Plenty of questions still dog Tide

On Tuesday afternoon, Alabama coach Nick Saban talked to reporters at the Tides’ media suite in Tuscaloosa, lacking the playful cantankerousness that has been his custom.

In answering questions about Simeon Castille, Alabama’s All-SEC cornerback, who was arrested Sunday and charged for disorderly conduct, Saban was contrite and to the point.

But at one juncture, he did say something that seemed lost in the whole Castille mess.

“Is there anything else you guys even care about?” Saban asked. “Anything else that interests you at all?

Well, yes, actually. With just more than a week until the team’s season-opening game Sept. 1 at home against Western Carolina, Alabama still is fending its way through several on-field issues while pushing away the off-field ones.

Terry Grant: The redshirt freshman has shined so far ... at least according to the stat sheets that reporters receive following scrimmages.

Before the season, we all knew that some previously unknown and unused players would emerge under Saban, and Grant seems to be the first.

In last weekend’s scrimmage, he led the Tide in both rushing (68 yards) and receiving (71 yards on two catches).

Grant said he is the fastest guy on the team, and with those stat lines, it’s tough to doubt him. He may have done well against Alabama’s defense, but let’s see him in a game.

Eric Gray: Judging from the designated time reporters are allowed to watch practice, it appears that the West Morgan High graduate is spending time at a starting cornerback spot.

While the first 20 minutes of practice don’t tell you as much as the final 100, Gray is finally showing what he can do when he’s 100 percent. The hamstring issues that have hurt him throughout his collegiate career are behind him for now.

Tide linebackers: I wish somebody would tell me what the deal with the linebackers is. While Saban continues to talk about how the defensive front is thin, it’s almost bizarre that he hasn’t mentioned the linebacking corps in the same breath.

You have two guys there in Ezekial Knight and Keith Saunders who never played linebacker before in college. Prince Hall, a sophomore, is supposed to be the leader of the group, but he keeps getting rotated in and out of drills that reporters can see. Senior Darren Mustin is expected to contribute, but just a year ago he wasn’t on scholarship.

Then there is Decatur High graduate Rolando McClain, a true freshman who is expected to be a signal caller. Something just doesn’t seem right here. While the talk about McClain has been positive, and Hall is a second-team preseason All-SEC selection, the experience level just isn’t there.

When asked about the linebackers, Saban used the excuse of not having a depth chart to make no comment. Maybe there is a good reason behind that.

Leigh Tiffin back: The sophomore seemingly has put his nightmare in Fayetteville behind him. You might remember the two missed field goals and extra point in the Razorbacks’ 24-23 win against the Tide last season.

Maybe it’s by design that the coaching staff has said encouraging statements about Tiffin, but it’s tough to deny his results.

He nailed a 51-yard field goal in the first scrimmage, and was 5-for-7 in the second, just missing a 57-yard field goal, according to Saban. With starter Jamie Christensen once again nursing a muscle problem — this time it is a strained quadriceps muscle — Tiffin has been thrust into the same position he was in last year when Christensen was limited in the first four games with a groin injury.