Bigger, Leaner and Meaner Alabama in 2020? Yep, That's the Plan
![Bigger, Leaner and Meaner Alabama in 2020? Yep, That's the Plan Bigger, Leaner and Meaner Alabama in 2020? Yep, That's the Plan](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTc0ODEyODIzMTE1ODAyMzgz/d5c2f0ec-6585-47a8-bb0c-1c32a521e971.jpg)
The football world is a small one. Sometimes that can easy to forget, but Alabama senior linebacker Dylan Moses gave us all a good reminder this week.
When Nick Saban hired David Ballou as the Crimson Tide’s Director of Sports Performance and Dr. Matt Rhea as the Director of Performance Science, there was a lot of talk about their success at Indiana.
But they also used to work at IMG Academy in Orlando when Moses played there for his senior year.
"I’m very familiar with these guys," said the linebacker, adding that he gave Saban a recommendation before they were hired in March.
"When I was over there they put out very good results – dropped by 40 time, got me stronger, I was healthy throughout the season. I had nicks and knacks every now and then, you know that’s football. I felt great when they were my coaches."
Faster and stronger are always the goals, but the early indications are that numerous players are both bigger and leaner, which is an impressive combination when pulled off.
For example, take a look at the photo of Evan Neal posted on social media. He looks significantly different from a year ago:
New year same mission. #sophmoreszn pic.twitter.com/tzjbKwfqSP
— Evan Neal (@ENeal73) August 19, 2020
Seeing a second-year player go through a dramatic transformation isn't unusual. For some it's just getting accustomed to the collegiate game and what's expected, plus being in the weight room for a year.
Defensive lineman Ishmael Sophsher is the perfect example. Compared to his listed weight from a year ago he's lost 24 pounds and is down to 310 pounds. Offensive lineman Pierce Quick is another who has shed weight, 11 pounds during the same time period, and is listed as 280.
But the number of players who have gained significant weight far outnumber those who have trimmed down, with a dozen adding 10-plus pounds.
Leading that list are offensive linemen. Starter Landon Dickerson, who appears to be going back to guard this season, bulked up 17 pounds up to 325. Fellow starter Deonte Brown, who was already at 338, is listed at 350.
"They're very open about their philosophy, involving science and things like that," said redshirt quarterback Mac Jones, who added nine pounds and is up to 214. "But everything they do in the weight room translates to the field. Every single lift we do, there's a reason we're doing it. And they make it very clear to why we're doing that lift.
"That just boosts morale, and we don't feel like we're just going through the motions. We're getting better every day. There's science to prove it. They've done a great job leading us. We love those guys already. So I think everybody on the team would say, they feel much better about, um, how the strength and conditioning has evolved."
Everything translating to the field includes in the play-calling, especially with Alabama have a loaded stable of running backs led by Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. There was already a lot of speculation that the Crimson Tide was looking to run more to take full advantage of its personnel, but also help Jones as the starter.
Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian touched on it this week:
"When we came here a year ago there was so much attention on Tua [Tagovailoa], there was so much attention on our wide receiver core and deservingly so," he said. "Not throwing the ball sometimes you’re almost remiss because those guys could create so many explosive plays and I do feel at times — especially kind of in the middle of the season — we didn’t control games maybe as good as we could have because it was like ‘Run out of necessity’ because we were so good at throwing it.
"You know we’re always striving for balance. I think our ability to run the football got better in the second half of last season. It’s something we definitely want to build upon as we head into this year and maybe the pendulum switches a little."
So now in addition to run-pass option and play-action game Alabama aims to shove the ball down everyone's throats more.
You can be sure Alabama's opponents are thrilled to hear that.
"They've made significant progress physically with a lot of our players, which we're very pleased with," Saban said about Ballou and Rhea.
We sent a baby to Bama.... I don’t know who this man is🧐 pic.twitter.com/7t7zuGI21Z
— Krisse Story (@krisse_story) August 20, 2020
Not quite the junior varsity
Saban turned some heads when he questioned the viability of a spring football season during his appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" on Tuesday morning.
