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Saban commented on offensive lineman Landon Dickerson being a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell, awarded to the college football player who "possesses the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance." Saban said the Campbell Award is "in my mind, one of the prestigious awards that anyone can be honored with." Barrett Jones won the trophy for Alabama in 2012. - Birmingham News

(DS#2 C) rSr/2021

C Landon Dickerson, Alabama
News Source: Birmingham News
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10/03/20 - Jordan Battle, Sr/2023, Alabama, 6-1, 209 (DS#1 SS) + More +

Jordan Battle had time to grow into a full-time starting role. Xavier McKinney's positional flexibility allowed Battle to play as a deep safety primarily in Alabama's dime package, giving the then-freshmen the benefit of experience while limiting what he had to prepare for in a given week. He had no time to grow into a leadership role. Battle was expected to take on a bigger role in UA's defense as it replaced both safeties. The void left by those departing safeties also left a void in leadership, one Battle had no choice to fill as UA's most experienced defensive back outside of Patrick Surtain II.

Battle's teammates and coaches think he handled the duties well in the season opener and look for more Saturday against Texas A&M. "He's shown a lot of maturity from last year to this year, which is not unusual from freshman to sophomore year," UA coach Nick Saban said. "I think he's got a good understanding of what we're doing. He's communicating better in the back end getting people on the same page. And I was really pleased with the way he played in the first game." Battle was tied for third on the team with six tackles against Missouri. The on-field aspect of things was one challenge. Battle had to get up to starting speed in the entire defensive schemes, as opposed to just the dime packages, which Saban says he has done. "I think sometimes when guys know their responsibility increases, their sense of urgency increases a little bit and that's what enables them to make even more progress, which has happened with a lot of guys," Saban said. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#1 SS) Sr/2023

SS Jordan Battle, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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10/02/20 - *Jameson Williams, Jr/2022, Alabama, 6-2, 180 (DS#2 WR) + More +

Ohio State football fans caught a brief glimpse of Jameson Williams as a freshman in 2019. Brief because he played sparingly behind the main rotation. Yet also brief because the St. Louis native's greatest asset - his speed - definitely played at this level. Williams turned one of his six receptions into a 61 yard touchdown. It was the second time he had done an Ezekiel Elliott impression, the first being when he broke the former Buckeye star's Missouri high school record in the 300 hurdles. That speed helped Williams earn a place in the OSU receivers room.

To crack the rotation, he needs to prove himself as a complete receiver in the ongoing preseason. "I feel like I've been a lot more focused and got a whole lot better in everything - in the classroom, on the field," Williams said. "...I feel like it will all come together soon and show during the season." Williams came to Ohio State as a top-100 national recruit and the second major recruiting hit for the receiver room along with Garrett Wilson. Yet with Wilson immediately carving out a spot among the Buckeyes' top five receivers and four top-100 talents coming in with the 2020 class, Williams became somewhat overlooked by the time spring practices began. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#2 WR) Jr/2022

WR *Jameson Williams, Alabama
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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09/30/20 - *Jaylen Waddle, Jr/2021, Alabama, 5-10, 180 (DS#3 WR) + More +

Jaylen Waddle entered the offseason as the best punt returner in the nation. He was also effective as a wide receiver in 2019 in limited opportunities, taking his 33 catches for an average of 16.97 yards, which ranked fifth in the SEC among qualified receivers. All that was left for Waddle to perfect was his blocking. In Steve Sarkisian's offense, wide receiver blocking is much more than a pet project. Just as it was all of last season, Alabama was effective -and at times explosive - on screen passes that feature wide receivers as lead blockers in the 2020 season opener: UA completed all six of such screens against Missouri for 50 yards, averaging more than 8 yards per play on passes that are designed to be caught behind the line of scrimmage.

Alabama's wide receiver corps remains elusive, playing a role in screen success, but more often than not those receivers have plenty of room to work once they make the catch. "I just worked on getting my hands inside and making solid contact with defenders," Waddle said. "I think that was one area that I really needed to improve on as far as last season." DeVonta Smith benefitted more than most from the screens. Four of Smith's eight catches and 29 of his 89 yards came on screen passes, with Waddle clearing the way on all of them and joined by John Metchie III on three of the four. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#3 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/30/20 - Najee Harris, Sr/2021, Alabama, 6-1, 232 (DS#1 RB) + More +

Harris moved into 13th place on Alabama's all-time rushing list in Saturday's 38-19 win over Missouri, passing Eddie Lacy. At 2,475 career rushing yards, Harris is within striking distance of several Tide greats, although he would need another 1,117 yards during this shortened season to pass Derrick Henry for most in school history. Harris, though, has other motivations this season. "I didn't think about that," he said about making Alabama history as a rusher. "I didn't even know I was on track to do that until I got tagged in something after the game. It ain't really a goal. It's not really my personal goal. "My personal goal is to become more of a spokesman person. Because I suck at that with my teammates. I'm not really the type of guy to be in front of people and, like, talk. I'm not really that type of guy. I like talking to people 1-on-1 more. I like being that type of guy. I try [to] be a better teammate right now, really. It's not really about numbers." Harris' role as one of the spokespeople for the #WeWantToPlay movement this summer ultimately proved successful, as each of the Power 5 conferences will be on the field at some point this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. - Birmingham News

