Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- At a certain point, there's too much work to be done on the football field. So much so that the idea of competition goes out the window. With three vacant starting positions on the Alabama offensive line this spring, the idea of actually battling for playing time is unthinkable, at least to left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

The depth chart, he noted, is still open.

"Everybody is just working," Kouandjio said following Wednesday's practice. He and guard Anthony Steen are the only two returning starters on the line. "At this time, we're not even thinking about competition."

They might be the only ones, though.

If Alabama is going to have anywhere near the success it had last season, the offensive line must come together, and in a hurry. Kouandjio might have the luxury of feeling good about his position on the depth chart, but he's the exception to the rule, as Alabama must replace three NFL-caliber offensive linemen in Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker. That's not to mention the other seven former starters now plying their trade elsewhere.

At least Kouandjio would admit that practice felt different without his former teammates around.

"It feels weird," he said. "I've been with those guys for a long time."

But he's been with his brother, Arie, longer. And with Warmack gone, Arie has a chance to start alongside his twin at left guard. He'll have to fend off Kellen Williams for the spot, but so far he's the favorite to win the starting nod.

Chemistry, the glue of any good offensive line, is already set on the left side. After playing together in high school, the Koundajios don't have to say a word to communicate to one another.

"It's my brother" Cyrus said, "of course we already have camaraderie. We already understand each other.

"I love playing with my brother. He's always pushing me, and I'm always pushing him."

The camaraderie of the line as a whole won't come from either Kouandjio, though. Ryan Kelly, the man charged with replacing Jones at center, is looking to make his stamp as the leader of the unit now. And as Cyrus put it, he brings a lot to the table, rivaling Jones in at least one respect.

"He's the most professional person I know," Cyrus said of Kelly. "He's really serious, and that's the perfect center right there. Most centers have to be really tough, and I trust him 100 percent. I trust him as much as I trusted Barrett Jones last year.

"I think things are looking good for him."

Cyrus also singled out rising sophomore Brandon Greene for his improvement this offseason. He, Williams, Isaac Luatua, Alphonse Taylor and newcomers Leon Brown and Brandon Hill have added depth to the offensive line.

"He's doing so much better from last year," Cyrus said of Greene. "He got so much better over the break. His hands are where they're supposed to be, his footwork is good, he is where he's supposed to be right now."

Head coach Nick Saban, for his part, downplayed the transition taking place on the offensive line. He said new position coach Mario Cristobal is doing a "really good job" at coaching and connecting with the players.

"He’s done a good job teaching them," he said. "He’s got good energy and enthusiasm. He brings some new ideas. That’s always welcome when you have new coaches join the staff. So everything about this so far from a transition standpoint has been positive."

And like everything with the offensive line, Saban's remarks came with a caveat.

"But that's a work in progress, too," he said.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- All 325 pounds were packed snuggly into a muscle shirt and tights. It crouched down, waited for the whistle and took off in a sprint: 4.90 seconds to travel 40 yards.

And just like that, nose guard Jesse Williams stole the show at Alabama's pro day. For a 6-foot-3 interior lineman who was previously hobbled by a knee injury, he ran surprisingly well. Only a handful of linemen broke the 5.0-second mark at the NFL combine, and most of them were defensive ends.

"I felt like I did pretty good," said Williams, his head shaved to no doubt cut his 40 time by a fraction of a second, also known as the difference in millions of dollars in the NFL. "I was just trying to get everything going. It's tough. After running those 40s I was gassed."

Williams said it felt good to run without the knee bothering him. He was smiling even before he was told what his time was in the 40-yard dash.

"That's pretty good, I mean anything under 5 seconds," he said. "I weighed in at 325. It felt like I was moving pretty fast. The hardest part was trying to stop before running into you guys."

(Read full post)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Much like the Crimson Tide's showing at the NFL combine last month, Wednesday's pro day on the University of Alabama campus will have a distinctly limited feel as many of its participants are still battling injuries sustained during the season.

The biggest setback to the event -- which will air live on ESPN3 at 10:30 a.m. CT -- came on Sunday night when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Eddie Lacy will not participate in the workout because of a lingering hamstring injury. The running back, widely considered to be most valuable at his position in the draft, will instead wait for the soreness to subside and perform for scouts at a later date, according to the report.

