Jumbo Package: 13 years later, NCAA to repeal Saban “bump rule” after yet another top class

Happy Monday, everyone. What a weekend it was.

• Softball took two of three from top ten Arkansas
• Baseball swept Texas A&M at their place
• Nate Oats landed an outstanding big man from the transfer portal

Football had their second scrimmage of the spring, but before we get to that, check out this hilarious note.

There were complaints around college football that Saban was arranging “coincidental” interactions with recruits, leading to the rule. However, since the rule was enacted, Saban has won six national championships and Alabama has been the nation’s most dominant recruiting entity.

The Crimson Tide’s 2021 signing class is the highest-rated class ever per the 247Sports Composite.

Back in 2008, a rule was put in place because some whining coaches thought that Saban was lapping them on the recruiting trail because of illegal contact with recruits. Now, after a year where he pulled arguably the best recruiting class since they have been recording such things without going on the road at all, they have figured out that the “bumps” might not have been the problem.

On to the scrimmage.

The scrimmage was additional confirmation that Pete Golding’s defense has a chance to be very good this season. The first-team defense and first-team front seven were dominant, including against the first-team offense. Outside linebackers Will Anderson and Chris Allen were once again extremely disruptive. The two combined for a good amount of sacks, including several against a shorthanded Crimson Tide first-team offensive line that didn’t have offensive guard Emil Ekiyor and that lost left tackle Evan Neal to an unspecified injury during the scrimmage.

Owing to Young’s reputation, it may be that the primary question should be that of the offensive line, where three out of five 2020 starters are gone from the unit selected as winner of the Joe Powell Award. Replacements must be found for Leatherwood, Dickerson, and Deonte Brown. Saban said following Alabama’s Saturday scrimmage that some offensive linemen had been out with injuries and that the Bama defensive rush had made things difficult for the offensive front men.

Some think tight end might be a question mark with the end of the Miller Forristall Era, but having seen Jahleel Billingsley last season and hearing the glowing words from Saban for Cameron Latu this spring, that seems to be little or no issue.

Saban’s entire press conference is embedded below, but the general gist is that the front seven dominated a beat up offensive line that was always going to be a work in progress this spring. Bryce Young played well, Roydell Williams was the best looking RB, tight ends were used heavily in the red zone again, and Marcus Banks had two interceptions. In general Saban seems pleased with the progress, but the offensive line is unfortunately going to be in flux headed into the fall.

List, Kirby Smart had a funny story about playing golf with Saban.

“Where I play, you don’t get a mulligan later on, you use it on the first hole or that’s it,” Smart said. “So me and him are in a deadlocked match and we get to hole 18, and I’m finally up on him like two strokes up on 18, I’ve got him. I hit the ball right down the middle on 18. I know I’m going to win now.

“He hits his drive on 18 out in the woods and he says, ‘I’m going to use my mully.’ Like from the first hole. He’s going to use his mulligan and use it on that hole, and I’m like, ‘you can’t do that!’

“He uses it on the hole and ends up tying me, and he still claims I never beat him. I’m like, ‘That’s not right, you can’t pull out a mulligan on 18.’ “

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

Roll Tide.