Just a Minute: Which Alabama depth chart players could get more playing time?
With Alabama facing an FCS opponent this weekend against Chattanooga, it could provide more opportunities for the younger and inexperienced players.
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00:00 Alongside Katie Windham, I'm Austin Hannan.
00:01 This is Bama Central's Just A Minute.
00:03 Katie, Nick Saban would be pretty upset
00:05 if we talked about this in front of him,
00:07 but he doesn't probably watch Just A Minute,
00:08 so we're gonna talk about it
00:10 because the fans might be interested.
00:11 On Saturday, Alabama hosts Chattanooga.
00:13 There's gonna be a lot of opportunities
00:15 for other guys to play,
00:16 but Alabama hasn't played in a lot of blowout games
00:18 like we've seen in years past
00:20 where we've got to see a lot of backups
00:22 and third strings and fourth strings and stuff like that.
00:24 I think there's a good chance
00:25 that happens on Saturday morning.
00:27 And so who should fans be looking out for?
00:30 Maybe some younger guys
00:31 that are a little bit behind on the depth chart
00:33 that might get to see some action on Saturday.
00:35 Yeah, you know, of course, this is not something
00:37 Saban would ever say is gonna happen.
00:39 And I'm sure later today when he's on McAfee,
00:41 if he's asked, he'll say, you know,
00:44 or at any time heading into these games,
00:46 when he's asked about giving other guys playing time,
00:48 he says, you know, that's not the goal of these games.
00:50 So in a way it is, it's an opportunity.
00:52 You want all your starters to be healthy.
00:54 You want to get out to a big lead
00:55 so that you can play some other guys
00:56 and get them some experience,
00:58 especially a game like Chattanooga,
00:59 where it's an opponent, I believe,
01:00 correct me if I'm wrong, they're FCS.
01:02 So they're not even technically, you know,
01:03 same classification of college football as you.
01:08 They're not the same physicality.
01:10 Yes, they're college football players
01:11 and some of them are on scholarship,
01:12 but it's not the same thing.
01:14 So it should be a good opportunity
01:15 for some of the younger guys.
01:16 I think, of course, one of the first that comes to mind
01:19 is Justice Haynes, the running back.
01:20 We did kind of see last week against Kentucky on the road.
01:23 It was the first SEC game in a while,
01:25 really since Mississippi State.
01:26 Alabama's had a big enough lead
01:27 to kind of put some other guys in.
01:30 We saw Saban get really mad when some of them
01:31 were in on defense and they gave up that big run at the end,
01:33 which some of the starters were still in then as well.
01:36 But I think you think about Justice Haynes on offense.
01:39 And a guy you reported about last week,
01:42 Devontae Smith on defense, who really his whole career
01:44 has kind of been hampered by injuries.
01:46 Maybe see him get some playing time.
01:48 And then just, you know, games like this,
01:51 especially on senior day,
01:52 I always think it's cool that last series,
01:55 maybe see some of the walk-ons get in,
01:56 not for the development of this team,
01:58 but just guys that have put in four years of hard work,
02:00 basically completely unnoticed for the program
02:02 to kind of get a small moment at the end of the game
02:05 if Alabama has a big enough lead,
02:07 which that would be the goal for the team this week,
02:09 like I said, is to stay healthy
02:11 and to have a big enough lead
02:12 that you can rest your starters
02:14 with two really important games coming up.
02:16 Yeah, I'm glad you brought up Devontae Smith.
02:19 He actually did get into the game against Kentucky late
02:21 and got to take some snaps, so that was good to see.
02:24 I think Earl Little's a guy
02:25 that's kind of been a little banged up all year.
02:27 Maybe he's healthy by now.
02:28 We'll see.
02:29 I think he was unavailable last week,
02:31 so that might be a no-go.
02:33 Maybe this is the game, we talked about this before,
02:36 but you also have to deal with redshirts
02:37 and stuff like that.
02:39 Could we see a Dylan Lonergan late in the game?
02:42 I think you will see Tyler Buckner
02:43 probably for the first time since he played in Tampa
02:47 by the end of the game.
02:48 So you'll get to see maybe a third quarterback there.
02:50 You'll get to see a pretty big bulk of Ty Simpson probably.
02:53 I doubt they will play Giolamurto very much in this game.
02:57 So yeah, there's a lot of guys to keep an eye out for.
02:59 Obviously, they have to make decisions
03:01 with guys that haven't.
03:02 But I don't really see a player
03:06 that's played four games this year
03:07 that's behind on the depth chart
03:09 just because of the games that they've been in this year.
03:11 So there should be a lot of guys on the field.
03:13 It should be a lot of fun.
03:14 Me and Katie will be in Brandini Stadium
03:16 on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
03:17 That's the kickoff between Alabama and Chattanooga.
03:20 Until then, for Katie Wynn, I'm Austin Hand,
03:22 and this has been Bama Central's Just A Minute.
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