Slade BoldenSlade Bolden is a 2018 University of Alabama football signee who hasn't had the impact this season of classmates such as Patrick Surtain or Jaylen Waddle.
Yet Bolden has been very important this week.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound freshman is serving as the scout team's quarterback and is trying to give the Crimson Tide defense an accurate depiction of what it will face Saturday afternoon against The Citadel's option offense. Bolden signed as an athlete prospect and worked as a receiver during preseason practices.
"He played a similar kind of offense in high school," Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday night in a news conference. "That's one of the most difficult things about playing against this - it happens so much faster in a game than whatever you can duplicate in practice. The fullback hits it so much faster than you can duplicate in practice, and the quarterback is so much quicker at getting the ball to the perimeter.
"Their guy who's played the last two games has rushed for 200 yards in each game. He really should be a running back, and Slade is a little bit like that."
Brandon Rainey is The Citadel's 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback who followed up a 31-carry, 188-yard performance in a 38-24 win over Western Carolina on Nov. 3 with last weekend's 26-carry, 217-yard showing in a 42-27 triumph over Samford. Rainey played at Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia.
Bolden was a quarterback at West Monroe High in Louisiana, throwing for 1,622 yards and rushing for 1,460 last season as a senior. He played at receiver in the opener against Louisville, but that remains his only appearance in a game for the Tide.
"We're at least getting a decent picture on the perimeter," Saban said.
Conference pride
With two teams in the top five of the College Football Playoff rankings, and with five in the top-20, the Southeastern Conference is enjoying another standout year. On Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference, Saban was asked if the league was superior to others.
"I've always felt that way, and I think the reason for that is that it's from top to bottom and not just the top teams," he replied. "It's how many good teams are in the league every year. Mississippi State is a good team. LSU is a good team. Texas A&M is a good team. Auburn is a good team. Just in our division, you have four or five good teams.
"We haven't played the teams in the East, but as I see teams over there, there are several really good ones over there. Georgia is a really good team, so there are a lot of really good teams. If you go through every conference and see how many good teams there are, that's kind of where you figure it out."
Two semifinalists
Sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and redshirt sophomore nose guard Quinnen Williams are among the 15 semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. They are among four semifinalists in the SEC, joining Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker and Kentucky outside linebacker Josh Allen.
Tagovailoa has completed 146 of 215 passes (67.9 percent) for 2,525 yards with 28 touchdowns and two interceptions this season, and his efficiency rating of 207.7 ranks second nationally to Oklahoma's Kyler Murray. Williams has 49 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and five sacks, with his tackles for loss ranking second in SEC play to Allen's 15.5.
Williams also is among five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation's top defensive player, and among three from the SEC, joining Allen and LSU safety Grant Delpit.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.