Jumbo Package: DB coach Karl Scott turns down Baylor offer to stay at Alabama

Happy Monday, everyone. It was a strong weekend for Tide women as the Gym Tide tied for second out of a very strong group of six at the Metroplex Challenge, while womens’ basketball led 32-7 after the first quarter in a 27-point rout of Vanderbilt. Great work, ladies.

In football news, Dave Aranda tried to poach Karl Scott and was rebuffed.

Crimson Tide cornerbacks coach Karl Scott has turned down a job offer from Aranda, according to sources.

Scott would have been co-defensive coordinator in addition to working with the secondary, per sources.

Scott just finished his second season as a member of Alabama’s staff.

Aided by Scott, the Tide ranked 11th nationally in pass defense this past season. In addition, Scott is ranked third nationally and first in the SEC in the 247Sports Composite recruiter rankings for the Class of 2020.

When Alabama assistants move on, it’s usually to better themselves. A lateral move to Baylor, even with a Co-DC title, is not that. It’s great to see Scott sticking around.

Somehow, Tennessee has gone from losers to Georgia State and BYU to hyped as a 2020 sleeper in the span of five months.

Alabama has won 13 straight in this annual rivalry, but reading the tea leaves ahead of the 2020 season indicates most are expecting this year’s Tennessee team to one of the program’s best during this stretch. In fact, the Vols will likely be ranked inside the Top 25 to open coming off a six-game winning streak to end Jeremy Pruitt’s second season with many of those starters returning. This will undoubtedly be one of the SEC’s most important games, especially if Tennessee is able to survive the first half of the slate prior to welcoming Alabama to Neyland Stadium. Tennessee believes it found something during last year’s loss to the Crimson Tide, a game that was surprisingly competitive up until Jarrett Guarantano’s fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter.

The Vols beat Kentucky, Mizzou, Vanderbilt, and Indiana to close the season by a combined 27 points, and 18 of those were against Vandy. Y’all go ahead and hype them, it will make for more amusing meltdowns.

Will Anderson is quickly becoming my favorite recruit in this class.

Anderson, one of 13 early enrollees for the Crimson Tide this cycle, is one of four players Alabama landed ranked inside the Top 35 nationally per the 247Sports Composite, the most since Nick Saban signed seven such players in the 2017 class.

”Thanking God for his many blessings! One year ago today, our journey to Bama begin. I was nervous and excited,” Anderson’s mother, Tereon, tweeted on Sunday. “Will was curious and Big Will wanted to see the campus. My SIL told us to get ready and Bama did not disappoint. This day will always be special to me!”

This kid is all in, and his burst off the edge is incredible. He has a chance to be special.

Jared Mayden made some great strides his senior year.

“If you would’ve told me at the beginning of my senior year that I’d be invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl — have an opportunity to play with the best players, scouts everywhere, under the microscope — I would’ve told you you’re lying,” Mayden said. “I’m just trying to win a spot, get better each day so I can win a spot.”

That disbelief was rooted in the first three years of Mayden’s UA career, defined by infrequent playing time: zero starts and just 23 tackles in the snaps he got. His senior season was his opportunity and one he did not miss: he was a fixture as one of UA’s starting deep safeties, missing only the Arkansas game with a groin injury. He led the team in interceptions with four, two of them coming on Senior Day against Western Carolina, and was fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He rose to big occasions: 11 tackles against LSU and his lone tackle for a loss coming in the Iron Bowl.

Hopefully he gets a good look in the NFL.

Last, Stewart Mandel ($) has a look at the college football coaching hires.

Ole Miss (B+): FAU coach Lane Kiffin. The formerly ridiculed Tennessee and USC coach resurrected his career as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator, leading FAU to two conference title in three years. He’s a proven recruiter and smart offensive mind who comes into this SEC job a lot wiser and savvier than the first time around in Knoxville — kind of like Ed Orgeron by the time he got to LSU. The only reason this isn’t an A is because I fully believe Kiffin can win a lot of games there, but his penchant for self-inflicted controversy could also send the whole thing flying off the rails.

You know there will be shenanigans, and they will probably be hilarious. Lane and Ole Miss are a match made in heaven.

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.