Jumbo Package: Dynasty is dead, again

Happy Thursday, everyone. In a clear sign that the summer doldrums are in full swing, we have our first annual “dynasty is dead” piece.

“The program’s dominance was built on shutting down opponents. But while the Tide offense has reached a new high under Nick Saban, the defense has been going in an opposite direction. Bama seems vulnerable, but is anyone in the SEC ready to deliver the knockout blow? The conference that has won 10 of the last 14 national championship has a lot of questions entering the 2020 season.”

Vegas has installed Alabama as the preseason favorite to win the SEC this season, ahead of Georgia and LSU. Edwards isn’t sure he’d put as much stock in the Crimson Tide as others.

“Bama lost four first-rounders on offense alone, one of them being the most efficient passer in college football history,” Edwards said.

Imagine losing four first rounders on offense and still returning perhaps the best offense in the country. It doesn’t suck.

On the recruiting front, RB coach Charles Huff is absolutely dominating Florida.

With the addition of Dallas Turner on Wednesday, Alabama running backs coach Charles Huff jumps to the No. 1 spot in the 247Sports Recruiter Rankings. Of course Huff is also firmly atop the Southeastern Conference.

Turner is commitment No. 2 of the week for Huff after Devonta Smith announced his intentions on Monday. Along with Smith, Huff holds commitments from three of the top 10 players in the state of Florida as we enter July — five-star offensive tackle JC Latham, five-star wide receiver Jacorey Brooks, and the borderline five-star edge rusher in Turner.

Just how much talent has Huff pulled out of the Sunshine State? Enough for some Gators to head west, looking for a Big 12 team to adopt.

Poor bastard bought into the annual “Texas is back” declaration.

Dallas Turner was a big get.

Alabama has had at least two five-star commitments in each recruiting class going back to the 2017 cycle, and that streak will continue in 2021 after defensive end Dallas Turner announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Wednesday.

Turner is the No. 13-ranked prospect overall and joins five-star offensive lineman J.C. Latham, who committed to the Crimson Tide on June 12.

Alabama beat out Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma to add Turner to this class.

There will likely be more before all is said and done.

The ‘Rona may keep J.C. Hassenauer employed this fall.

During the 2020 season, teams will be able to dress 48 players on game day. That’s two more than in the past. But there’s a qualifying factor: A team can have 48 players available at a game only if eight of them are offensive linemen.

Business as usual in the NFL has been to have seven offensive linemen available on game day – the starting five, a swing tackle and a backup for the three interior positions, in most cases.

Under the new rule, a backup center could be kept off the field until needed to spell the starting center instead of going into the game as a fill-in at guard or tackle and putting the team’s reserve snapper at risk.

Good news for J.C. Sounds like the backup center job is going to be second only to backup QB as the Best Job in the Country.

Last, Kenyan Drake is stoked about the upcoming season in Arizona.

Arizona posted a 5-10-1 mark in 2019, but Drake said the Cardinals could reverse that record in 2020. And he’s not the only one expecting Arizona to make a jump in its second season under coach Kliff Kingsbury with 2019 No. 1 draft pick Kyler Murray at the helm of the offense.

“I feel like the hype is warranted, to be honest,” Drake said during an appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “When you add arguably the best receiver in the league in DeAndre Hopkins, the most electric quarterback in the league in Kyler Murray, you add me to the fold, you add a couple more pieces to the O-line … I feel like we’re going to go out there and really take the league by storm, especially our division.”

You have a bit more belief in Kilff and Kyler than I do, Kenyan. We shall see.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.