Alabama Football: What to Watch for in Tide's First Scrimmage

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama will get on an actual football field on Friday and get as close to a game-like situation as it has since its Sugar Bowl loss to Ohio State. It will also be looking to put a rough five days off the field behind it, when it takes to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first scrimmage of the spring.

After two weeks of practice, Crimson Tide coaches will get an early look at the 2015 edition of the football team in the first of three NCAA-allowed scrimmages during the spring.

“I think the first scrimmage is just kind of to see exactly where we’re at,” wide receiver Chris Black said on Wednesday. “It’s our first time getting out there without the coaches actually being on the field. Just to kind of see how we handle things.”

Alabama’s scrimmages usually include a mix of a full-game environment mixed in with some situational work like red-zone and two-minute drills. They are closed to all but a select few members of the public.

This scrimmage will be far from a reflection of the finished product that takes the field against Wisconsin in September. But we’ll be able to learn some things as far as where the team stands right now.

Here’s what to watch for on Friday.

New faces

Alabama will have seven new players on the field on Friday, a couple of which should have some early opportunities to contribute.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

On offense, 5-star Blake Barnett will get his first live action as a college quarterback, though it’s doubtful much, if anything, will be released on his performance.

Two freshman running backs, though—Desherrius Flowers and Bo Scarbrough—should get a decent amount of carries. Tyren Jones’ arrest and subsequent dismissal leave a hole at No. 3 running back that both of those guys will be eager to fill.

On defense, one early enrollee already finds himself taking some first-team reps.

Geno Smith’s second DUI and suspension put Ronnie Harrison next to Jabriel Washington in a dime drill during Wednesday’s media-viewing period of practice.

Harrison and fellow freshman safety Deionte Thompson should have plenty of opportunities to make their mark on defense with a short-handed safety group on Friday.

Quarterbacks

It seems like the quarterback competition has taken a back seat to some of the other news around the Alabama program lately, but expect that to ramp back up this week once we actually get to see some stats and numbers from them Friday.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Last spring, the Crimson Tide released quarterback stats from both of the first two spring scrimmages and likely will again this time around, with no clear favorite in sight.

“It’s definitely wide open,” Black said. “But each and every day they’re competing and battling, everyone’s locked in in meetings and they’re getting after it.”

Besides seeing Barnett for the first time, coaches will get to take a look at how the other four quarterbacks have progressed since last season.

Right now, Jake Coker appears to be taking the first reps in practice.

“He’s definitely improved,” Black said of Coker. “The timing with us, the one receivers, is way better, and it’s only going to continue to improve.”

It’s also unclear whether one quarterback will even be playing that position on Friday. Cooper Bateman has been taking some reps with the wide receivers after Cam Sims’ ACL injury.

Breakout players on defense?

These kinds of inter-squad scrimmages are sort of a catch-22. If the offense or defense shines, it makes the other unit look bad. Given the number of starters the offense has to replace, the defense will likely win the day.

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Outside of the defensive line, Alabama will have a lot of key pieces to replace this year. The secondary is obviously a big work in progress (and an incomplete unit at this point with Cyrus Jones and Smith out right now), while the second middle linebacker spot is still up in the air.

Shaun Dion Hamilton and Reuben Foster will have a nice competition this spring for that spot and will both likely get a good look during this scrimmage to see where they each are in their development.

And on the outside, a handful of inexperienced players like Rashaan Evans and Tim Williams will get a crack at big pass-rushing duties.

They’ll all get to show what they can do for the first time this year without coaches right next to them, critiquing their every move.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Note: Players are referenced by fall 2015 eligibility.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.