It’s not quite game week yet, but it’s starting to feel more and more like it.

Alabama, on its 18th day of fall practice, worked in full pads Wednesday, as the days grow closer to the team’s season opener against Wisconsin in Arlington, Texas next Saturday.

Observations:

- With each passing day, it appears more and more like the Alabama quarterback competition may be down to two. Jake Coker continues to lead the quarterback line during the media viewing periods, with Alec Morris right behind him. As the countdown to kickoff grows nearer, most signs point to the battle coming down to the position’s two oldest players.

- Later, when the quarterbacks split up into two lines during the second media viewing period, in order, Coker and Morris were in one line and David Cornwell, Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett were in the other.

- Right tackle Dominick Jackson was back for the second straight day after sustaining what coach Nick Saban described as a “strained shoulder” in the team’s scrimmage last Saturday. Jackson has been with the first-team at that position throughout fall camp.

- Offensive lineman Korren Kirven, a converted defensive lineman who has been working as the backup left tackle behind Cam Robinson this fall, was not seen for the second straight practice with a knee injury. Like Jackson, Saban announced that Kirven was also injured during the team’s scrimmage, with what the team believed to be a possible MCL sprain.

- In Kirven’s place, it looks like true freshman Lester Cotton, a highly sought-after recruit from Central High School in Tuscaloosa, was working as the second-string left tackle for the second day in a row.

- When the defense went through its dime package, it had a somewhat different look. Instead of just members of the secondary going through the walkthrough, which is what is usually seen during the media’s viewing periods, defensive linemen and additional linebackers rounded out the starting 11.

As it’s been for a while now, the secondary was made up of Cyrus Jones and Marlon Humphrey as the two starting corners, Geno Smith and Eddie Jackson as the safeties, and Minkah Fitzpatrick at Star and Maurice Smith at Money. Reuben Foster, at linebacker, is usually with this group as well.

When including the others, A’Shawn Robinson and Jonathan Allen were the two defensive linemen, and Foster, Reggie Ragland and Denzel Devall were the linebackers.

Next:

Alabama has no media obligations this evening.

The Crimson Tide returns to practice Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Nick Saban will hold a pre-scheduled press conference around 6 p.m., with selected players made available to speak to the media upon its conclusion.

 

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