Alabama Football: Spring Practice Notes, Some Odd Things Going on in T-Town

Some people didn't expect to see Jesse Williams, the Awesome Aussie, working out at full speed with the other defensive linemen so soon after having his knee scoped, but he was there Monday and Tuesday moving with ease, albeit with a brace on that knee.

It didn't seem to slow him a bit, though.

Williams was given the 54 jersey to wear and I'm sure he lobbied for it, since he has that number hugely tattooed on his arm.

Williams is a gallery of tattoos, though, and his number is just one of the many.

Mark Barron was not suspended but was still in a black, no-contact jersey, and he wasn't alone in that strange color for an Alabama practice. Tight end Brad Smelley and defensive backs Jarrick Williams and Nick Perry were also clad in black, as was linebacker Jonathan Atchinson.

Now going from injured players to players who may cause injuries. Michael Bownan is a big, strong player who was initially brought in to be a receiver, but last fall was moved over to tight end to help out there.

Now they've moved him back to the receivers. Could this be the physical receiver that takes Julio Jones' place as the guy who catches a five-yard pass and then drags a guy another three for a first down?

Apparently the coaches are looking at him in this role as they do with a lot of players in different positions.

I wrote an article last week about Ed Stinson being a star of the future and said that while I was sure he'd get some playing time this year, next year he would be a star, but I could be wrong.

Stinson has spent the day working with the ones, so maybe the coaches are giving him a hard look for now.

Also, with Green being suspended yet again, coaches are taking a look at Vinnie Sunseri as a defensive back. Could they be looking to fill a hole at safety with him? It was surprising to see him there.

Also something different to notice was big Tyler Love working at center. At 6'7'', that's a heck of big center, but he seems to able to handle it. The Tide is looking for a consistent backup for senior Vlachos.

John Michael Boswell is another guy who's doing some work there. Both these players have been used at various positions on the line and each is capable of being a good backup.

The team got the first good look at Demetrius Hart going through drills, including speed drills. There were a lot of wide eyes and big smiles. Though smallish, his work in the weight room got him some much-needed bulk and muscle and apparently didn't slow him down any. He is much quicker off the line than many thought and is going to be a handful for the defense to stop in practice.

At quarterback, three things were "Whoa!" moments. First of all, A.J. McCarron looked like a leader alright, but didn't wow the crowds as expected. Second, we saw a new No. 12 at quarterback, Phillip Ely, and he wowed the crowed with a much stronger than expected arm and great accuracy. "Whoa!" moment number three was seeing Blake Sims back at quarterback and not at running back.

Sims may come back to quarterback to help at the depth at that position. He was recruited as an athlete and did play quarterback in high school, and was good at that as he was at everything else he did.

He's not a traditional drop-back, pro-style passer that Saban goes after, but he could come in and run Wildcat formations and create problems—and he has the ability to make the defense respect the pass too.

The team worked out in helmets, shorts and jerseys with no pads on Monday and won't practice again until Thursday.