Jumbo Package: Could Alabama have as many as 8 first rounders in the next draft?

Happy Friday, everyone. I think you’re going to like the CBS Sports projections for Alabama this season.

ALABAMA (12-0, 8-0)

CBS Sports Says: ”They get a bye week before traveling to LSU — a team that just lost 14 players in the NFL Draft — and have home games against Texas A&M and Auburn to close out the regular season. In an SEC that is loaded with question marks, a schedule with tough games at home is crucial.”

247Sports’ Take: Not to look too far past USC, but Alabama’s favorable schedule centers on Week 3 against Georgia. Assuming that LSU takes a step back, as expected, the Crimson Tide have a path to the SEC title. Whether the quarterback is rising junior Mac Jones or five-star freshman Bryce Young, head coach Nick Saban’s squad has the talent to get back to Atlanta and then the CFB Playoff.

Twelve up and none down, eh? That’ll do.

It’s going to be another busy draft for Alabama players next year.

Alabama LB Dylan Moses, a Baton Rouge native, appears in 90% of first-round mocks

Alabama has 5 or more first-rounders (which would tie LSU’s SEC record) in 80% of mock drafts surveyed

Alabama has 8 first-rounders in 3 mocks (NFL record held by Miami’s 6 in 2004)

This assumes, of course, that none of them go in the supplemental draft, but unless rules are changed few will have that option. In general, a player has to have exhausted his eligibility or been kicked out of school in order to qualify.

Alabama’s recruiting class needs some big uglies.

UA has yet to get an offensive line commit in its 2021 class, but has opportunities to do so with highly rated players. The Brockermeyer twins — Tommy and James of Fort Worth, Texas — both have UA as a finalist and are both among the top 30 offensive linemen in the nation, Tommy No. 1 overall and James as the top center. If unsuccessful with the Brockermeyer twins, UA still has opportunities with five-stars Amarius Mims of Georgia and JC Latham out of IMG Academy in Florida, among others.

On the defensive line, UA already has a commit from Montgomery’s Anquin Barnes, but will need more than that. UA remains a factor on at least eight four- and five-star defensive linemen, including two that are teammates at Birmingham’s Ramsay High School, Jeremiah Williams and Tim Keenan.

The Brockermeyers would be huge in this class, and Alabama seems to be in good shape with them. Hope for the best.

Speaking of recruiting, check out this story.

“We pull up there into AJ’s house. You know I had the right address, the make of the vehicle was the same that was there. You know we knocked on the door and knocked several times. And this little old lady came to the door and kind of shocks me. I’m thinking this must be AJ’s grandmother, and I said, ‘Is AJ here?’ She said, ‘Who?’ I said, ‘AJ McCarron.’ She said, ‘No, he lives four houses down that way.’

“Right then I had a lot of anxiety, thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve been watching the wrong house for a week.’ And Jim McElwain looked at me and said, ‘Great job, Pruitt.’”

Damn, that’s a little creepy. I cannot imagine stalking teenagers in that manner for a living.

Jalen Hurts was recognized again.

Hurts, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the NFL draft, was named the 2019-20 Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year on Thursday by the conference.

The former Alabama quarterback, who played at Oklahoma as a graduate transfer, is the seventh Oklahoma male athlete and fourth in the last five seasons to earn this award

G’on, Jalen.

BREAKING: Jim Harbaugh is delusional.

Harbaugh, who is 47-18 in five seasons with the program, says that they are close ... really close.

He sat down for an interview in the 247Sports “Social Distance” series and shared his thoughts on the current state of the program.

“I mean, just look back over the last the last years that we’ve been here last five years,” he said. “About as close as you can possibly be. But you got to put it over the top. That’s what drives us.”

LOL

Last, how about a little good news? I think we all can use some.

“If you want to take a giant leap and see if you can actually do something that’s never happened before, which is to reverse ALS and use a design that’s very unusual, you probably have to use your own money to get that funded,” said Bedlack.

Bedlack says the Capel family’s funding of the clenbuterol trial will play a major role in his team’s ability to make significant strides in ALS research.

“They have allowed us to take a giant leap forward and to look for a signal that’s larger than any signal that’s ever been seen in an ALS trial before—for people to actually get better than they were when they started the study,” he says. “That’s what we’re hoping to see.”

Alabama fans are keenly aware of ALS after the death of Kevin Turner. Kudos to the Capel family for doing good.

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

Roll Tide.