As fall camp opens it is time to take a final look at the scholarship numbers situation for the University of Alabama football team. If you haven’t been with us, here is the history of this situation:

The basic information that you need to know if you are new to this:

• Every football team in Division 1 Bowl Sub-Division (a stupid name if you ask me) is allowed to have 85 student-athletes on scholarship.
• No group of incoming football scholarship student-athletes can exceed 25 players.
• Alabama’s 2008 signing class consisted of 32 players, meaning the Tide had to get that number down to 25.
• At the close of the 2007 season, it appeared as though Alabama would have 69 scholarship players returning for competition in 2008.
• Adding 69 and 32 gives you 101 - obviously way too many for the 85 limit.

The incoming class of 31 Freshman & 1 Junior College Transfer, is currently set at 26. Here’s how we got there:

• While that is technically 2 over the limit of 25, the Tide took advantage of an NCAA rule that allows players who enroll in January to “back count” towards the previous year’s group of incoming players, given that you have room for them under that year’s 25 limit. Alabama did have room, and both Chris Jackson and Corey Smith took advantage of this rule.
• Academics claimed Devonta Bolton & Brandon Lewis, with both players enrolling at East Mississippi Community College. .
• Major League Baseball claimed Destin Hood & Melvin Ray (though Hood has not yet signed his MLB contract and could technically report to Alabama).
• Kerry Murphy has yet to qualify academically. There is an appeals process going on, but that is not expected to be resolved. There is hope that he might qualify in time to enroll in January.
• Jermaine Preyear has a shoulder injury that will keep him from participating in football until January, so he will not enroll until then.

As for the returning players and getting that number down:

• Jeremy Elder (DL) was dismissed from both the football team and the University of Alabama after being arrested for assault on the Alabama campus - February 17.
• BJ Stabler (OL) was placed on to a medical hardship scholarship due to deteriorating knees - February 26.
• Cody Davis (OL) was placed on to a medical hardship scholarship due to a shoulder injury that held him out for most of the 2007 season - February 26.
• Chris Lett (DB) was placed on to a medical hardship due to complications with juvenile diabetes - March 13.
• Tremayne Coger (DB) left the team to pursue opportunities elsewhere - April 10.
• Charles Hoke (OL/TE) was placed on to a medical hardship scholarship due to problems with his shoulder - May 1.
• Lionel Mitchell (DB) was placed on to a medical hardship scholarship due to an recurring back injury that held him out of the entire spring - June 19.
• Jimmy Johns (LB) was dismissed from both the football team and the University of Alabama after being arrested for selling cocaine - June 26.
• Tarence Farmer (WR/DB) has transferred to the University of Wyoming - July 9.
• Ezekial Knight (LB) was sadly medically disqualified - July 17.
• Patrick Crump (OL) citing personal reasons, gave up football - July 31.

That leaves the total number of returning players at 58. They are: (click on a player’s name for our profile on him)

Seniors: (9) - Antoine Caldwell, Marlon Davis, Bobby Greenwood, Rashad Johnson, Travis McCall, Will Oakley, Nikita Stover, Nick Walker & John Parker Wilson.

Juniors: (21) - Eryk Anders, Javier Arenas, Sam Burnthall, Evan Cardwell, Glen Coffee, Drew Davis, Brandon Deaderick, Brandon Fanney, Prince Hall, Baron Huber, Marquis Johnson, Mike Johnson, Mike McCoy, Colin Peek, Cory Reamer, Chris Rogers, Ali Sharrief, Andre Smith, Roy Upchurch, Lorenzo Washington & Justin Woodall.

Sophomores: (17) - Earl Alexander, Luther Davis, Preston Dial, Terry Grant, Darius Hanks, Charlie Higgenbotham, Kareem Jackson, Charlie Kirschman, Rolando McClain, Greg McElroy, Alfred McCullough, Brian Motley, Taylor Pharr, David Ross, Travis Sikes, Milton Talbert & Chavis Williams.

Freshmen: (11) - Josh Chapman, Nick Fanuzzi, Nick Gentry, Brandon Gibson, Demetrius Goode, Jeramie Griffin, Jennings Hester, Marquis Maze, Chris Underwood, William Vlachos & Alex Watkins.

Incoming Players: (26) - Mark Barron, Undra Billingsley, John Michael Boswell, Terrence Cody (JUCO), Marcel Dareus, Robby Green, Glenn Harbin, Jerrell Harris, Don’ta Hightower, Mark Ingram, Chris Jackson (counted towards 2007), Star Jackson, Barrett Jones, Julio Jones, Chris Jordan, Alonzo Lawrence, Robert Lester, Tyler Love, Ivan Matchett, Wesley Neighbors, Burton Scott, Brad Smelley, Corey Smith (counted towards 2007), Damion Square, Courtney Upshaw & Michael Williams.

So that has the number squarely at 84, one less than the required limit of 85. And that number of 84 could actually be higher than the reality. How?

• Wesley Neighbors qualifies for the Bryant Scholarship. That’s a complicated matter made much more simple in this article.
• As many as 4 players in the Bama’s incoming class were rumored to have offered to pay their own way, essentially making them walk-ons - for clarification of that, click on the Bryant Scholarship article linked just above. Because those were rumors, we don’t know for certain who those players are, or if there actually was an offer. If the rumors are true, the best bets would be: Tyler Love (Mountain Brook, AL is an extremely wealthy area), Barrett Jones (Germantown, TN is an extremely wealthy area), Brad Smelley (his father Bart is a well known and highly successful Tuscaloosa business man) & Mark Ingram (his father played in the NFL).

So why would it be important for Bama to have less than 84? Scroll back up and look at the number of Seniors listed on the roster. Bama will lose only 9 players to graduation, meaning we’ll have to do this all over again in 2009.

Just to get a heads up on that:

• It is expected that Andre Smith will likely leave after next season for the NFL Draft, so that would open another spot.
• If Neighbors is on the Bryant Scholarship, or any players from the 2008 class do pay their own way, that opens up another spot.
• Bama already has 13 verbal commitments for 2009, plus the possibility of both Preyear & Murphy joining the team.

We’ll worry about that in January, however… and I’m sure Coach Saban will take the same “the numbers will work themselves out” and “we have a plan” attitude as he did this past season. And for good reasons - they did have a plan, and things did work themselves out.

Getting back to 2008 - what does it potentially mean for 2008 that Bama is under the 85 limit? It means that a scholarship could be awarded to a deserving walk-on. Given the numbers crunch the Tide faces for 2009 it would likely be a Senior walk-on, like Defensive Tackle Brad Pounds.

Though he is a Junior, Scott Deaton could also benefit. He is a Bryant Scholarship player that has not played to this point in his career. If he plays this year, since he was recruited, he would count towards the 85 number. Given Bama’s lack of depth on the Offensive Line, specifically at the Left Tackle position that Scott plays, this could become a requirement. And there is now room for Scott to play if it becomes necessary.

Things could still change between now and August 20 when school starts. Until the players enroll full-time and receive their grant-in-aid money for the fall semester, things can change. At this point, though, anything would be a shock.

The team practices in full pads today at 2:30. We’ll have a report as soon as we can.

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