When he does get some play time, he's going to have to cover the likes of Randle and Shepard when we face Bama.. He'd better be ready.
I don't know . . . ask Dale Brown about not giving a player a release. They just talk trash about the program after that and nobody needs it. It really does no good to refuse a player a release if he wants to leave. LSU did not run him off, he just wasn't going to start as a sophomore and the guy got happy feet. It happens to deep teams. In fact, it has to happen more than once for LSU to make the 85 in August. Frankly, I don't see where Nick has room, but he knows his own numbers. Jones did not cause a disturbance, or run his mouth in the papers, or get in trouble with the law, academics, or his coaches. He just wanted to go back to Alabama according to Les and family statements. He did the right things, he asked Les politely, and he got his release. That's the way these things should work. Any coach who would penalize a kid that only wants to find some greener pastures would be a real jerk. Nick let QB Rick Clausen transfer to Tennessee because he was a 4th string junior and he came back and beat LSU in Tiger Stadium two years later. Them's the breaks. Jones would have gotten PT again this year and might even have earned the start as a junior or senior. I think his chances would have been better than sitting out a year and then coming in and starting at Bama straight away as a junior. But his father knows best, I suppose . . .
I would've preferred that Jones had gone to Mizzou, instead. I have an uneasy feeling about one of our own going to play for a school within our own division of the SEC.
I didn't say he shouldn't be granted a release. I definitely would let him leave. And of all the other college football teams in the country, I would tell him there are five he can't go to. Almost all coaches will do that. It's rare that a coach allows a player to transfer to another team in its division. The rick clausen thing was a shame but UT was not in the West. Like you said, "Them's the breaks". I think you have to let a player do that, but now we will have to face this guy after Saban coaches him for two years. That could be bad. We all know how good of a DB coach Saban is.
I don't know the full story but I believe he's going to sit out a year and play the 2010 and 2011 seasons. I assume that makes one less scholarship for Alabama in 2010. But it's a good trade.
He's no guarantee to play at Bama either. Saban's expertise is defensive backs so Jones may be looking at a line to wait in there as well. At least here he would still be under scholarship and get playing time. He might get caught in a larger number crunch at Bama at that position.
If he isn't enrolled at Bama in August, he might find some even greener pastures in I-AA and play right away. I think Nick has to give him a scholarship next year if he expects to see him on the field the year after.
