend against a tall receiver? No more 5’10 DB’s waving their arms in the air with a two foot window of opportunity above for the opposing QB to throw to? Like Ol’ Miss last season? Am I dreaming?
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Bama gets an A+ for FSU but Auburn gets an A for playing the defending national champs and doing so in an away meeting of a home and away rather than neutral site?
Agreed curve is playing but overall a nice read.
UGA certainly has the toughest OOC slate and I’d put Florida 2nd. Props to the Crocs for traveling out of state.
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That Warren Erickson happy talk made me smile. I’m having a hard time adjusting to our level of O-line recruiting. I think I will live though. 😂
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Everyone at Bama, including Roll Bama Roll is very strategic about all elements of the program, especially the art of scheduling. Notice the demand that everyone play 4 P5 schools, something the school that leads in accumulated talent could handle better than anyone else. Notice the dictum that one shouldn’t play little schools from your own state. Notice the idea that one shouldn’t schedule up and coming schools from near your campus. Notice the idea that one should schedule only the best P5 schools you have a good shot at handling. These are all sound principles that increase your recruiting leverage or increase your shot at the playoffs. Why can’t we think like this? We schedule Clemson when they’re down and help slingshot them to the NC. We schedule schools lower than us on the food chain who can upset us like Boise State or Colorado or Oklahoma State, there’s no real upside even if we beat them twice. We schedule Georgia Southern and help them build their program, someday they’ll be able to recruit against us if we keep that up. Let’s be like Bama and use every legal advantage we have to achieve our goals.
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