Like many of his teammates, Lacy will have to watch the drills from afar. Center Barrett Jones said he will attend but will only participate in the bench press portion of the event. Cornerback Dee Milliner, who is the No. 2 player on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board and a likely top-five selection, won't work out either. He was scheduled to have surgery on a torn labrum today.

Nonetheless, the program must go on, even with some of its headliners sidelined. For those expected to participate, the chance to make a final positive impression on NFL personnel is at stake. A bad combine? A poor interview? So-so tape? All that could be put aside with a solid showing tomorrow. With the help of ESPN college football and NFL draft analyst Kevin Weidl, here are TideNation's top three players with the most to gain from Alabama's pro day:

(Read full post)

They’re all chasing Alabama, and not just in the SEC.

Oregon, USC and Ohio State are. Ditto for Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Florida State.

The Crimson Tide have pocketed three of the past four national championships, including the past two, and are dead-set on winning a few more.

Remember offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio's proclamation after the 42-14 blistering of Notre Dame two months ago in the Discover BCS National Championship Game?

“We’re going for it next year again ... and again and again and again,” Kouandjio said.

It’s the way they roll at Alabama, particularly since Nick Saban’s arrival in 2007.

But while everybody else is chasing the Crimson Tide, they’re involved in a chase of their own.

Some might say they’re chasing history. More precisely, they’re chasing a standard, one that is handed down year by year and cuts to the very core of what Saban’s “process” is all about.

“That’s why one of our famous sayings at Alabama is, 'We don’t play football. We live it,'" said quarterback AJ McCarron, who has a chance to win a fourth national championship ring.

“That says a lot about our program and the way Coach Saban handles the guys on our team. You’ve got to be able to handle success, and best way to do that is that every time you step out onto the field, you’re pushing for greatness.”

That pursuit started all over again about 48 hours after Alabama’s players and coaches returned home from South Florida back in January. It resumes in earnest on March 16 when Alabama opens spring practice.

The Crimson Tide will almost certainly start the 2013 season ranked No. 1. No school has won three consecutive outright national championships since Minnesota all the way back in 1934-36, according to the NCAA's official website.

And while the Alabama players have been well-trained to live (and play) in the moment, they’re well aware of what awaits them next season.

The expectations, not to mention the pressure to collect another crystal football, will be enormous.

But they seem to like it that way.

“It’s like Coach Saban always says, ‘We created this beast, so you don’t complain about it,’” said McCarron, who’s 25-2 as a starter. “We set the standard this high. I think it brings the best out of you as a player and as a person on and off the field. You have to carry yourself with that much more pride.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re on the field or off of it. Everybody’s gunning to beat us, and everybody’s watching us. All eyes are on us at all times. It’s one of the best things about playing here. Everybody expects greatness.”

Linebacker C.J. Mosley, like McCarron, decided to come back for his senior season after considering a jump to the NFL. In a lot of ways, he’s to Alabama’s defense what McCarron is to the offense.

“We go into every game expecting to get that team’s best,” Mosley said. “We look at it like the regular season is 13 national championship games for every opponent we play, so we know that we’re going to have to play our best every week.”

For the most part, the Crimson Tide have found a way to do that during their historic run.

Still, they’ve needed a little help along the way and have managed to make clutch plays at key times.

They rebounded from a November home loss to Texas A&M last season to reach the BCS National Championship Game after previously unbeaten Oregon and Kansas State both lost the next week. A week earlier, they pulled out a win over LSU on the road thanks to a last-minute touchdown drive.

Had Ohio State not been on NCAA probation last season and ineligible for postseason play, Alabama probably would have been left out of the BCS National Championship Game.

In 2011, the Crimson Tide got a rematch with LSU in the BCS National Championship Game despite not even winning the Western Division title and losing at home to LSU during the regular season.

So the ball has bounced Alabama’s way each of the past two seasons. But once on the big stage, the Crimson Tide have proved emphatically that they were the best team in college football.

Getting there may again be the tricky part in 2013. There’s the showdown with Texas A&M in College Station the third week of the season, and there are some key holes to fill on both defense and offense.

Three starters on the offensive line are gone, including All-Americans Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack. The Crimson Tide will also be looking for reinforcements in the defensive secondary. There’s very little depth at cornerback.

