SEC Extra Points: Does Alabama Need to Spice Up Its Uniforms?
If you needed confirmation on flashy new uniforms actually making a difference on the recruiting trail, look no further than the poll Pick Six Previews conducted with 100 uncommitted sophomores and juniors.
According to the poll, Oregon, Baylor, TCU and Maryland—all of which have creative uniform combinations—received 79 first-place votes for the best uniforms in the game, with Oregon receiving a whopping 60 of them.
The worst uniforms in college football? Those belong to Alabama and Penn State—two schools with traditional uniforms that don't change week-to-week—with 11 votes each.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
So should Alabama tweak its uniforms a bit to appease the younger crowd?
Of course not.
All four of those teams with the "best uniforms" are "new kids on the block," who have made waves over the last 20 or so years on the college football landscape due in part to capitalizing on emerging fashion trends.
Alabama doesn't need to do that.
Ever.
The Crimson Tide have finished with the top recruiting class in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite index, every year since 2011. During that time, the Tide have three national championships, three SEC championships, two College Football Playoff berths and a Heisman Trophy winner. They've also sent 44 players to the NFL through the draft, an average of 7.3 per year.
Winning titles and getting a shot at playing a game you love for a living is just a tiny bit more important than looking good on Saturday afternoons.
This poll is interesting because it confirms the idea that flashy uniforms make some impact on prospects. But consider that as the front door. Inside the house, you won't find "the really big rings, and get a lot of nice things" like players at Alabama find inside the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility in Tuscaloosa.
No Sign of Treon Harris or Antonio Callaway
The indefinite suspension of Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway and quarterback Treon Harris is still ongoing.
Speaking to Mike Bianchi on 96.9 The Game in Orlando, Gator head coach Jim McElwain commented on the status of the duo.
For Harris, consider this confirmation that he's not going to make a significant impact if he returns to the program. Luke Del Rio established himself as the clear front-runner at quarterback heading out of spring after completing 10 of his 11 passes for two touchdowns in the spring game, and Austin Appleby—a graduate transfer from Purdue—has enough experience to provide a solid insurance policy for McElwain behind Del Rio.
They all need Callaway, though.
He led the Gators with 678 receiving yards last year and was a force on special teams where he returned two punts for touchdowns. Whoever the winner of the quarterback battle is needs to have his No. 1 option around during "optional" summer workouts, so the Gators can put the finishing touches on the "McElwain 2.0" offense during fall camp.
There are talented wide receivers including veteran Ahmad Fulwood and junior college transfer Dre Massey who can help out. But when their superstar is around, it makes everybody's job easier.
On The Move
After just one year at Auburn, defensive back Tim Irvin has announced that he will transfer from the program.
"— Tim Irvin ll (@T_irvin2) May 24, 2016"
A promising former 4-star prospect from Miami, the nephew of former Miami and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin had 18 tackles as a true freshman reserve and special teamer for the Tigers in 2015, and he hadn't kicked the door open for more meaningful playing time in Auburn's suddenly experienced secondary.
His absence impacts the Tigers from a depth perspective more than anything else.
"Rudy" Ford is entrenched at Nickel, Tray Matthews is locked in at strong safety and as Bleacher Report's Justin Ferguson noted after spring practice, Nick Ruffin has a leg up on the competition at free safety. Barring injury, Irvin hadn't found a home, and Auburn has recruited well enough in the defensive backfield to suggest that he never would.
With that said, a speedy defensive back like Irvin who's physical and comfortable with the speed of SEC football would have been a nice asset for the staff to have on special teams.
Sumlin Getting It
Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated sat down with Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin to chat about a myriad of things including the proverbial hot seat, the departure of former 5-star quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen, player discipline and more.
One thing stood out to me, though. That was Sumlin's change in how he approaches strength and conditioning during the spring practice session.
"Really, still through spring football incorporating a four-day-a-week lift program, even with spring football going on instead of cutting back on lifting during spring football. Reducing the amount of running during that time and concentrating on heavier lifts and strength and our nutrition, just to make sure that strength and mass is maximized throughout the spring instead of just that period that's before spring ball, after spring ball and the summer, and then trying to carry that through the fall, which is a little bit different.
"
This is an indication that the late season fade routes that Texas A&M teams have embarked on over the last two seasons have proven that, while endurance is important in tempo-based offenses, teams still have to have the ability to get down and dirty with the traditional teams in the conference in order to legitimately contend.
"Instead of just saying, Oh, that happened. There's been a concerted effort across the board in different areas to address those problems, and like I said, it's a work in progress, but I like where it is right now," Sumlin told Thamel.
Auburn did this with head coach Gus Malzahn in 2013.
Instead of a fancy tempo offense that spreads teams out sideline to sideline pre-snap like Baylor and Oregon, the Tigers essentially played two-back, power football with tempo that featured pulling guards and wide receivers absolutely mauling defensive backs on running plays outside.
It appears that Sumlin is intent on replicating that blueprint, which could keep him employed and launch Texas A&M back into the SEC West hunt for the first time since 2012.
Quick Outs
- In your "weird news of the week" segment, a Tennessee man was arrested and charged with extortion after posing as Tennessee cornerback Cam Sutton on Snapchat, according to Mark Bergin of WBIR. It has nothing to do with Sutton, but if you needed more proof that Snapchat is dangerous, here it is.
- Cooper Bateman is doing all that he can to win the Alabama starting quarterback job. According to Charlie Potter of BamaOnline.com, the redshirt junior who started the Ole Miss game last year will work in the TB12 conditioning program founded by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and also head to Thibodaux, Louisiana, in July as a counselor for the Manning Passing Academy. Whether he wins the job or not, he's certainly learning as much as he can from some of the best.
- LSU's live Tiger mascot, Mike, received some terrible news this week. He has an extremely rare form of cancer and has anywhere from two months to two years to live, according to Rebekah Allen of The Advocate. In a heart-warming move, Tusk, Arkansas' mascot, sent Mike some flowers.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
