New Alabama offensive line coach Brent Key offers instructions during Friday’s first spring workout in Tuscaloosa.Alabama held its first spring football practice Friday with eight early enrollees, three new assistant coaches and several familiar faces who may not participate in the April 16 A-Day game.
The first workout of the 2016 season followed a 2015 to remember, as the Crimson Tide won their fourth national championship under head coach Nick Saban.
“We’ve got a lot of people to replace, and that’s what makes it fun,” Saban said Friday evening in a brief news conference. “When you have 25 percent of your team to replace every year, it’s a new opportunity for a lot of people. One thing that was pretty obvious today is that we have some good players, but we have a long way to go to get to where we want to be.”
Crimson Tide players will have next week off due to spring break before holding their second workout March 21.
Among the players Saban said would miss most or all of spring drills because of injury are defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (shoulder), safety Eddie Jackson (leg), tackle Cam Robinson (shoulder), tight end Dakota Ball (foot) and receiver Raheem Falkins (leg). Allen and Jackson announced after the 45-40 win over Clemson in the national championship game that they would be returning for their senior seasons.