Jumbo Package: Friday 29 April 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

The baseball team opened a critical home series against #3 Mississippi State and got trashed by a final score of 12-5, putting them below .500 in the conference. Hopefully they are able to do better in the next two. Meanwhile, the softball team travels to South Carolina for their final regular season road series. The ladies sit at 41-9 and are holding firm at #4 nationally.

Oh, there was also a draft last night that was surprisingly uneventful for Alabama fans:

Colts draft center Ryan Kelly in first round of 2016 NFL Draft - Stampede Blue

Kelly is not a surprising pick for the Colts whatsoever, as it seems in recent days that the overwhelming majority of mock drafts have had the Colts taking the Alabama center.  It's certainly a pick that should make quarterback Andrew Luck happy, as he gets a good center to help protect him.  Kelly is a player who can step in right away and start for the Colts from day one at center and addresses the biggest area of need up front.  Kelly should be a good player for the Colts for several years to come, and that's never a bad pick at number 18 overall.

2016 NFL Draft: Colts get an A+ for drafting Ryan Kelly with 18th pick - CBSSports.com

Kelly's stock shot up at the NFL combine in February, where he showed off his athleticism.

The center ran a 5.03 40-yard dash, which was the fastest of any center and the sixth-fastest of any linemen in Indy. According to the guys over at NFLDraftScout.com, it's Kelly's athleticism that will likely allow him to succeed at the pro level: "Quite athletic, slipping to the second level easily while run blocking and mirroring defenders while in pass protection. Has not allowed a sack the past two years."

Not only did he go two years without allowing a sack, but Kelly was also only called for one penalty in all of 2015.

Emphasis mine. That kind of player isn't easy to replace, folks. It's not surprising that Saban would peg a guy like Ross Pierschbacher over a guy with limited game experience to fill such a critical role.

The Colts are getting an extremely smart, athletic player. That Kelly was drafted so much higher than his predecessor, the ever-decorated Barrett Jones, underscores the emphasis that NFL war rooms place on the workout circuit. While Jones sat out the Combine to nurse a lisfranc injury, Kelly was healthy and able to show out. Congratulations to him, and here's hoping he becomes the Jeff Saturday to Andrew Luck's Peyton Manning.

Disappointing 1st round of NFL Draft for Alabama as only 1 player taken | AL.com

Linebacker Reggie Ragland, defensive end A'Shawn Robinson and defensive tackle Jarran Reed were all expected to be taken in the first round, but were still in the green room at the end of the night. It was a surprising development given that almost every draft projection had three Alabama players drafted in the first round. Ragland, who led Alabama in tackles and was the signal-caller, may have been impacted by a report before the draft that multiple NFL teams flagged him medically for an enlarged aorta. He told Alabama Media Group that he was "all good" but it may have forced him out of the first round.

While we are certainly proud of Ryan, this was a frustrating draft for Alabama fans overall. Reggie Ragland would have certainly gone in the first without the aneurysm concerns, but it's particularly surprising that Reed and Robinson both slipped out of the first. Expect the early second round to have a decidedly Crimson hue.

Laremy Tunsil admits to taking money from an Ole Miss coach | FOX Sports

Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil admitted Thursday night that he took money from a Rebels coach. "I made a mistake," Tunsil said at a press conference at the NFL Draft in Chicago. "That happened." When asked to clarify if that comment that meant he took money from an Ole Miss coach, Tunsil said "I'd have to say yeah."

It was certainly an interesting night for Laremy Tunsil, but I don't buy the text messages deal. First off, they look fake to me. Secondly, surely Ole Miss isn't so brazen to have Assistant ADs brokering cash deals for players and leaving a paper trail. I mean, surely. Right?

That said, when put on the spot Tunsil did admit taking money from a coach and his recruitment has obviously already fallen under much scrutiny. Being that no coaches have been terminated due to their roles in his recruitment (see: Alabama's handling of Bo Davis) this probably isn't going away for Ole Miss. Nowadays, programs aren't typically punished for the crime as long as the administration acts swiftly and decisively upon discovery. Systemic cheating, however, where coaches are encouraged to find money for players as the higher-ups turn a blind eye, will get you hammered.

Four-star North Carolina safety high on Alabama after 2 spring visits | AL.com

"They always talk about his athleticism," Jenkins said. "One of the things (Lupoi) said Coach Saban said was that when it comes to picking a basketball team, Hamsah's going to be on the team. He's explosive and he can jump out of the gym." Nasirildeen's size sticks out. Jenkins thinks that when he's in college and acclimated to a weight program, he can play in the secondary at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds while maintaining his speed.

Nasirildeen has a chance to be one of the coveted OLB types who can actually flex out on the faster tight ends. He would be a big pick-up.

They're baaaaack: The satellite camps Harbaugh made famous can resume - CBSSports.com

Now, I feel it's important to point out that the NCAA didn't "legalize" satellite camps, as much as it just re-opened the loophole that allowed coaches like Michigan's Jim Harbaugh to take advantage of them in the first place. While they're once again allowed under the rules, the NCAA also wants to continue looking into the rule, and even though it doesn't come out and say it, I'm guessing this is an issue that will be addressed once and for all again next offseason.

Hey, look! Satellite camps are back in the news. Discuss this if you like, I'm moving on...

New rules in right field rankle students

UA athletics issued new guidelines for the right field seating area before the Crimson Tide's most recent weekend series against Ole Miss, which started April 15. Among the changes: community coolers, shared between several students, were no longer permitted; liquor was banned outright; and each student over 21 was allowed a limit of six beers for the game.

Student attendance has fallen off significantly since then. Elliott and Costello guessed about 1,000 students total attended UA's three home games against Ole Miss.

Apparently a couple of knucklehead students were arrested for dumping beer on a Tennessee outfielder, ruining the alcohol party for everyone. Alcohol and college sports is always a controversial topic, and the students are clearly voicing their displeasure with their wallets.

That's about it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.