(DS#1 RB) Sr/2021

RB Najee Harris, Alabama
News Source: Birmingham News
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09/30/20 - *Mac Jones, rJr/2021, Alabama, 6-3, 217 (DS#3 QB) + More +

Former Kentucky commit Mac Jones threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns despite sitting for part of the third and all of the fourth quarters at Missouri, helping Nick Saban improve to 14-0 in season openers with the Crimson Tide. A date with Texas A&M seems appetizing on paper, but Saban's 7-1 record against the Aggies (the loss came in 2012, their first SEC meeting) raises an eyebrow. Nick Saban says: "I think the spirit of the game was different in terms of having fans but I don't think the competitive spirit that the players played with and how they played and how hard they tried, I don't think that was any different than it ever is." - Herald Leader

(DS#3 QB) rJr/2021

QB *Mac Jones, Alabama
News Source: Herald Leader
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09/29/20 - *Mac Jones, rJr/2021, Alabama, 6-3, 217 (DS#3 QB) + More +

In the real world, Alabama comes off a 38-19 win over Missouri with no quarterback controversy at all. Mac Jones is the clear-cut starter, with freshman Bryce Young still on what Nick Saban euphemistically described in his Saturday night postgame as a "learning curve." Jones, who played only a couple of series after halftime, threw for two touchdowns, both to Jaylen Waddle, and would have had a third had Waddle not been ruled down inside the 1-yard line after touching the pylon with his empty hand rather than the one with a football in it. Jones showed a good touch, good leadership and the ability to take a hit. "That's the way Mac's played (in practice)," Saban said. "He's done a really good job. I thought he played well tonight. They have a good defensive team. Those guys are physical. They're tough. They play a lot of close coverage, a lot of man-to-man. and they're a good front seven. I thought Mac handled the game really well. I thought he made good choices and decisions. He was accurate with the ball. I was very, very pleased with the way Mac played." - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#3 QB) rJr/2021

QB *Mac Jones, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/29/20 - *Will Anderson Jr., Jr/2023, Alabama, 6-4, 253 (DS#1 DE) + More +

The expectation was for the little veteran presence UA has at outside linebacker, Christopher Allen and Ben Davis, to be the every-down players. Anderson and fellow freshmen Drew Sanders would fall in line to use their pass-rush skills in specific situations, ones that allowed the to contribute to depth while not exposing them to situations for which they're ill-prepared. Anderson proved ready to handle run-stopping responsibilities, too. On a fourth-and-2 with roughly five minutes left in the first quarter, Missouri ran an option to Anderson's side. Anderson played quarterback Shawn Robinson quickly, forcing an early pitch - early enough for Moses to track the ball carrier down for a loss and turnover on downs.

Plays like that are how Anderson earned an early nickname: Terminator. According to quarterback Mac Jones, UA offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian labeled Anderson the Terminator in a film session, "because he's always around the ball destroying people." As Anderson develops, he'll have more opportunities to be around the ball. He's already earned more than he would've had four weeks ago. "He'll get better and play a lot here," Jones said. "His name, hopefully he can live up to the Terminator name." - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#1 DE) Jr/2023

DE *Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/28/20 - *Jaylen Waddle, Jr/2021, Alabama, 5-10, 180 (DS#3 WR) + More +

Junior wide receiver Jaylen Waddle knew this was his season to break out. After two seasons of playing behind Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, he would be the primary threat to pair with DeVonta Smith. He did his best to prepare for a new set of responsibilities. The early returns were convincing. Waddle exited the game with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The seven catches were a career high and the 134 yards were 4 shy of tying his current career high, set in 2018 against Louisiana-Lafayette. Waddle did not get a chance to return a kick or punt - where he made his biggest impact last year - but one game was enough to show Waddle won't have to wait for kicks and punts to make his presence known. Waddle, after all, was the target of 10 of Alabama's 32 pass attempts. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#3 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/28/20 - *Bryce Young, Jr/2023, Alabama, 5-10, 204 (DS#2 QB) + More +

Mater Dei has produced several of USC's most recent starting quarterbacks: Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley and JT Daniels among them. Young was committed to USC for 14 months until September of last year, when he flipped his commitment to UA. Daniels has since transferred to Georgia, where he could be the starting quarterback. UA and Georgia meet in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 17. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#2 QB) Jr/2023

QB *Bryce Young, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/28/20 - *Christian Harris, Jr/2022, Alabama, 6-1, 235 (DS#4 ILB) + More +

Christian Harris had himself a big opening defensive series as the former high school defensive back played with dangerous speed. He helped out on the first tackle for no gain near the sideline, then nobody bothered to block him on a third-down blitz that ended with a sack. "I think he plays with a lot more confidence when Dylan is in there," Saban said of Dylan Moses, "because Dylan makes all the calls. Christian is more comfortable and more confident in terms of what he is supposed to do and I think he's a lot more confident player now." - Birmingham News

