Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The practice fields on the University of Alabama campus will be a much quieter place in a few months when spring practice begins.

Former right tackle D.J. Fluker has left for NFL riches, leaving a crater where he once stood tall on the offensive line. The jovial big man from South Alabama was the vocal leader of the Crimson Tide offense, a constant source of motivation as he hooted and hollered in practice and during games. If Fluker was jumping up and down, that meant the Tide were rolling.

Now, the voice and the jersey are gone, and two rookies are poised to compete for the spot he vacated when the redshirt junior decided to leave school early and enter the NFL draft. In his place are two newcomers, Leon Brown and Brandon Hill. Neither are your typical rookies. Brown came to Alabama after spending two years at a junior college in New York and Hill arrived by way of Hargrave Military Academy, a well known preparatory school.

Both offensive tackle prospects called their experience prior to signing with Alabama necessary.

"Brooklyn was very, you know, needed," Brown said last week. "I needed to get the experience of getting a higher level of college football in. It prepared me very well to be here right now."

Said Hill, who wasn't cleared by the NCAA to enroll last year: "The military part was tough, but the football part was the same. You just worked out, and I had set things planned in and we were practicing every day. We made it each other better, but going up north, it was kind of hard to adjust to people, and it prepares you for college and being around a different culture.

"Now I’m back south where I’m home again."

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama has utilized more and more true freshmen each year, and it should be no different with the 2013 class. The Crimson Tide already have 21 commitments, including 10 ranked in the ESPN 150. It also doesn’t hurt that nine of them have already enrolled and will compete in spring practice.

Instant-impact recruits

RB Derrick Henry: With Eddie Lacy leaving a year early for the NFL, T.J. Yeldon expects to carry the load at running back next year for Alabama. But who will spell him? Both Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart are coming off major knee injuries, and Kenyan Drake will be just a sophomore. After the season Yeldon put together, don’t count out another true freshman making an impact in the backfield next year.

The Tide expect to sign at least three, possibly four ESPN 150 running backs, but the most physical and ready to play is Henry -- who broke the high school career rushing record. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound could see some time at H-back as well, but expect him to start out as a running back.

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Brandon Hill has confirmed to RecruitingNation that he will not be attending the University of Alabama this fall due to academic issues. The NCAA Clearinghouse did not clear Hill to play.

Hill told DawgNation's Kipp Adams that he will be attending Hargrave Military Academy and will play football while there.

Hill posted on his Facebook page that "This is just a minor set back for a major come back! You can't rush GREATNESS!!!"

The 6-foot-6, 355-pound offensive lineman is the only signee from this year's class to not enroll at Alabama. He was ranked as the No. 77 offensive tackle in the country.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It's no secret that the Crimson Tide will be younger this season. Losing more than 10 starters and even more role players to graduation will create that feeling.

Up and down the Alabama roster, the options are seemingly limitless, starting with special teams. UA coach Nick Saban told reporters Tuesday that he wants to see a handful of players take ownership on kickoff and punt return coverage, as well as field goals.

For a team of four- and five-star athletes unaccustomed to sprinting downfield on kickoffs, getting volunteers isn't always easy, but Saban has a strong sales pitch for them.

"There's not a player that's not a starter on an NFL team that doesn't have to be a good special-teams player to make the team," Saban said. "I try to tell every guy on our team, especially the young players, the star players come from high school and never had to play on special teams, that you guys need to learn how to play on special teams right now.

"Your ability to execute and do your job on special teams is just as important as it is to be a running back, a receiver, a defensive back, a linebacker or whatever position it might be."

Last season, freshmen Vinnie Sunseri and Trey DePriest starred on special teams. Now, both are vying for starting jobs and are looking for someone else to step up and fill their spots.

"There have been some guys that have showed that they really want to do that and that's important to them," Saban said. "That will be beneficial to us. Because the more you have to play starters on special teams, I think that affects you long-term in terms of the wear and tear that you have on guys and how they get worn down in games. We need more players to have a role. I think it's great for team chemistry that more players have a role as well."

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