FanPost

Patching the Holes

At the end of every football season, Coach Saban and the assistant coaches assess the roster and look for possible immediate answers to holes in the starting lineup. This winter the biggest hole is at Quarterback and the coaches are moving to put a high-quality patch in place behind center.

By all accounts from Tallahassee, Jacob Coker pushed Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston all through spring and fall practice for the QB spot at Florida State. Alabama is not normally reduced to bringing in transfers to compete for the starting QB position, but Coker is not garden-variety backup QB. Highly recruited out of St. Paul's in Mobile, Coker selected FSU over Alabama. Surely he knew that he might have a better chance to start sooner at FSU than at Alabama, although he could not have foreseen Winston signing with the Seminoles. If Jacob Coker does arrive in Tuscaloosa in May, there is no guarantee that he'll win the starting job, but he has to be considered a top candidate.

Getting the defensive backfield shored up is a key ingredient to moving the Bama defense back to the top of the team statistical rankings in the country in 2014. With Tony Brown already on campus and the Tide coaches closing in on Five Star Corner Marlon Humphrey (considered to be a Top 3 DB in the 2014 class), DC Kirby Smart will be able to pair Brown and Humphrey in with returning starters Landon Collins, Nick Perry and contributors Geno Smith, Eddie Jackson, Bradley Sylve, and Jarrick Williams to bring the defense back to the level that Tide fans have become accustomed.

Alabama has also added a number of Defensive Lineman, including Jarran Reed and D.J. Pettway who are already enrolled in classes at UA. As usual, Coach Saban and staff has put together an elite recruiting class and are filling immediate needs with players who can compete from day 1. The last days of the 2014 recruiting period have been spent finalizing the 2014 class and working on the 2015 class.

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