Jumbo Package: Noted Stones fan Nick Saban admires Mick Jagger’s longevity

Happy Friday, everyone. As you may imagine, pickings are slim, but we will open with 247sports’ Barton Simmons examining the impact coaching turnover has had on the program.

“If you look across the SEC, the conference is so intensely competitive that they’re always jumping from job to job. They’re always stealing coordinators from one another. This year, Tennessee grabs Derrick Ansley, who was two years removed from being at Alabama. Tennessee steals the offensive coordinator from Georgia in Jim Chaney. Half of Georgia’s operation staff is one-time Alabama guys.

“There’s this sort of incestuous and very intensely competitive nature in the SEC. Meanwhile, Clemson is over there chilling with this staff they’ve had for a decade, and everyone’s just cool with it. It’s a really odd dichotomy there between the two, and I think it has benefitted Clemson. Maybe Alabama will be wise to chill out a little bit and let some of these guys stick around.”

He notes that guys like Kelly and Sunseri are likely to be around a while, but it is interesting that none of Clemson’s ACC rivals have taken the strategy seen in the SEC. Guess they are all content to let them beat up on the league for a while.

Saban loves those Rolling Stones.

The last time he saw them live was in 2015 at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. “The first thing is ‘Start Me Up,’” he said. “When you hear that beat, it really is something.” Back then, Saban reminded me, Jagger was 71. “The energy, the enthusiasm, the dancing, all the stuff that goes with what he does, it’s just unbelievable,” the coach said. “But he’s always kind of been that way.”

The 67-year-old Saban and Jagger seem to be kindred spirits. In April, two days after the coach had a hip replaced, Alabama football posted a photo of him working in his office. In May, a month after the lead singer had a heart valve replaced, he posted a video of himself practicing his signature dance moves.

Mick Jagger is eight years older than Saban, and they are still touring. I see no reason that Nick won’t last at least that long in Tuscaloosa.

Mack Wilson has been in contact with Ray Lewis.

“He calls me Young Lion,” Wilson said. “He always tells me you’ve just got to work hard and play fast, play with your head on fire. … At the next level, you’ve got to be able to play fast and kind of read plays fast, so it’s really just the change of speed of the next level, so I’ve got to kind of adjust to that and I’ll be all right.”

It was still dumb for Mack to leave school early since he likely could have improved his stock dramatically with another year starting under his belt, but it won’t be shocking if he turns out to be a better pro than college player if he gets the chance.

There is very little defense played in the NFL to begin with, so a LB who can make leaping interceptions in zone has value, and Wilson has made several of those. Also, the strict NFL rules on linemen downfield actually simplify reads somewhat. Linemen are required to stay within a yard of the line of scrimmage even when the ball is thrown in the backfield. In college ball, they are allowed three yards on passes beyond the line and there is no limit on screens completed in the backfield.

Of course, the speed of the game is dramatically different. We will see how it turns out.

Baker Mayfield is telling Jalen Hurts to “just do you.”

Mayfield, now the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, shared the advice he would give Hurts.

“Be himself,” Mayfield told ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “He doesn’t need to try and do anything we did. He needs to do his game, and that’s good enough. There’s a reason he’s here and there’s a reason he’s a national champion.

“Him being a leader, he’s continued that first and foremost. Just be himself. Lincoln will do a good job of adapting to whatever he’s best at.”

It will be interesting to see how Jalen does if he is indeed the starter. I can see a wide range of possibility there.

Last, Alabama softball got another key piece for what should be a legitimate shot at a national title next season.

Two-time All-PAC 12 outfielder Alexis Mack will join the Alabama softball program as a graduate transfer in 2020 following two standout seasons at the University of Oregon.

“We are very excited to add Alexis to our 2020 roster,” UA head coach Patrick Murphy said. “She will provide tremendous experience to our team next spring. Team 24 could be one of the fastest in our history.”

A senior two time all-conference bat? Yes, please. Welcome, Alexis.

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

Roll Tide.