Alabama senior defensive lineman Raekwon Davis brought a dose of reality into a news conference this week when he was asked what he had learned during the early stages of his fourth preseason camp.
"That it's going to be hot regardless," Davis said with a smile.
Preseason camps are hot throughout the country given the time of year, but Davis still residing in Tuscaloosa is somewhat of a surprise. Based on his career trajectory following a stellar sophomore season in 2017, the 6-foot-7, 312-pounder from Meridian, Mississippi, figured to be in an NFL training camp right now.
Then came a junior season that couldn't compare to the year before.
"Last year, there was some stuff I didn't do, like the little things," Davis admitted. "I wasn't doing them. That wasn't me last year."
Although Quinnen Williams and Isaiah Buggs excelled on last season's defensive front, Davis failed to provide the production from the year before. Of course, it was a lot to replicate.
Davis compiled 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks for the 2017 national champions, with his sack total ranking among the top five in the Southeastern Conference. The former top-100 national recruit tallied a sack in five consecutive contests against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU.
In Alabama's 26-23 overtime win over Georgia that decided the 2017 national champion inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Davis had a 9-yard sack and a 19-yard interception return.
Davis was a first-team All-SEC selection as a sophomore and earned second-team status last year, when he compiled 55 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. His sack total dipped from 8.5 to just 1.5, which has him eager to atone for that.
"This is my chance to prove myself to everybody that I can do it and that I can be that role model that I was supposed to be," Davis said.
Alabama conducted its fifth preseason practice Wednesday, which was also its first in full pads. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban addressed the media afterward and said Davis is off to a strong start in his final camp.
"He's played with great effort and with a great attitude," Saban said. "He's really shown a lot of leadership. He's set a great example with the younger group, and he's been very productive."
Scrimmage looming
Alabama will practice again today and Friday before scrimmaging for the first time Saturday.
"We're not really trying to get the team to play it like a game," Saban said. "We want to make it like a game situation, but we want them to be able to do the things that they can do so that we can evaluate them. Do they have the toughness that they need?
"How they respond on Saturday will go a long way in telling us if they've got the right stuff and the maturity to be trustworthy."
Schedule finalized
Alabama released its 2020 schedule Wednesday, and it opens with a Sept. 5 showdown against Southern California in Arlington, Texas, and continues with home games against Georgia State (Sept. 12), Georgia (Sept. 19) and Kent State (Sept. 26). The contest with Georgia will be the first visit to Tuscaloosa for the Bulldogs since 2007.
The lone open date on Alabama's 2020 schedule will be between games at Tennessee (Oct. 24) and at LSU (Nov. 7), with the Crimson Tide closing next season's slate at home against UT-Martin (Nov. 14), Texas A&M (Nov. 21) and Auburn (Nov. 28).
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.