"I think one of the real consequences of this is, if you're a junior or a senior and you have an NFL grade, are you going to play in the spring?" Saban said. "Or is that going to become sort of a JV season with a lot of these juniors and seniors opting out?"
The Big Ten probably didn't take the comment very well, especially coming from one of its former coaches who has gone on to win six national titles in the SEC (five at Alabama).
It's a fair point, though, because one has to wonder if any pro prospects would even consider participating, especially when so many have opted out for playing in the fall.
Here's the thing to keep in mind: Saban has numerous players on his roster who are being hailed as potential first-round selections this season including Harris, tackle Alex Leatherwood, Moses, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, cornerback Patrick Surtain II and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Think he knows exactly where each of them stand? Absolutely.
Harris told reporters this week that he hasn't thought about opting out. However, when asked about possibly playing in the spring dodged the question like he does a defender on a bad angle.
"As of now, I’m not worried about that,” he said.
Remember this quote by Saban
One of the first things Saban said this week was about how they "continue to try to give our players an opportunity to play," which strikes at the heart of what Saban is all about.
("One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." — Benjamin Disraeli, 1804–81).
However, this following line should also get your attention:
"The biggest opponent that we have this year is going to be (coronavirus)," Saban said. "Because if we can't get people to have the personal discipline to manage their personal bubble in a way that they can stay safe, which I think is very possible, then we're going to have guys testing positive, guys in quarantine, and this is going to create issues on any team."
Saban often says the same kind of thing about players who get hurt after not using proper technique.
He's not preaching "It is what it is," when it comes to the coronavirus.
Saban once wrote a book called "How Good Do You Want to Be?" It could have also been titled," How Bad Do You Want It?" which figures to be especially true this season under the circumstances.
Big Ten issues
When it comes to the Big Ten's decision not to play this fall the criticism has been deafening, but mostly by people from the cheap seats who simply didn't like it.
It's time for them to give it a rest.
Commissioner Kevin Warren told Sports Illustrated that it was "a gut-wrenching decision" and one can be certain that it was.
Think Alabama's Greg Byrne isn't agonizing over every single move regarding the coronavirus? Of course he is.
He's also dealing with a very different part of the country, with contrasting expectations, and a fan base that is unlike any other in college football. Moreover, Alabama is in the final stages of renovating Bryant-Denny Stadium, which cost $107 million:
![Bryant-Denny Stadium renovations, Aug. 19, 2020](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTc0ODEyODIzMTE1ODAyMzgz/d5c2f0ec-6585-47a8-bb0c-1c32a521e971.jpg)
The past few months have had daily ebbs and flows, and for all we know the whole season could still end up going over a waterfall. So don't be quick to kick the Big Ten.
It wasn't that long ago that the ACC was being hailed for the so-called brilliant move of forcing the SEC to cancel their rivalry games. That was just a couple of weeks ago and it's already been forgotten.
Conferences, teams and players are all making the best decisions for themselves, and those decisions should be respected. Months, if not years from now, we'll all have a much better perspective about the enormous consequences from both playing and not playing, plus the economic ramifications.
With little guidance, and no clear place to draw the line, the rhetoric is just that, which makes it all but meaningless.
Did you notice?
• Inflated Rosters, Financial Burdens and 'Tough Conversations': Ramifications of an Extra Year of Eligibility. “It’s like the days of Tom Osborne and Bear Bryant,” says one athletic director.
• Alex Prewitt spoke with several NFL players who opted out of the season about how they arrived at the decision.
• Here’s where things stand with the college football conferences still planning to play.
• UNC football inadvertently finds itself in a bubble, and what are the ethical implications?
• The CFL canceled its 2020 season after failing to secure a loan from the Canadian government.
• CSU Offensive Lineman Barry Wesley Hopes To Educate With His Powerful Story
• How MLB should build its postseason bubble.
Christopher Walsh's notes column All Things CW regularly appears on BamaCentral