Written by Ell | 06 October 2008

With this being an off week, I thought I would take a look at the predictions that were made in the player profiles leading up to the season. I'll do one post for each class of players, starting with the seniors. First I'll give you the prediction made in the "2008 Prospectus" and then I'll see how right (or wrong) that prediction has been through the first half of the season. Antoine Caldwell

Look for Antoine to be front and center in everything involving Alabama football in 2008. He will almost certainly be a 2-time permanent captain, though hopefully his name will be spelled correctly in the concrete at Denny Chimes this time. Given his experience, his prominence on the team, and his ability as a public speaker, you will likely see him any time there are reporters given access to players – see the recent Fox Sports “Under the Lights” program as an example of that. Though he is capable of playing any of the 5 positions on the line, I expect that, barring injuries, center is where he will spend most of his time. Center is his likely NFL position, and Nick Saban understands the importance of having players drafted into the league. He was recently named to the Rimington Trophy (given to College football’s best Center) Watch List for the 2nd consecutive year, and stands a great chance of being a finalist this season. He’ll likely battle Arkansas’ Jonathan Luigis for All-SEC & All-American marks, and again at next spring’s NFL combine for the top player at position ranking.

The fact that Alabama has had Antoine as one of the team's three captains for every game so far is a pretty clear indication that he will, indeed, be a permanent captain from this team. Every one of his snaps have been at the center position, despite some injuries early in the season - the emergence of guys like Mike Johnson and Drew Davis have been instrumental in that. This one was a no-brainer really. Expecting anything other than consistent excellence from Antoine would have been foolish. Marlon Davis

With the right side of the line being a problem, Davis has to step up and be a leader. He appeared to be showing steady improvement in 2007 prior to the suspension, giving hope that 2008 could be a good year for him. A lot of his success will be dependent upon how well the players at right tackle solidify things. There is no experienced depth behind him, with David Ross, Evan Cardwell and Patrick Crump the other guards returning. That lack of competition could be a problem from a motivation standpoint, but I expect to see far better overall senior leadership in 2008 than we saw in 2007.

The fact that Drew Davis has stepped up and solidified right tackle has helped Marlon tremendously. He missed the second game of the season with an injury, but otherwise he has been very solid. In fact, he has exceeded my expectations, really showing out on run blocking. This has allowed Bama to run to the right much more than I thought would be possible. Bobby Greenwood

In the spring Bobby was moved back to the outside end spot, meaning he’ll be back outside the tackle. That should give him the opportunity to take advantage of his speed once again. A considerable gain in strength from 2006 until now should benefit him greatly. It’s his last opportunity to demonstrate the considerable potential that he showed in 2005. My guess is that we’ll see Bobby top the numbers he put up as a freshman by the mid way point in 2008.

Those freshman numbers for Bobby were - 15 tackles, 5 for a loss, with 3 sacks, 5 QB hurries and 1 pass broken up. We're at the mid way point now and his numbers are - 10 tackles, 1 for a loss, 1 sack, 3 QB hurries, and 1 pass broken up. So I was a bit overly-optimistic for Bobby. His last two games have been his best two of the season, indicating that he might be primed for a big second half. And it will be needed. In Bama's first four games of the season he struggled to make plays. Rashad Johnson

As the talent level around him continues to increase, Nick Saban will doubtless use his safeties in more complex ways. The development of a young and inexperienced front 7 on defense will likely be key in giving Coach Saban, his new Associate Head Coach/Defensive Head Coach Kevin Steele, and newly promoted Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart the freedom to fully use Johnson. He has been named to Nagurski Award watch list (the award is given annually to college football’s best DB), and with good reason. Another season in the strength and conditioning program will likely see Johnson approach 200 lbs., which will allow him to play an even more physical style of football. I expect him to once again be a permanent team captain, to once again be All-SEC, and next spring to see him drafted during the first day of the NFL Draft.

The front seven being much better than anticipated has given the coaches a chance to use Rashad, and honestly, he might have been given too much to handle. In each of Bama's first three games Rashad was involved in big plays for Bama's opponents. After back to back great games at Arkansas and Georgia, the big play bug bit him again against Kentucky. He's still be the guy for Bama in the secondary, and the development of Rolando McClain as a signal caller on defense will only help him. He has dropped three interceptions, or he might be the front runner for the Thorpe award. He has already be credited with eight passes broken up, which projects him to finish the season with the third most in a single season in school history. Travis McCall

Right tackle is still a question mark for Bama, so don’t be surprised to see Travis, especially early in the season, continues to perform the same role as he has the past three years. If an effective right tackle can be found Travis will have the opportunity to be more of a threat in the passing attack. Jim McElwain also loves to use his TE as a fullback, shifting him from the line of scrimmage into the backfield; something referred to as an H-back in a lot of offenses. Travis excelled in this role in the spring, and will likely be used as the lead blocker in what initially looks like “one back” formations. It would not surprise me in the slightest, if that right tackle can be found, for Travis to literally double his career production in his Senior season. Regardless, with his measurable he should do well at the NFL combine, and could be a 2nd day draft pick.

