Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to reporters after the Crimson Tide's second spring scrimmage Friday. The Tide will wrap up spring practice with its yearly A-Day event next Saturday.
Here's everything DeBoer said.
Opening statement
“Good afternoon. Usually it’s good morning, right? It was good to get out there in the afternoon. We had class today, so we decided to push back practice. That helped with some recruiting, too. We got some guys here.
“We got the same number of plays in as we did last scrimmage, which was about 115 or so. We split it up, about a little over 50 for each the ones and twos, then the rest with the threes. Very similar structure to last time. Got a little bit more red zone in.
“Battled through a couple of injuries at one position in particular, tight end. I know in a week, you’re going to see these guys or not see them out there. Just to report, Josh Cuevas, he’ll be good for the fall, but he’ll be done for the rest of the spring, then Marshall Pritchett, too. So the tight end position went from kind of lean at one point, with not all the guys already here at that position — Kaleb Edwards isn’t here yet, and Danny Lewis not practicing this spring — so thin there.
“So offense and defense worked together to really try and get the looks we want. Try to make the most of some substitution, things like that, putting guys in certain spots that they’re not used to being in until all of a sudden today.
“Otherwise, got what I think we needed to get done. Continue to get the quarterbacks reps, just mixing and matching different groups — especially on defense, keeping those guys fresh, a lot of guys playing and rotating.
“I think this is a time for us to really take advantage, with the guys that were already not participating in spring ball and then a couple more that I just mentioned, to build that depth, to understand exactly what we have. We know what we’ve got up top with guys who have put a lot of snaps in at Bryant-Denny for us here wearing that ‘Bama jersey, but there’s also a lot of guys that we need to continue to build that depth because we know that’s going to be important as we go through a long SEC season.”
On the progression of Alabama’s quarterbacks
“I don't want to say it was even across the board, but they all kind of got their shot with the 1s and 2s. Keelon’s doing a great job, but with Ty and Austin, just because they’re older, Keelon’s definitely working with the 2s. He’ll get one reps from time to time, but that's no indication of really where we feel like he's at. He’s killing it, doing a great job.
“You can see, when he’s out there, he’s getting more and more comfortable moving the ball down the field. If there’s a throw to be made, he’ll make the throw, that’s for sure. Just the learning curve that comes with being young compared to the other two guys.
“There’s a little bit more, as far as understanding the offense and trying to continue to install things. They have a grasps of the basics from day one. They’re all three making throws, making some big-time throws. Thought they all moved the chains at times when they maybe had their backs to the wall, in some second-and third-and-long ...
