Jumbo Package: Quinnen Williams arrested, Mac Jones is a dual threat?

Happy Friday, everyone. Softball opens SEC play this weekend against Arkansas while the undefeated baseball team hosts Lipscomb in the final weekend tune-up before conference play kicks in.

It isn’t going to be the best Friday for Quinnen Williams.

New York/New Jersey Port Authority Police said Williams, the team’s first-round draft pick last season, was arrested at LaGuardia Airport around 9:15 p.m. and charged. Police said Williams has a permit in his home state of Alabama — but not in New York — for the Glock 19 pistol he was carrying onto the flight. It was not immediately known whether the gun was loaded.

To my knowledge, Quinnen has no criminal history whatsoever. It’s unclear whether the gun was unloaded, but this is just a foolish mistake. Hopefully he learns from it and it only in the news for his play in the future.

Spring practice is almost here, so let’s get that QB controversy started, shall we?

Wills, though, believes Jones’ athleticism is underrated.

“His football IQ is really high. People might think that he’s not the best athlete but what they don’t know is he can run,” Wills said. “He’ll get out in practice and scramble for like 30 yards. People won’t catch him.”

Young will sport the same number he wore in high school, which is the No. 9.

The news isn’t all that surprising, but it does mean that former four-star wide receiver Xavier Williams, who wore the number during his first two seasons on campus, will have to make a switch.

Alabama (April 18): Does Bryce Young have a shot at the job?

Five-star freshman Bryce Young doesn’t bring to Tuscaloosa the sort of hype that greeted Tua Tagovailoa’s arrival a few years ago, but it’s close. He’s the biggest challenge to Mac Jones’ tenuous hold on the starting position after the junior tossed 14 touchdowns as the injury replacement for Tagovailoa last season. In the past, you’d say that Nick Saban would be against giving a true freshman the starting job. But times have changed.

Mac Jones is a dual threat, eh? That’s a pretty tough sell, Jedrick, though some of the comments in that piece from opposing defenders were quite complimentary of Mac. We are in good hands either way.

One NFL analyst thinks that Tua could end up in Los Angeles.

“I think [the Detroit Lions] trade back to No. 5 or No. 6, I think it’s either the Dolphins or the Chargers [who trade up]. My money is on the Chargers trading up to get this pick and take Tua because I believe the Miami Dolphins have a comfort level with either Herbert or with Tua.”

You have to believe that his extended family would love to have him on the west coast, which is a reasonable flight distance from Hawaii.

Alabama’s players are getting a new tunnel at Bryant Denny.

Erik is very happy about this expenditure.

Locks is giving Derek Kief a shot at coaching.

A former Alabama wide receiver is now getting into coaching and has landed a position with one of his former Crimson Tide coaches.

Derek Kief has been hired as a graduate assistant at Maryland under former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, AL.com has learned.

Good luck to Derek.

Last, Alabama’s swimmers and divers have had a fantastic year.

The Alabama women qualified 11 swimmers and four relays for the upcoming NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, which will be held in Athens, Ga., March 18-21, marking the Crimson Tide’s largest contingent heading to the national championships in more than 25 years.

Under first-year head coach Coley Stickels, Alabama more than doubled its number of individual qualifiers from last season, with a list that includes sophomores Rhyan White and Kensey McMahon who are seeded in the top two in their specialties. White has the nation’s No. 1 time in the 200 backstroke heading into the national championships and is ranked second in the 100 freestyle, while McMahon is second in the 1,650 freestyle.

Best of luck to all.

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

Roll Tide.