With just two receptions for 11 yards, Travis has not doubled his career production. Most of the passes to the tight ends have gone to Nick Walker, so Travis has mostly been used as a blocker. We have seen a lot of him in that H-Back role, using him as a brutal lead blocker. I'm a little surprised with right tackle having been played at a higher level that we haven't seen more of Travis as a receiver. I guess the fact that Alabama has only attempted an average of 20 passes a game has limited those opportunities. Will Oakley

Despite the loss of Bama’s top 3 receivers Will was not able to move up the depth chart during the spring, as several receivers who redshirted during the 2007 season moved ahead of him. While his ability to block, his game experience, and the discipline with which he carries out his assignments, kept him as a part of the rotation all spring, the size, strength & athleticism of the receivers in Bama’s 2008 signing class should outweigh the positives that he possesses.How much he plays will depend on the learning curve of those incoming guys when they arrive in August, as well as the number of 4 and 5 wide sets in Jim McElwain’s offense. I can’t imagine Bama running more than an 8 or 9 man rotation at receiver (if that many), and barring redshirts for several highly touted incoming freshmen, I look for Will to be the 9th or 10th guy after a few games. If his hamstring or shoulder injuries appear again over the summer, the fact that he already has his degree from the University could lead to him giving up football.

His injuries thankfully did not force him to give up football, and he has played far more than I anticipated. Those things that kept him in the rotation all spring have kept him in the rotation so far this season. His one catch (for 13 yards) came as a part of the backup unit, but he has seen loads of time with the first unit. With Bama's running backs have great success in getting to the second level the Tide coaches have but a premium on blocking by the receivers. As long as Will continues to be solid in this, he'll continue to play. Nikita Stover

After a somewhat lackluster first 3 years, Matt Caddell used a TD catch in the 2006 Independence Bowl to build momentum for a 2007 season that saw him become Bama’s 2nd leading receiver (40 receptions for 475 yards). Nikita Stover caught a TD pass in the 2007 Independence Bowl that should give him the same opportunity. His blocking ability should benefit him greatly in Jim McElwain’s offense that loves to run a lot of screens and underneath routes that rely on downfield blocking from the receivers. He should be able to use his explosiveness to go along with his experience to be one of Bama’s early go-to guys. There won’t be much of a margin for error, however, with the influx of talent at the WR position. He’ll need to show the consistency expected out of a Senior to continue to get looks throughout the season.

Nikita's three receptions for 41 yards places him fifth among Bama wide receivers. What has kept a major part of the rotation is the fact that he is Bama's second best down field blocker (Mike McCoy is a beast). We haven't seen those blocking skills because of screens and underneath routes as much as I expected. Instead, as with Oakley, it's been because of the ability of the running backs to get to the second level. He did have a drop earlier in the season, but John Parker Wilson has not hesitated to throw his way, with two of his three receptions coming in Bama's last two games. Nick Walker

Much as things are with Travis McCall, the development of a consistent right tackle will have a lot to say about how many opportunities Nick will have. If the TEs still have to stay in to help protect the QB’s front side, then McCall will get more playing time. If the TEs are free to run passing routes, Walker will get many more looks. He needs to get a little tougher in traffic, especially if he wants to parlay a good 2008 into an NFL career. I expect we’ll see Nick lineup at multiple places along the line of scrimmage, as Jim McElwain loves to move his TEs around. With McCall much more adept at the H-back role, expect Nick to always be on the line of scrimmage. Toughness is hard to teach, but Nick Saban is one of the best at teaching it. Nick likely becomes Alabama’s mid-range TE threat, with McCall the short range and Chris Underwood & Preston Dial the deeper threats - though with TE, “deep threat” is a relative term. He finished last season as Bama’s 5th leading receiver (23 receptions), and I expect we’ll see numbers at least that good again in 2008.

I underestimated Nick's contributions. With 15 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, Nick is second on the team in all three categories. He's just eight receptions and 61 yards away from equaling last season, and there is no reason to expect he won't blow by those numbers. A big Clemson game has skewed those numbers slightly, but he has at least one catch in every game. John Parker Wilson

John Parker will be the starting QB against Clemson, and barring injury, he’ll remain the starting QB throughout the 2008 season. During the season he will almost certainly become Bama’s all-time leader in career passing attempts, completions, yards, TDs, total plays & total offense. Jim McElwain likes to simplify things for his QB. He likes to throw screen passes, short passes & intermediate passes, rather than 20 yard outs or deep balls. He’ll call for those passes when the time is right, but he believes in a steady passing attack that makes use of the backs and tight ends to keep the chains moving and keeps the QB’s confidence high. Combine that with a more experienced offensive line (3 starters returning to their same positions), a better rushing attack (prior to Terry Grant’s injury and Glen Coffee’s suspension, Bama was running well in ’07) and more explosiveness in the receiving corps (DJ Hall & Keith Brown were poor YAC guys) and unlike in 2006 and 2007 John Parker won’t be asked to win games for Alabama, he’ll be asked to help Alabama win games. There is a huge difference between those two things, and that difference should help John Parker find the consistency that he has lacked. A solid season should see John Parker approach 9,000 career passing yards and 50 TDs. 2008 should be John Parker’s best year at Alabama, both on the stat sheet and in the won-loss column.

So far, so good. He's right at 60% in completions, mostly as a result of play calling. When he has struggled most (Tulane and Kentucky) it has been because the game plan has been to go back downfield. He has set all of the career marks mentioned above, though reaching 9,000 career yards will almost certainly not happen. He still has a good shot at 50 TDs, though he'll need to throw seven more to get there. Improved play by the offensive line and a rushing attack that has averaged 226.3 yards per game have really made John Parker look like a much better player. He has limited his turnovers - just two through six games - and showed the ability to win a big game with his 13-16 performance against Georgia. November has been a rough month for John Parker, so he'll still have that hurdle to clear. Other than Knoxville being a tough place to play, the month of October (and the first day of November) should give him a chance to build confidence heading into that LSU/Miss. State/Auburn stretch that has plagued him. Overall it looks like my guesses on the seniors were pretty good. I'll readily admit that this was the easiest group to predict, and expect that things will get harder as the players get younger. Feel free to share your opinions on these guys so far, and to share your opinions on how right or wrong I was back in June when I wrote these guys' profiles.

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