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Nick Saban has spent most of this week preaching to his Alabama football team about the danger of “rat poison” and allowing positive reviews of their performance to impact their preparation for the game. Saturday against Mercer.
But he took a break after beating that drum on his Thursday night radio show to give notable praise to one of Tide’s freshman receivers, JoJo Earle.
“[He] is just a freshman, little # 10, but I think this guy is special, ”Saban said. “He can be special.”
Saban, who usually avoids making comparisons, provided Earle with one.
“He’s also a very good turner. We’re trying to make him a little more confident there – commanding, especially in the punt returns, which he could really be good at, ”said Saban. “He looks a bit like Waddle when it comes to this.”
Earle, like Jaylen Waddle, now receiver for the Miami Dolphins, was drafted in Texas. He reversed his engagement last December from LSU in Alabama but didn’t sign up until the summer. By this point, fellow freshman Agiye Hall had caught the attention of Alabama fans with his performance in the Spring Game.
But Earle quickly impressed coaches during the August camp and was listed as a co-starter with Slade Bolden on the initial depth chart. He caught two passes for 25 yards in Saturday’s season opener against Miami.
Saban’s comments about Earle on the Thursday night show came in response to a question from guest host and SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers, who asked specific questions about Earle’s transfer and from the State of Ohio, Jameson Williams.
“You picked two good ones, I can tell you that,” Saban said.
As for Williams, who scored a 94-yard touchdown on Saturday, Saban said he never asked him why he wanted to leave the Buckeyes after two seasons.
“We looked for a receiver. We watched everyone in the [transfer] portal, ”Saban said. “He started and played against us last year in the national championship game, and we had a lot of respect for him from that point of view.
“When he was in the portal looking at all the players, we said, without a doubt, he’s the best guy out there. Let’s try to get it.
Saban speculated that Williams thought he might not have had enough opportunities at Ohio State behind returning starters Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
“I never really asked him about it,” Saban said. “I just said, ‘Hey, if you wanna come over here, we’d love to have you. Create a lot of opportunities for you, and we’ll go from there sort of. ‘ “
Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on twitter @mikerodak.
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