“We still have a lot of guys coming back who’ve been in those big games and have the right experience,” McCarron said. “But at the same time, we’re going to need some of these freshmen coming in and some of the sophomores and redshirt freshmen to step up and make some plays for us.

“We’re going to find out who’s ready to do that. You always need new guys to emerge, every year. We’ve got to have guys who can do it on a consistent basis and know that they’re going to be there week in and week out. Nothing’s going to be given to us, and nothing’s going to be easy. We know that.”

If Alabama can get past Texas A&M on Sept. 14, the schedule isn’t too daunting from there. In fact, the Crimson Tide have to leave the state to play only twice more after that -- at Kentucky on Oct. 12 and at Mississippi State on Nov. 16. What’s more, they avoid Georgia, Florida and South Carolina in the East next season.

Of course, good luck in getting anybody inside the Alabama locker room to admit that they’ve even thought about looking that far down the road.

But as the chase ensues in 2013 -- on both fronts -- the specter of a potential three-peat will loom large across the entire college football landscape.

“There’s a lot of work to do before anybody starts thinking about that,” Mosley said. “We’re still trying to get a feel for some of the younger guys. We working on putting the standard in their heads and making sure they know what Alabama football is all about.”

Judging by how crowded the trophy case at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility is getting, they tend to learn quickly at the Capstone.

Editor's note: From now until the start of spring camp March 16, TideNation will count down the 12 most intriguing players to watch on the Alabama football roster. Today we look at center Ryan Kelly.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For the Alabama Crimson Tide to have the season they hope for, the offensive line must come together -- and in a hurry. With a season-opening date against Virginia Tech in Atlanta, followed by a trip to College Station, Texas, to visit the Texas A&M Aggies, time is of the essence. There are just two offensive linemen returning from last season, and without a strong front five it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Alabama to repeat as national champion.

Chemistry will be vital. Without it, talent means nothing. It's what made last season's line so good. The players weren't just skilled, they worked well together. Rediscovering that delicate composition of guard, tackle and center will begin in a few weeks when spring practice starts and new offensive line coach Mario Cristobal takes over the reins from the departed Jeff Stoutland.

Cristobal will rely on aid from Ryan Kelly. The rising redshirt sophomore is a shoo-in to replace Barrett Jones at center. Kelly, who signed with Alabama in 2011 as the No. 4 center in the country, was with the second team for the last two springs and spent several weeks running with the first unit during bowl practice, while Jones sat out with an injury. During that time, Kelly gained the respect of many of his teammates.

Jones has called Kelly a more talented center than he'd ever hope to become. Chance Warmack chimed in later, adding that Kelly was an "exceptional young player" who catches on well to the schemes.

"He's keen on carrying me and taking control in terms of making the right calls," Warmack said of Kelly on Dec. 27. "Knowing the scheme, what it takes to be a starter at center on the offensive line. He's doing a really good job."

Though he has yet to start a game in his career, Kelly understands the responsibility of the playing center. While he enjoys the recognition his teammates have already given him, he said he's trying not to get a big head about it and continues to work hard to improve. As the one calling protections, he's the captain of the line, though Cyrus Kouandjio and Anthony Steen are senior to him in status. Ultimately, the success of the entire line rests with him.

"When I make a call, that’s what everyone else makes his call off of," Kelly told reporters before the BCS National Championship. "So if I’m wrong, everyone else is wrong."

And if everyone else on the line is wrong, nothing will work. The ball starts off in the center's hands, not the quarterback and not the running back. While other flashier positions might gather more attention when spring camp opens March 16, at the end of the day there might not be a more important person to the health of the offense as a whole than Kelly.

With two days of testing down and two more to go, many of Alabama's 10 representatives at the NFL combine in Indianapolis have already been put through the ringer. The early results for some are in, but check back throughout the day for the latest.

RB Eddie Lacy
Combine results: N/A
The latest: For the next week or so until Alabama holds its pro day, NFL general managers and scouts will have to rely on game film when breaking down the top-rated running back in the draft. A small tear of the hamstring kept Lacy from participating in drills in Indianapolis, but he made the trip all the same to weigh in and take part in team interviews. ESPN's John Clayton believes there wasn't a first-round running back on the field Sunday, which could be good news for Lacy. A strong pro day -- tentatively set for March 13 -- could be the final push Lacy needs to separate himself from the rest of the class and solidify his first-round status.

