Seven Little Secrets That Will Make Alabama Better in 2009

In part one of this article, The Seven Dirty Little Secrets That Hurt Alabama Football in 2008 the secrets that hurt Alabama in 2008 were revealed. This article will tell you the seven little secrets you might not know that will make them better.

Secret No. 1—Most people think Alabama will suffer with a "new" QB. The truth is, Alabama will post better numbers with Greg McElroy taking the snaps. Mc has a stronger arm, faster feet, and he has two years in the Saban system going for him.

Sure, he may make a few mistakes, but they'll be outweighed by his great play and the downfield threat he'll make opposing teams have to respect. Look for some great offensive outputs.

Which leads right into secret No. 2. Star Jackson is a 6'3", 195 pound QB with a faster than normal QB speed of 4.47 in the 40. His passes have been frozen ropes, and he will have the ability to make a "Wild Tider" out of the QB position at any time with the run, yet unlike others who try this can also pass with accuracy.

The first two little secrets are that Alabama will have a MUCH deeper and stronger pair of QB's than anytime in many years, and many feel that third string Darah a 6'5" strong arm redshirt freshman is also ready if needed.

Last year's question marks become this year's exclamation marks with the defensive line.  Mt. Cody should report in the best condition of his life. Brandon Deadrick was a good run stopper, but never got the pass rush going. Luther Davis has shown he can turn into one next year, and Deadrick may not have to go it alone in the pass rush dept.

With Cody and Josh Chapman back to seal the middle and the experienced ends we have, this could be a great defensive line. Incoming freshmen recruits William Ming and Chris Bonds (If Bond's knee heals in time) could provide instant backups and quality substitutes. That is secret No. 3.

I've already talked about how I expect McElroy to be a better QB, but dirty little secret No. 4 is that Alabama will have one of the nation's strongest receiving corps. Expect more true freshman phenoms to go along with Julio. 

Should the Tideland Reuben Randall, the No. 1 receiving prospect in the nation, expect him to start on the other side of Julio. Mike McCoy and Marquis Maze return, as does a bevy of good tight ends. 

Also on the grid for recruiting are Kendall Kelley, the 18th overall best WR in the nation and Kevin Norwood who lit up the Mississippi All Star Game with the most yards receiving. This may be a group that will be remembered for a long time and for years to come.

For the opposing teams, dirty little secret No. 5 is that they may finally have a guy who can make kicks, and they didn't have to burn a scholarship to get him. He walked on. 

Jeremy Shelley of Raleigh, N.C., routinely makes most all his kicks and has the leg to hit from 60 on in. He can also punt well. This past year out of 18 punts, he put 12 of them out inside the 20. Tiffin may have competition under Saban's 'best man plays' rules. Tiffin did not shine in the Sugar Bowl at all.

Secret No. 6 fixes an ill that everyone in the nation saw all to well. The Tide's secondary was suspect all year, but Utah and Florida exposed it to all. Redshirt Freshman Alonzo Lawrence, the No. 2 cornerback in the nation who popped the eyes of every scout last year in the Alabama-Mississippi All Star Game, has a year of coaching underneath him and is expected to step in and step up.

Dre Kirkpatrick of Gadsden is another incoming freshman with potential who could step in about mid season and begin starting games when the schedule gets a little more demanding. He is rated the No. 2 prospect by rivals, and he and Lawrence could lock down the corners for a few years. 

Until Dre gets up to speed, Arenas and Woodall will provide the kind of Sr. leadership that Rashad did this year and guarantee some good experience in the defensive backfield.

The biggest worry Tide fans have is the offensive line. The little secret that will make Alabama better is that we will have some quality depth for the first time in a while. 

Yes, losing arguably the nation's best offensive tackle Andre Smith and a future NFL center Antoine Caldwell will hurt, but that's just two of a great five. James Carpenter, a Jr. College transfer, could give a quick boost to the depth, as could incoming freshman D.J. Fluker.

Fluker could actually pull and Andre Smith and start as a freshman and do so until he leaves. He is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation. He could actually play many positions, but I look for him to possibly take Andre's place and make it his own.

Sr. Evan Cardell can step in to center and make that his own spot now. Should he falter, William Vlachos can step up and fill in. With both guards coming back our right tackle as well, we have more than enough talent to quiet the naysayers.

You've seen the seven dirty little secrets that hurt us last year and now you know the seven inside secrets of how things will improve. Overall, the Tide stands to be a tougher, more physical team with lots more play makers coming in.

Want another secret that all the other coaches in country already know, but many fans are oblivious to? This year's team was a 6-7 ordinary team that with just one Saban recruiting class and a full season of "the system", moved to a 12-2 team. 

For fans of other schools, it won't soon be a secret what will happen with two Saban recruiting classes in the stables. The future's so bright; you're going to have to wear your Crimson shades all year long.