So much for things being as expected, as it now seems Darrington Sentimore's departure from Tuscaloosa may ultimately be nothing more than a brief detour. Per Gulf Live:
Campbell said that Sentimore, a redshirt sophomore, will play just one season at Gulf Coast, with hopes of transferring back to Alabama.
"We made a call to coach Saban," Campbell said. "They want him to come down and stay til Christmas and then hopefully go back."
And no, I don't know what Gulf Live is either, but given that they are quoting MGCCC head coach Steve Campbell, I doubt there is any reason for real concerns here regarding the legitimacy of this report.
Either way, while this is still speculation at this point, given the course of events here it seems that the underlying problem with Sentimore is most likely academics. If you recall he was a borderline qualifier two years ago -- which is why LSU didn't pursue him until right before National Signing Day, and even so he arrived late at UA -- and it's hard to see him taking a four-month detour to the JUCO ranks for behavioral issues.
Whether or not Sentimore ever returns is still undecided, of course, but in any event the latest news is more encouraging than what came out yesterday. Again, the talent is there, and he could be a real contributor on an admittedly weakened defensive line. Nevertheless, this latest revelation does UA no good for the 2011 season, and in the short-term we just have to hope that those who remain can turn in a productive campaign this fall.