Alabama spring training: 5 things we've learned so far

The Crimson Tide is in their third week of spring training. Here are five things that we’ve learned over the course of the first two weeks.

1. There is no quarterback competition going on in Tuscaloosa.

There had been rumors that Alabama would have an open quarterback competition this spring. That doesn’t seem to be the case. When referring to the two true freshman quarterbacks on the roster, Nick Saban had this to say:

“The other two guys that are freshman, they are going to have to grow into being adequate backups by the fall.”

It would be foolish for anyone to assume that either of these true freshman had a chance to uprooting Jalen Hurts as the starting quarterback — at least this early into the process. Hurts is coming off a season in which he had 3,734 total yards and 36 touchdowns in route to being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year — as a true freshman. And, of course, he nearly guided the Tide to the national title.

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There are certainly things that Hurts needs to clean up if he wants to continue to keep the two youngsters off his back, but critics aren’t expecting to see any sort of improvement. That would be a critical mistake.

Going into the 2016 season, there was essentially a four-man competition at quarterback. That led to the coaching staff not being able to hone in on one guy to develop — as a result of reps being split among the multiple quarterbacks. That should change this offseason, so some sort of development should be expected from Hurts.

He’s the one running the show on offense for the Crimson Tide — or, at least he will be in 2017.

2. The offensive line isn’t close to being settled.

The line has lost a few key members from last year’s unit. Former star left tackle Cam Robinson has moved on to the NFL. In addition, last year’s starting right guard Korren Kirven has graduated.

Thus far in spring practice, sophomore Jonah Williams (below) has moved from right tackle — where he started all 15 games in 2016 in route to being named to the Freshman All-American team — to left tackle to replace Robinson. That leaves both spots on the right side available.

Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

As of now, Lester Cotton at right guard and Matt Womack at right tackle have been running with the first team. Cotton played some guard last season, but he couldn’t lock down a starting spot. Womack is in his third year with the program. He played in 9 games last season, but he is far from a lock to continue as a starter on the right side.

The coaching staff has been vocal about redshirt freshman Scott Lashley and his raw talent. In addition, true freshman Alex Leatherwood comes in as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

The coaching staff will continue to experiment with different combinations to ensure that they put the best five players in front of Jalen Hurts.

3. Redshirt freshman LB Ben Davis has a chance to prove he can be a versatile asset to the defense.

Former 5-star linebacker Ben Davis is the son of Alabama’s all-time leading tackler, Wayne Davis. Like his father, Davis has been blessed with an incredible amount of natural talent. So far, he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase that talent.

Davis only saw practice reps at inside linebacker throughout the 2016 season. Since spring practice began, that hasn’t been the case. He has been working with Tosh Lupoi and the outside linebackers, and he has apparently impressed with the transition.

“We just felt like Ben, athletically, might have a better chance to contribute there and he’s done a nice job” Saban said earlier this spring.

Now, Saban went on to talk about how Davis is still seeing time as a linebacker in the nickel. That could potentially be huge for him in his quest to earn additional reps in 2017. Dont’a Hightower — who plays for the New England Patriots as one of the most versatile defenders in the NFL — made his mark as a player who could make an impact at both outside and inside ‘backer.

If Davis can compete at multiple positions along the defensive front seven, that is only going to help his stock as an NFL prospect moving forward.

4. This could be Alabama’s most talented group of wide receivers during the Saban era.

It’s starting to look like the three starters at wide receiver could be Calvin Ridley, Cameron Sims and Robert Foster. Jerry Jeudy — who was a 5-star and the No. 3 wide receiver according to 247Sports — also looks to be in the mix to earn reps as a true freshman.

If that holds true, three of the top four receivers on the depth chart will be former 5-star prospects. Sims would be the lone 4-star. The staff is expecting Foster to step up and finally become the player everyone expected him to be when the No. 2 overall receiver was coming out in 2013.

Among the top candidates to see snaps next to Calvin Ridley this season, there is a blend of skill sets that should complement each other. Sims — who stands at 6-5, 203pounds — possess the necessary skills to be an effective Z receiver. He can stretch defenses vertically, and he has the size to be a threat in the red zone.

Foster is considered one of the faster receivers on the team, but he will likely be used in the slot — also known as the Y receiver. That will be a different look than we have seen over the past few years considering the two previous slot guys were Richard Mullaney and Gehrig Dieter. Foster is on a different level athletically, but he just needs to find a way to get over the hump.

5. The running back unit is loaded, but they are dealing with several injuries.

Alabama’s deepest position is at running back. The team returns the top four running backs from 2016, and they added 5-star Najee Harris and 4-star Brian Robinson.

Looking at the group, it’s impressive. That hasn’t prevented the injury bug from hitting, however. The team’s second leading rusher — Bo Scarbrough — is still recovering from a broken leg he suffered in the national championship. Like with Scarbrough, sophomore B.J. Emmons has sported a black non-contact jersey all spring.

On top of that, last year’s leading rusher — Damien Harris — was at the back of the line during drills in a recent practice. It has been speculated — though, not confirmed — that he is dealing with some sort of minor injury. Freshman phenom Najee Harris is close to 100 percent following surgery to repair his meniscus, however.

It’ll be interesting to see how the carry distribution works itself out this season. One thing is certain: There will be plenty of mouths to feed.