(DS#4 ILB) Jr/2022

ILB *Christian Harris, Alabama
News Source: Birmingham News
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09/27/20 - *Jaylen Waddle, Jr/2021, Alabama, 5-10, 180 (DS#3 WR) + More +

Mac Jones now has two road starts under his belt, one in last year's Iron Bowl as a spot starter and Saturday's outing against Missouri as the established starting quarterback. In both instances, he knew he could lean on Jaylen Waddle. So he did. Waddle was the intended target on the Crimson Tide's first offensive play, an incompletion. The next nine targets produced eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, making him the star performer of UA's 38-19 win over Missouri. "He gets open, that's his job and I think he does a great job doing it," Jones said. "We've had a great relationship since he stepped on campus, going back to summer 7-on-7s, getting that chemistry with him, all the late nights at the indoor."

As he was last year, Waddle was used in motion at times to create openings for him, but part of his new role as an every-down wide receiver is to be a more naturally occurring part of the offense, one that gets the ball somewhat regularly even when plays are not designed specifically for him. Waddle did that in addition to showing a skill he had not in the past: making plays to receive the ball, as opposed to once he receives it. In the pass-catching portion of Waddle's Alabama career, most of his receptions have been carefully designed where Waddle is granted to space to make the catch, and his job to make defenders miss after that. On the first play of UA's third offensive possession, Waddle made a jumping catch in between two Missouri defenders: He was the recipient of hard contact from Missouri safety Tyree Gillespie, but in the process he became the lone UA player to generate a play of more than 35 yards, gaining 46 on the play. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#3 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/27/20 - *Bryce Young, Jr/2023, Alabama, 5-10, 204 (DS#2 QB) + More +

Alabama freshman quarterback Bryce Young made his debut against Missouri late in the third quarter Saturday. Young came in with 1:09 left in the third quarter as Alabama started a drive at its own 25-yard line. On his first snap, he handed the ball to Trey Sanders. On his second play, he completed a 6-yard pass to DeVonta Smith. Young finished his debut 5-of-8 passing for 54 yards. He also rushed four times for 2 yards. Alabama defeated Missouri 38-19. Just that he was in the game had Alabama Crimson Tide fans excited. - Montgomery Advertiser

(DS#2 QB) Jr/2023

QB *Bryce Young, Alabama
News Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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09/26/20 - *Mac Jones, rJr/2021, Alabama, 6-3, 217 (DS#3 QB) + More +

Mac Jones threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters of work, many of his throws landing in the capable hands of Jaylen Waddle, and No. 2 Alabama began its Southeastern Conference-only schedule with a 38-19 romp over rebuilding Missouri on Saturday night. Waddle finished with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Najee Harris ran for 98 yards and three more scores, helping the Crimson Tide spoil the debut of new Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz and win their 27th straight over the SEC East before a COVID-19-curtailed crowd of 11,738 fans at Faurot Field. TCU transfer Shawn Robinson, who started for the Tigers over Connor Bazelak, threw for 185 yards and a score. Bazelak also got a few series and was equally ineffective against Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense, which kept Drinkwitz's creative offense out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter.

Bazelak added a touchdown scamper on the final play of the game for the final margin. Alabama's long wait to start the season actually began with a thud - a three-and-out on offense. But after forcing a three-and-out of their own, Jones began to find his wide receivers downfield and the Crimson Tide got rolling. At one point, the only question was who was going to score their touchdowns. Harris had the first on a short plunge, and Waddle hauled in 18-yarder for the second a few minutes later. Waddle looked like had another on the Tide's ensuing possession, but a review ruled that he hit the pylon before crossing the goal line and Harris wound up poaching the touchdown for his second of the game. - Alabama/AP College Football

(DS#3 QB) rJr/2021

QB *Mac Jones, Alabama
News Source: Alabama/AP College Football
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09/25/20 - *Christian Barmore, rSo/2021, Alabama, 6-4, 310 (DS#1 DT) + More +

Christian Barmore posted a tweet Monday, a message that was likely in reference to his status for Alabama's season-opening game against Missouri on Saturday. "Trust and believe I'll be ready," it read. It's still unclear whether he will be, though. The redshirt sophomore is still working back from a knee injury he suffered during fall camp and remains questionable for the matchup against Missouri. "I can't really say right now," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said of Barmore's status for the game. "He's done a little more each day. I think when you have an injury like this, sometimes the more you do it creates a little soreness. Then you have to back off a little bit. Then you can do a little bit more the next day. He's worked every day this week and he's made progress and we're encouraged by the progress that he makes." Barmore, the top pass rusher along the Alabama defensive line, is listed as a co-starter at one of the Tide's defensive end spots along with sophomore Justin Eboigbe. Barmore finished last season with 26 tackles, six tackles for a loss and two sacks. - Birmingham News

(DS#1 DT) rSo/2021

DT *Christian Barmore, Alabama
News Source: Birmingham News
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