Alabama held its first scrimmage of the spring Saturday, marking the first time the Crimson Tide players have touched the grass inside Bryant-Denny Stadium since Nov. 23.
“For the first scrimmage, I was really pleased with the effort and intensity that the players had,” coach Nick Saban said. “I really like the attitude of this team in terms of how they go about what they try to do, how they work and the effort that they give, the mental and physical toughness they play with.”
Despite the kind words from Saban, there were some injuries that emerged from Saturday’s practice.
Sophomore cornerback Eddie Jackson injured his knee on a non-contact play. He was jumping for a ball and “came down funny,” Saban said. Jackson had an MRI on his knee scheduled for Sunday.
“Eddie was having a great spring and probably our best corner, most consistent,” Saban said.
(See also “Tide players excited for first scrimmage of spring“)
Sophomore linebacker Reuben Foster also sustained an injury during the scrimmage and was unable to finish.
“This is something Reuben has been sort of dealing with all spring long,” Saban said. “It kind of was a little bit of a neck stinger, and you have to shut them down for a while.”
With the task of replacing AJ McCarron ahead of them, the spotlight is burning bright on several Alabama quarterbacks.
Senior signal caller Blake Sims led the quarterbacks Saturday with 227 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard strike to Amari Cooper.
Saban said he has been pleased with Sims’ progression this spring.
“Blake has had a really good spring and has taken some command,” Saban said. “Cooper Bateman has made a lot of improvement. He’s done a nice job. Alec’s still competing. Those three guys have sort of emerged as the three guys that look like they’re most ready to play.”
(See also “Saban’s process needs to adapt to changing football environment“)
Alabama will return to the practice fields Monday at 3:30 p.m.
Other notes from the scrimmage:
– There was movement along the offensive line, as Austin Shepherd was lined up at left tackle with what appeared to be the first group. Shepherd and Leon Brown switched places, as Brown was working at right tackle with the first team. Arie Kouandjio was at left guard, Ryan Kelly was at center and Alphonse Taylor was at right guard like they have been all spring.
– Early-enrollee wide receiver Cam Sims has moved up in the receiver line. The 6-foot-4-inch wideout was second in line behind Amari Cooper during individual drills leading up to the scrimmage.
– Wide receiver DeAndrew White and defensive lineman Darren Lake walked bleachers as their teammates prepared for the scrimmage. This was Lake’s first appearance at practice after undergoing surgery to repair an injured pectoral muscle.
(See also “The new Alabama football dynasty“)
