Alabama Crimson Tide

Several of RecruitingNation's SEC sites took a look this week at the players headed to the NFL combine, which begins today in Indianapolis, and other predraft camps. Click here to read the entire predraft series. Today: Defensive backs and special teams.

Alabama Crimson Tide

It's hard to imagine that the Alabama secondary in 2011 yielded five NFL prospects. Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and De'Quan Menzie were all drafted a year ago. Dee Milliner and Robert Lester stuck around and won one more ring before hanging it up in 2013.

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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: Defensive linemen and linebackers.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama's front seven was rock solid and had a distinctive rock-n-roll flair in nose guard Jesse Williams. Though the Crimson Tide defense lacked a true superstar, Williams' Mohawk haircut, countless tattoos and colorful face paint made the unit stand out.

• DT Jesse Williams (Position rank: No. 8)
  Strengths: Like his counterpart on the middle of the Alabama offensive line, Barrett Jones, Williams is nothing if not versatile. He played both defensive end and nose guard at UA and possesses the type of strength and quickness that would allow him to do the same at the next level.
  Weaknesses: While Williams is above average in defending the run and the pass, he's not superb at either. His production at Alabama was less than ideal, which can be attributed to the scheme on defense, but a lack of sacks and tackles for loss highlight an inability to consistently rush the passer.
  Comparable: In terms of versatility and athleticism, he is similar to Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams.
• ILB Nico Johnson (Position rank: No. 8)
  Strengths: Johnson -- who no longer is scheduled to attend the combine -- has the look of an NFL linebacker at 6-foot-2 and 249 pounds. He is a solid wrap-up tackler with good instincts. The fact that he has had no off-field trouble or injury concerns will only help his draft stock.
  Weaknesses: The emergence of C.J. Mosley hurt Johnson in 2012. When Alabama had to defend multiple-receiver looks, Johnson often came off the field in favor of Mosley. Johnson is built for run support, but his lack of athleticism hurts in terms of being an every-down linebacker.
  Comparable: Johnson looks and plays like New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton. Both are sure tacklers with good instincts getting between the tackles and getting to the ball carrier.
• DE Quinton Dial (Position rank: No. 27)
  Strengths: Every so often an Alabama player doesn't hit his potential until he has left college. Dial might be one of those guys. The big, thick defensive end has the raw size (6-foot-5, 307 pounds) and skill to play at the next level and will likely do well in team workouts leading up to the draft.
  Weaknesses: A lack of production at Alabama will create a glass ceiling for Dial. While scouts can fall in love with measurables, they still want to see the talent on tape.
  Comparable: Dial could learn a thing or two from Baltimore Ravens defensive end DeAngelo Tyson, who didn't blow away anyone at Georgia, but after being selected late in the seventh round has become a solid contributor. In terms of size, the two compare favorably, as Tyson comes in at 6-foot-2, 315 pounds.
• Damion Square (Position rank: No. 29)
  Strengths: Square isn't going to light up the scoreboard with sacks or tackles for loss, but he's consistent. Under coach Nick Saban's watchful eye, Square developed into a solid defender against the run and pass, and understands the idea of gap-assignment football.
  Weaknesses: Simply put, Square doesn't possess the necessary athleticism to get drafted. If there is a player hurt most by missing out on the Senior Bowl, it's him.
  Comparable: N/A

Florida Gators

The heart of the Gators’ 2012 defense will participate in the combine today. DT Sharrif Floyd, whose stock is rising rapidly as he is projected to be taken as high as No. 3, had a fantastic season and anchored UF’s front. He dominated Florida State’s front, and his mixture of size, strength and quickness has scouts drooling. ILB Jon Bostic started every game the past two seasons and was UF’s leader on defense. Nobody was more dependable than Bostic. OLB Jelani Jenkins was limited in 2012 because of a broken finger, a strained hamstring and a broken foot, but when healthy he’s a solid player. OLB Lerentee McCray was forced into action at the buck position (hybrid end/linebacker) because of the injury to Ronald Powell. He didn’t produce big numbers but was a high-effort, high-motor guy.

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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.

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Several of RecruitingNation's SEC sites will look this week at the players headed to the NFL combine, which begins Friday in Indianapolis. Today: Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.

LSU Tigers

Perhaps it says something about LSU's offense in 2012 that among a record 13 players invited to the NFL combine from the Tigers, only two are offensive skill players who are generally considered, at this point, marginal talents. Running backs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford are the only skill players invited to Indianapolis, which is understandable when one considers LSU was 10th in the SEC in total offense. It's also a sign of youth. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger, fullback J.C. Copeland, running back Jeremy Hill and all of LSU's primary threats at wide receiver will return in 2013.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Eddie Jackson has come a long way. The four-star athlete was an unknown until late in the recruiting cycle. On Wednesday, he gave a verbal commitment to the University of Alabama, the reigning national champions.

“I like how the program is run,” Jackson said. “It’s just everything that they stand for. I can be that guy from Fort Lauderdale, the first guy to come up there and have a chance, a chance to go up there and play.”

The Florida native had a number of other offers to choose from including Florida State, LSU and Tennessee, but ultimately, he couldn’t turn down a chance to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

During his official visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this month, Jackson sat down with the Alabama head coach, and Saban told the No. 54-ranked wide receiver that he has a chance to compete for a spot at cornerback as a freshman.

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The seeds would be Oregon, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida and LSU. But how would it play out? ESPN Insider Travis Haney lines it up, gets some help from the oddsmakers, and picks his champion.

Read the story here.

ESPN The Magazine didn't set out to simply highlight the rematch of Alabama and LSU on Nov. 3, it set out to smother it by covering every angle and documenting every move that was made. The One Day, One Game issue followed the Crimson Tide's narrow escape of Death Valley from the very beginning. Here's what came out of it:

The stories

• You should have been there: Alabama-LSU in Death Valley was something to behold
• 1 minute, 34 seconds: That's how long it took AJ McCarron to make a lifetime of planning pay off
• Home and away: Eddie Lacy was born on the Bayou, but this LSU trip was no homecoming

The photos

• McCarron's drive: The Mag photographers take you through the quarterback's game-winning drive from start (in Tuscaloosa) to finish (the end zone)
• Sights of the game: It was one day and one helluva game, and the cameras were there to capture it all.
• Let the good times roll: Photographers capture Alabama and LSU fans at their best.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Sally is an Arkansas fan who really should not have had a dog in the fight when LSU and Alabama played Saturday.

She had her own reasons to be happy with the Crimson Tide's 21-17 win Saturday.

"History shows that when the Tide beats the Tigers, a Democrat is elected to the White House," wrote Sally, who described herself as "Razorback Red/Democrat Blue."

Indeed, Sally is right, at least in relatively recent history.

In the last seven presidential elections, the outcome of the Alabama-LSU game correctly predicted the outcome of the presidential election. Alabama has won in the years of a Democratic victory. In Republican years, LSU has come out on top.

In election years, LSU won in 1984 (when Ronald Reagan won re-election over Walter Mondale), 1988 (George H.W. Bush over Michael Dukakis), 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore) and 2004 (George W. Bush over John Kerry). Alabama won in 1992 (Bill Clinton over George H.W. Bush), 1996 (Clinton over Bob Dole) and 2008 (Barack Obama over John McCain).

If the pattern continues, that would mean Obama would get re-elected today over Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

The Tide's win Saturday was somewhat analogous to this year's election season.

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