OT D.J. Fluker
Combine results: 5.31 second 40-yard dash, 21 bench press reps
The latest: Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago says Fluker could be a target for the Bears with the 20th overall pick. That's how far the former Alabama right tackle has come since concerns about his weight and athleticism. Coming in at a trim 6-foot-4 and 339 pounds in Indianapolis helped nearly as much as his performance during on-field workouts. While it's still not clear whether he ends up at tackle or guard, teams are clearly interested.

(Read full post)

Several of RecruitingNation's SEC sites will look this week at the players headed to the NFL combine, which begins Friday in Indianapolis, and other predraft camps. Today: Offensive linemen.

Alabama Crimson Tide

It's only fitting that the best offensive line in college football would produce some of the most intriguing prospects in the NFL draft. Alabama will likely have three offensive linemen taken in the first few rounds in April, further proof of the talent that resided in Tuscaloosa this past season.

(Read full post)

The 2012-13 season is in the books. There are no more position battles to be won and no more jockeying for position in the battle to become the most valuable player for Alabama. Now we can look back and evaluate who were the best athletes to suit it up for the Crimson Tide this season.

1. LG Chance Warmack: If NFL scouts and general managers can recognize it, so can we. Warmack -- yes, a guard -- was the best player on the football field every time he suited up, and not just because of the captivating half-shirt he wore all year revealing his rather large belly. A national television audience saw just how dominant he could be against Notre Dame, as he was in on nearly every key block to spring Alabama's 265 yards on the ground. Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o was neutralized largely because of Warmack's efforts getting to the second level. The All-American left guard will likely go early in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft, leaving behind a legacy few can touch.

2. QB AJ McCarron: Speaking of legacies, McCarron has already sealed his. He's the only quarterback to repeat as a national champion and he holds the all-time passing touchdowns record at Alabama. All that with a year of eligibility remaining. The junior from South Alabama took a major step forward as a quarterback and as a leader this season. He finished just 77 yards shy of 3,000, completed better than 67 percent of his passes and threw a whopping 30 touchdowns to three interceptions to lead the country in passing efficiency. The scary thought? Just how good he and an improved receiving corps can be next season.

(Read full post)

The final game of the 2012-13 college football season is almost upon us. After more than five weeks of preparation, Alabama and Notre Dame will meet at Sun Life Field in Miami Gardens to battle for the BCS National Championship.

In advance of the game, let's look at five key storylines for the Crimson Tide:

1. The long layoff: UA coach Nick Saban thrives under these types of game situations. When everything is on the line and he has time for extra preparation, he's nearly unbeatable. In fact, he's 7-1 in championship games and he has never lost a national title game. But the layoff was interesting in another respect, too. The time away from the football field was invaluable for three players nursing injuries. Had Barrett Jones not had a full five weeks, who knows if he'd be playing. Linebacker Denzel Devall would not have been able to participate after hurting his knee. And what about wide receiver Kenny Bell? It's a surprise the junior is even on a football field right now after breaking his leg in the Iron Bowl.

(Read full post)

There are many different ways to measure Jesse Williams' toughness.

For starters, seeing him battle in the trenches of the SEC as a nose guard ranks pretty high on the tough-o-meter. Originally a defensive end in Alabama’s 3-4 scheme, Williams moved to the middle this spring, only to endure more pain as more bodies collided with him.

Then there is the plethora of tattoos that covers his body. His arms, neck, chest, legs and hands are drenched in ink, with his most popular one coming on one hand that reads: I stopped checking under my bed for monsters when I realized the monster was me.

There are also paragraphs from a high school coach’s speech written on his left forearm, which is just another impressive way he shows his tolerance for pain.

Or maybe you measure it by the way the 6-foot-4 320-pounder can shimmy his way into an airplane seat and ride for about 24 hours back to his native country of Australia. With the time difference, Williams, who gets back home to Brisbane only once a year and hasn’t spent Christmas there in three years, said he loses about two days flying across the globe.

“It’s a rough trip,” he said, “especially with my size.”

But the freshest way to measure Williams’ toughness is to watch him go from hobbled mess to lead blocking fullback for the Tide in Alabama’s SEC championship victory against Georgia on Dec. 1.

