2-Sport Athletes Reflect Alabama's Pivotal Recruiting Shift

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When the University of Alabama’s football season finally comes to an end sometime over the next month, a number of players won’t be taking any time off athletically, just heading to a different locker room.

Among them is reserve linebacker Keith Holcombe, who spent time with the Crimson Tide baseball team during the fall and has been regularly hitting in the new batting cages. Should he be able to handle the extra workload, both academically and physically, the redshirt freshman plans to play baseball this spring.

“I am, but right now I’m still focused on football and playoffs,” he said. “Win a few more games and then I’ll transfer to baseball.”

Having two-sport athletes isn’t something new for football coach Nick Saban, who hasn’t had many at Alabama but likes the idea of his players being in competitive situations outside of football.

This spring he might have seven, which is partly a reflection of some changes Alabama made in recruiting a few years ago. Specifically, with spread, uptempo offenses making such a significant impact on the game, Saban placed a higher emphasis on having a more athletic team.

The results can be seen on the defensive side especially. 

For example, in the secondary Alabama has two converted cornerbacks at the safety spots this season, junior Eddie Jackson and senior Geno Matias-Smith, which has obviously worked out pretty well.

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“There's really no such thing as the old-fashioned strong safety,” Saban said. “Guys have to be able to do more than be a box player because at some point with the spread you're not going to be in that position. I think that's probably changed several years ago, maybe five or six years ago, in terms of the type of guys we look for.”

Alabama also had to have the front-seven personnel to match up not only against power running teams (such as Arkansas) but also the pass-heavy (Texas A&M) and run-first (Auburn) spread teams while enduring limited substitutions due to the fast pace in which all of those offenses can execute.

Interior linebackers who can drop back into pass coverage became a must, along with versatile linemen.

“Big enough to play how we want to play and athletic enough to play across the board,” defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said at the start of training camp. “Some guys are athletic enough to play against some teams. But we have to recruit of our 42 or 43 spots who are able to play both styles. That’s hard to do. You can’t make mistakes. You have to get guys who can play in both systems.”

That’s why Saban said the biggest question he had of this year’s talented defense wasn’t if the players would play well, but “can you sustain it?”

Consequently, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that all of the football players who are planning to participate in another sport this spring are on the defensive side.

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The 6'4", 223-pound Holcombe redshirted in 2014 and has played mostly on special teams this season. Selected in the 37th round of the 2014 Major League baseball draft, he had led Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa to the Class 6A state semifinals his senior year as a pitcher and outfielder.

It’s his power potential that could be most beneficial to Alabama, which will be playing in a new stadium this spring.

The other two-sport players all run track. 

Last year Marlon Humphrey, a redshirt freshman cornerback, ran the anchor leg on the 4x400-meter relay team that placed 14th in the preliminaries at the NCAA Championships, and in his only 400-meter hurdle race of the season, he posted a time of 55.56 seconds.

Tony Brown, a sophomore defensive back, was the anchor leg for the 4x100-meter relay that placed eighth at the NCAA Championships, making him an All-American. He’s also been strong in the hurdles, with a career-best 13.92 in the 110-meter event at the NCAA East Prelims.

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“Tony is on the verge of being very special in the 110s,” said Alabama track coach Dan Waters, who likes freshman cornerback Kendall Sheffield’s potential in the event as well.

Speedy defensive backs Xavian Marks, Bradley Sylve and Anthony Averett are all hoping to contribute as well. In a sport that only gets 12 scholarships, their additions could potentially make a big difference.

“We’re very optimistic, but we have to prove it,” Waters said.

The football team feels the same as it opens the playoffs against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31. Right behind that, though, is national signing day, when Saban will almost certainly have another top-notch recruiting class that could feature some more multiple-sport athletes.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.