Alabama football names Student-Athletes of the Week
On Thursday, Alabama football released its Student-Athletes of the Week. The group consisted of three names, all of which are new faces to Tuscaloosa. Those names were transfers Jahmyr Gibbs and Eli Ricks, as well as freshman linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Since arriving in Tuscaloosa, we haven’t heard a whole lot about Campbell’s transition from IMG Academy to high-level SEC football. But his versatility to play off-ball and as an edge player has the coaching staff excited about his future with the team. Don’t expect the former five-star to pull double-duties in Year 1 though.
“It’s always nice to have guys who can play multiple positions,” Saban told reporters on Wednesday. “But when they’re freshmen, you have to put them in one place and teach them how to play one position because it’s too overwhelming for them to try to play multiple positions when they’re young. Every player is different when it comes to how they develop.
“I think the most important thing is that young players focus on development and they don’t worry so much about what team they’re on, who’s in front of them and who’s behind them. They just control what they can control and focus on their development.”
Campbell’s time will come, and it wouldn’t come as a shock if that was sooner rather than later.
We also got two updates son Gibbs and Ricks following the Crimson Tide’s third spring practice.
Ricks will eventually be a significant part of Alabama’s secondary and defense in general, but he’s still recovering from a shoulder injury from last season. That said, the transfer cornerback from LSU is still managing to impress Saban and the rest of the coaching staff.
“He’s done a good job, he’s coming off a shoulder injury,” Saban said. “He missed half the season or more than half the season last year. He didn’t do anything, he wasn’t able to do anything for a long time, so when he started here in the offseason program, that was the first thing he has done for a long time. He lost some weight. He’s been gaining it back. Again, an experienced player who understands how to play the game. He’s picking up things and doing a good job out there. So it’s a real positive addition to our team.”
With Jalyn Armour-Davis and Josh Jobe off to the NFL, having Ricks in the lineup will help alleviate any potential issues on the back half of Alabama’s defense. The importance of that cannot be overstated.
The player who received the most praise from Saban during this week’s press conference was the transfer running back from Georgia Tech. Apparently, the transition has been relatively smooth for Gibbs. He’s already making his impact known, and Saban has taken notice.
“He has really been a very good addition to our team,” Saban said of Gibbs. “He’s got great speed. He’s really a good receiver, good third-down back. He’s got great vision. He’s got really good burst out of a cut. I’m really, really impressed with what he’s been able to do. He’s smart. He picked up things. He’s an experienced player. He really does a good job of understanding what we’re trying to do and how we’re doing it, and that’s what experienced players can do. He’s done a really, really good job.”
So not only are these players performing on the field, Student-Athlete of the Week suggests they’re performing off of it, too.
