Alabama primed for repeat

During his speech at Southeastern Conference Media Days, Alabama coach Nick Saban rattled off what he thought about his five rivals in the Western Division. OK, coach. But what about your team? You know, the defending national champions? “A lot of question marks,” Saban said. Probably about 11 other SEC teams wish they had the same question marks. After winning its first national championship since 1992, there’s no doubt that Alabama is loaded once again and will almost certainly start the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Yes, the Crimson Tide lost quite a bit on defense, but years of strong recruiting should help fill those gaps in a hurry. Plus, star linebacker Dont’a Hightower returns after missing most of last season because of injury. On offense, Alabama features one of the best running back combos in recent memory with Mark Ingram, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, and Trent Richardson, who some believe is actually better than Ingram. [More]

Recruiting: DePriest Picks Bama Over OSU

Trey Depriest ended months of suspense Friday when he announced his verbal commitment to Alabama. DePriest, the nation’s No. 57 player, chose the Crimson Tide over Ohio State. He joins a recruiting class that already features the likes of Brent Calloway and Hasean Clinton-Dix. “I think Trey is special because he is an amazing athlete for his size,” said Mark Porter, director of ScoutingOhio.com. “He carries 220 pounds like some kids carry 175 pounds. He is very explosive to the ball which lets him make big plays.” As a junior, he registered 101 tackles as Springfield (Ohio) finished 7-5. According to CBS and MaxPreps recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, DePriest exhibits great range at the linebacker position. On film, he displays tremendous lateral movement coupled with the ability to shed blockers. It marks the second Buckeye State commitment for Alabama for the class of 2011; Lakota West center Ryan Kelly verbally pledged to the Crimson Tide on July 19. Alabama is well on its way to another top-five recruiting class, something Crimson Tide fans have grown accustomed to under head coach Nick Saban. [More]

Saban. a fun and lovable guy

Kareem Jackson was asked if he had ever seen Saban smile. “I was in the meeting rooms with him, so he smiled a lot, cracking jokes and stuff,” he said. “On the field, he’s all business. Off the field, he’s a fun, lovable guy.” [More]

Arenas and Jackson contracts signed

Kareem Jackson and Javier Arenas, starting cornerbacks on the University of Alabama’s 2009 national championship team, have signed pro contracts, according to reports posted on NFL websites. Jackson, a first-round pick who was chosen 20th overall in this year’s draft, signed with the Houston Texans. Arenas, the 50th overall pick who was taken in the second round, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson played three seasons with the Crimson Tide, which went 14-0 last season and beat Texas 37-21 in the BCS National Championship Game. He decided to forgo his senior year to enter the NFL Draft. Arenas played four seasons at Alabama. He was a freshman in 2006, when Mike Shula was Alabama’s head coach. Arenas played three seasons for Nick Saban. Arenas intercepted a pass when Alabama beat Florida 32-13 in the 2009 SEC Championship Game and had two interceptions against Texas. [More]

Mcclain is the Real Deal

Rolando McClain is the real deal. The last player the Oakland Raiders got from Alabama was a flop, but this guy is for real. McClain told his agent to get him in to the first training camp no matter what. Only three other first round rookies had inked deals when McClain signed his contract. McClain comes in as the first string middle linebacker for the Raiders. He is a man of his word. About a month ago, he said that his contract would not be an issue. As he said, it was not an issue. As I said, it is very similar to the 7th overall pick from last year, Darrius Heyward-Bey’s. Heyward-Bey got $500,000 more in guaranteed and $2 million less in maximum value. Saban’s coaching at Alabama led the Crimson Tide and Rolando McClain to a National Title early in 2010. It led their Saban coached defense to be ranked second in the entire nation against the run. It led Rolando McClain to the Oakland Raiders as the 8th overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft. Saban’s coaching gave the Raider Nation hope for a better run defense in 2010. Rolando McClain is backing up the knowledge of his prior teacher. [More]

Roll Tide!

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