Sneak peek: Alabama
AUBURN | Auburn’s 2019 football schedule begins with a big non-conference matchup, includes a long road trip in September, three more in October and ends with two huge rivalry games at home.
Today, we conclude an early look at each opponent with the Iron Bowl.
WHO: Alabama (14-1 last season, 8-0 SEC West)
WHEN: Nov. 30
WHERE: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451)
SERIES: Alabama leads 46-36-1 (AU leads 9-5 at home)
WHAT’S NEW: Entering his 12th season as head coach at Alabama, Nick Saban replaced seven assistants in the offseason. New additions include the return of Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator and Kyle Flood as offensive line coach. Both were with the Atlanta Falcons last season. Charles Huff was hired from Mississippi State to coach running backs and Holmon Wiggins from Virginia Tech to coach wide receivers. Pete Golding was promoted from linebacker coach to defensive coordinator while Brian Baker was hired from Mississippi State as defensive line coach, Charles Kelly from Tennessee as safety coach and Sal Sunseri returns from Florida to coach the outside linebackers.
WHO TO WATCH, OFFENSE: Junior wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is already a consensus top five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after catching 68 passes for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore. He won the Biletnikoff Award last season averaging 19.3 yards per catch, which is an Alabama single-season record.
WHO TO WATCH, DEFENSE: After missing 10 games with an arm injury in 2017 and all of last season with a knee injury, Terrell Lewis is finally back healthy as Alabama’s top edge pass rusher. The fourth-year junior is projected as a high first round draft pick next spring despite having just two career sacks. In his first-career start against Georgia in the 2017 championship game against Georgia, Lewis had seven tackles and one sack.
OUTLOOK: The Tide is loaded again for a run at a championship, especially on offense where Heisman Trophy candidate Tua Tagovailoa returns at quarterback, a bevy of highly recruited players return at running back led by Najee Harris, and perhaps the nation’s best wide receiver corps led by Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. All four wideouts project as high draft picks and Tagovailoa is being projected to potentially go No. 1 overall.
The offensive line should be a team strength again. Alex Leatherwood will slide out to left tackle while Jedrick Willis returns at right tackle. Matt Womack returns for his senior season and could start at right guard after starting at right tackle in 2017 and missing a portion of 2018 with an injury. There are a number of talented candidates to fill the other two spots. Chris Owens was the backup center last season, freshman Evan Neal was the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle prospect and Landon Dickerson started 13 games at Florida State before transferring to Alabama. Deonte Brown, the returning starter at left guard, will miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension.
Defensively, projected first round pick Raekwon Davis will anchor a defensive line with a couple of new starters. The linebacking corps should be outstanding with Lewis, Dylan Moses and Anfernee Jennings. The Tide should also have one of the nation’s best secondaries with a trio of talented cornerbacks in Trevon Diggs, Shyheim Carter and Patrick Surtain, along with safety Xavier McKinney.
AUBURN CONNECTION: Gordon Steele, the son of Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, is an offensive analyst for Alabama. The younger Steele has also worked as a graduate assistant at South Alabama, offensive line coach at Murray State and a graduate assistant at LSU. He played offensive line for Valdosta State.
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