Richardson and Kirkpatrick Turn Pro . . . [also] Hightower

Submitted by Chi-Blue on

Title says it all

[ED:BISB - Seems pretty well confirmed that Hightower is going pro as well]

James Burrill Angell

January 12th, 2012 at 5:11 PM ^

He is....see the ESPN article....http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2012/story/_/id/7455537/trent-richardson-dre-kirkpatrick-alabama-crimson-tide-enter-nfl-draft... Hightower already graduated in December(although he has one more fall of eligibility if he wanted it) and wasn't at the press conference because he was "under the weather" but was quoted in the article and is gone.

That means 5 offensive starters and 7 defensive starters  leaving Alabama. At least we get their replacements in their first game.

lilwolve4

January 12th, 2012 at 2:39 PM ^

I'm also seeing mixed opinions on whether Hightower declared or not. He wasn't at the press conference but some are reporting he did declare. I really hope he goes as 3 of Alabama's starting 4 LB's, NT, both starting CBs and one of their safeties will all be gone.

vdiddy24

January 12th, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^

I think the demise of the Alabama defense may be over stated.

With that being said though, I'm not sure where they'll stack rank in terms of toughest defenses we face next year. By the end of the game, they had two true freshman (Trey DePriest and lightly recruited Vinnie Sunseri) looking like All-Sec players. But this was partially due to LSU's poorly schemed and executed offense.

With the fortune of catching all of Alabama's new starters the first game of the year, MSU may actually be the best defense we face next year.

Thoughts?

M-Wolverine

January 12th, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^

The Baughz

January 12th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^

Was going to post the same exact thing as lilwolve. Hightower is gone. Now its time for more future first round draft picks to step in. Also hearing that Lester will return for his senior yr.

Philbert

January 12th, 2012 at 3:18 PM ^

I really don't know bama's depth chart that well but I'll be that guy, With all of these guys leaving what are the chances we see dee hart and hasean? I know thier both sore topics but they were good kids. of all the 120 scholarship players ( I mean 85) those 2 are about the only bama kids I'll ever root for.

Six Zero

January 12th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^

If the players said it themselves, then it's probably true.  But if Silver-Tongued Saban said it, it probably means they're all coming back for next year.

Unless he cuts them the last week of camp.

Perkis-Size Me

January 12th, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^

I'm reading on Sporting News that Hightower is going pro. For our sake, I hope he is. Our offense is nowhere even close to being able to compete with that kind of defense.

Richardson was a given, but I'd expect to see more of Eddie Lacy than Dee Hart, since Lacy was running the ball well in the NCG, and Hart hasn't played at all. Lacy isn't as good as Richardson, but I'm expecting him to run well against us.

bronxblue

January 12th, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^

Good for Alabama - one less kid will be given a medical hardship or kicked off the team because he violated the "team rules" of not being as good as someone else.

Greatlakes10

January 12th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^

If any team can reload its bama. They sign like 30 recruits every year and most are very highly rated recruits. And then once you get in the program, if you dont show your a player, you're out. They weed out all the deadweight and keep the good players. They have alot of good young players...

LSAClassOf2000

January 12th, 2012 at 4:16 PM ^

....like other SEC teams, can't they just trade with the teams that draft Richardson, Kirkpatrick and Hightower and get their talent back that way? 

All three of them going pro actually works well for us - a decimated Alabama is a beatable Alabama. Being that it is Saban, can we pretend this is the  1997 game against MSU and truck them 23-7?

 

Wheatley

January 12th, 2012 at 6:49 PM ^

i knew academics there were bad but full time athlete can do it in 2 and a half yrs. cmon!

"I never thought I'd be in college playing football, or I never thought I'd be almost done with my degree. In 2½ years, I'm almost done with my college degree. That's big for me." T Richardson