Williams suffered what looked like a rather nasty knee injury in the third quarter. He needed help getting off the field and eventually plopped down on the end of Alabama’s bench alone with a towel draped over his head.

But after his temporary departure, the senior sprang into action, helping running back Eddie Lacy punch in a 1-yard touchdown and later recording the last of his three tackles in the game.

Williams, who didn’t miss any practices or wear a black noncontact jersey, wasn’t trying to prove anything or play hero. He just wanted to play.

“Trying to get back on the field was the only thing,” Williams said. “I don’t try and stand out, I just look to do what I can to help.”

But he does stand out. From his exotic background and look to his ferocious play up front, Williams can’t help but gain attention. It helped him get noticed by the University of Hawaii while he was playing American football back home, and it helped him get even more attention after he decided to go the junior college route.

After two years at Arizona Western College, the former rugby and basketball standout had his pick of colleges. Now, he’s a win against Notre Dame in the Discover BCS National Championship from having his pick of ring designs … again.

This ring might mean even more to the laid-back bully in the middle. Last season, he was a rising star at defensive end, but when he made the move from end to tackle this spring, Williams realized he’d be racking up more bruises than plays. He expected more double-teams and less time on the stat sheet.

He was right. The technique took awhile to master, and so did his role. He was nicked up a little more and finished the regular season with 36 tackles, 2.5 for loss and one sack. Williams said it’s tougher playing nose guard, but he feels he’s showing more versatility and hopes that will help him win an NFL job.

Center Barrett Jones knows Williams will get his shot at creating an NFL future for himself. He has lined up opposite Williams just about every day since the start of spring practice, and he has noticed a total transformation in Williams' game as he continues to understand his position and how offenses plan for him each play.

“He leaves it all on the field, and we really got to a see a shade of just how tough those Australians are,” Jones said.

“When he gets those hands on you, it's hard to really body up on him because he’s got just such strong hands and he can just sling you and get off the ball fast and really get physical with you.”

Williams’ physical nature made him a Twitter sensation this summer after he bench-pressed 600 pounds. That sort of brute strength is not something Williams reserves only for the weight room, Jones said.

“It’s crazy how strong he is, and you can feel that strength on the football field,” he said.

The Internet publicity was nice, but Williams prefers to keep to himself. He doesn’t care to go into detail about his tattoos -- or his move from Australia to the States.

His focus is on the pigskin, and, right now, he’s looking to be as disruptive as possible against a Notre Dame front standing in his way of capturing a second national title in two years.

It’s been an interesting journey for the Aussie, but a win against the top-ranked Irish would be the perfect ending for such a unique career.

“It’s been a long trip, but it’s been a good one so far,” Williams said. “Hopefully, it can end with this last win and see where it goes from there.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- It’s not exactly a revelation that taking care of the ball is critical to winning any football game.

But when it comes to beating Alabama, taking it away from the Crimson Tide is a must.

Over the past four years, Alabama is a combined 48-5. In those five losses, the Crimson Tide are minus-6 in turnover margin and turned the ball over 10 times.

They had three turnovers in their only loss this season, a 29-24 setback to Texas A&M. In fact, the only one of their five losses over the last four years in which they didn’t turn it over at least two times was the 35-21 loss to South Carolina in 2010.

“It’s why we concentrate on us and playing the way we’re supposed to play,” Alabama senior center Barrett Jones said. “If we do that, then everything usually takes care of itself.”

The Crimson Tide are tied for 13^th nationally in turnover margin this season. They’ve forced 28 and lost 15 (plus-13). Notre Dame is tied for 21st. The Irish have forced 23 and lost 14 (plus-9).

During the SEC’s streak of six straight national championships, the lowest any of those teams has finished in turnover margin was Florida in 2006. The Gators were 37th nationally with 29 forced turnovers and 24 lost.

Here’s a turnover margin breakdown for the last six national champions:

• 2011 Alabama -- 20 forced and 12 lost (plus-8), tied for 23^rd
• 2010 Auburn -- 22 forced and 17 lost (plus-5), 33^rd
• 2009 Alabama -- 31 forced and 12 lost (plus-19), 4^th
• 2008 Florida -- 35 forced and 13 lost (plus-22), 2^nd
• 2007 LSU -- 36 forced and 16 lost (plus-20), 2^nd
• 2006 Florida – 29 forced and 24 lost (plus-5), 37^th