Happy Tuesday, everyone. Football news is as light as you’d probably imagine, but we have a few nuggets. Alabama’s 2021 stock is up according to 247sports.
“I ranked Oklahoma at No. 1 in my initial poll, but even with half of Nick Saban’s assistants on the move and one of the greatest receivers in college football history (DeVonta Smith) out the door, I moved Alabama ahead of the Sooners for the simple reason that Alabama still has the most talented roster in college football coached by the greatest coach of all time. There are many questions Alabama must answer, but why am I questioning the GOAT and placing Oklahoma, a program that has gone 0-4 in the College Football Playoff above the Tide? Correction made. Alabama, like nine of the last 11 recruiting classes, is the unanimous choice at No. 1.” — Marcello
They also have Alabama’s projected starting QB and #1 listed as one of the most lethal tandems in the country.
New Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien inherits a wealth of riches in Tuscaloosa this fall despite the loss of several All-Americans and one of the most decorated pass-catchers in SEC history in Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. What’s in store for the Crimson Tide’s encore following a record-setting campaign? Insert five-star signal caller Bryce Young, who waited patiently behind the greatness of Mac Jones as a freshman to call the shots in 2021. He’ll have Brian Robinson in the backfield and John Metchie on the outside, a dynamic playmaker poised to be Alabama’s go-to target in the passing game.
Not going to link it here as they are easy enough to find, but there are some social media posts going around of Metchie saying disrespectful things to Saban and one claiming that he was kicked off the team. It seems likely that he was hacked, but we will certainly keep an eye on it.
This is not a hack. Auburn apparently wanted to remind everyone just how much better Nick Saban is than their coach.
We Are Coming! !#WarEagle | #AuburnMade pic.twitter.com/FKxnv5tglJ
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) February 16, 2021
Good luck, Bryan. You will need it.
Derrick Henry is going to crush Shaun Alexander’s record for Alabama rushers in the NFL.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry’s 2,027 rushing yards in the 2020 season would have been enough to rank him 11th on Alabama’s all-time NFL rushing list. Added to his yardage from his first four seasons, Henry’s historic campaign moved the former Crimson Tide All-American to third among the school’s NFL ball-carriers.
With 5,860 rushing yards, Henry now trails only Shaun Alexander and Mark Ingram among Alabama alumni.
Henry only needs about 3,600 yards to catch Shaun. At this rate he will have that done sometime in 2022. Emmitt Smith’s all-time NFL record is 18,355. That’s a long way off, but if Henry maintained a pace near 2,000 yards a season, he would break it at age 34. Most running backs don’t stick around that long, but Derrick is a physical freak. Who knows?
Julio is going to be tough to catch in receiving yards, though.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones added 771 yards to his lead, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper moved closer to catching Pro Football Hall of Fame members Don Hutson and Ozzie Newsome, Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley jumped from ninth to sixth, Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram was one of the players passed by Ridley and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard moved Wilbur Jackson out of the 10th spot despite an injury that ended his season early.
Last, TMZ picked up this video of Amari Cooper tossing a football with some kids he ran across while house hunting.
Good stuff, Amari.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.