Jumbo Package: Will the new redshirt rule keep all the QBs in house for 2018?

Happy Friday, everyone. When it was announced that players could redshirt after playing up to four games in a season, Alabama fans immediately turned to the impact on this season’s QB battle.

With the new redshirt rule, Hurts can play in up to four games and still redshirt. That could eliminate the pressure of needing to make a decision before the season and allow Hurts to continue battling for the job once the season starts if he doesn’t win it outright and then graduate from Alabama without sacrificing a year of eligibility.

The logistics of this could be difficult, but I could see it working out something like this: Both players split time vs. Louisville, then Jalen Hurts starts vs. the Arkansas State Red Wolves and Tua Tagovailoa at the Ole Miss Rebels, with Mac Jones mopping up in both presumed blowouts. At that point, both players have only two games under their belts. Saban names his starter and, barring injury, the runner up sits for the balance of the regular season. At that point both men would be available for the playoffs (Exotic packages, anyone?) without risk of burning anyone’s redshirt.

Thoughts?

More on QBs:

“He walked into the weight room and said, ‘Dad, I thought I was looking at defensive ends and defensive tackles, but they were linebackers,’ ” David Uiagalelei recalled. “I can tell from what he was telling me that he could see why Alabama is the No. 1 school. Their preparation is like no other. To me and where we’re at, I feel like Alabama is Bosco or Mater Dei [High School]. You get the best athletes there. I feel the same way about Alabama. They have so many 5-stars and top recruits.

“Why wouldn’t I want my son to go there? I consider him a 5-star. No one has to tell me that my son is the type of kid who can compete with 5-stars. I’m not saying my son is better than everyone, but I chose to go to Bosco because I felt like my son needed to be challenged by top talent.”

I will straight up shank you, Pruitt. Don’t try me. Sounds like the family of Uiagalelei has their minds right.

Much attention has been given to the young triplets returning at WR along with newcomer Jaylen Waddle, but Xavier Williams sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

“They say it’s pretty intense,” he said. ”I don’t really know what to expect.”

But the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Williams seemed to be playing coy.

After all, all he had to do was confer with Jerry Jeudy and Calvin Ridley to get the low-down. Williams had bonded with the Alabama receivers, who were from the same fertile recruiting ground -- South Florida -- where he developed into a four-star prospect and wowed his high school coach, Chaminade-Madonna Prep’s Dameon Jones.

Williams is just another ho hum Alabama blue chip commit out of Miami who held offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma as well as the hometown ‘Canes. He is super talented and has good size. Odds are that he makes his mark before he leaves town, if not this season.

ESPN’s Marty Smith did a funny feature on Saban’s underground basketball league. I would have embedded it for you but, you know, ESPN sucks.

Last, AJ McCarron may be facing a crossroads in his career.

“Those heady days when Hue Jackson was trying to trade for him in Cleveland seem like an eternity ago, and after a far more established and successful quarterback (Tyrod Taylor) was benched quickly in Buffalo a year ago on a team that would still eventually reach the playoffs, how could McCarron not be looking over his shoulder now at the guy who briefly took Taylor’s job (Nathan Peterman) as well as the seventh-overall pick. If McCarron doesn’t shed the back-up label now, will he ever?”

AJ will have a strong running game, so this could be a good fit for him. Hope he makes the best of it.

Sadly, that about does it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.