Itll be best against best during A-Day

TUSCALOOSA _ Defensive end Marcell Dareus has a message for the University of Alabama offense: He likes his steak "medium rare."

That's in regards to Saturday's A-Day Game, when the Crimson Tide will hold its 15th and final workout of the spring. Per Nick Saban tradition, the winning team gets to eat steak at a special celebratory meal, while the losing side only has beans.

Of course, the head coach gets a prime cut either way.

"I think this is a record-setting day for me in the number of speeches anyone can ever give in one day," he said with a smile. "I certainly look forward to it every year."

The format will be the same as last year, the first-unit offense will play for the Crimson side and face the first-unit defense. Subsequently, the second-unit offense will head the White team and face the second-unit defense.

Saban warned, though, that some players may have been placed on a certain team in order to get more reps.

"There's about three ways we can do that," he said. "The best against the best, which is not a very competitive game; you can have a draft which I've always kind of liked and done in the past; but I thought last year we did it this way for the development of our offense.

"This year we're going to do it so our defense has a chance to play together to develop a defense that has a lot of new faces and those guys get some experience playing together."

Compared to the starting lineup in the BCS National Championship game just three-plus months ago, Alabama will have ten new players on the first unit, everyone except safety Mark Barron. Because the Tide came out in a nickel formation linebacker Nico Johnson didn't start against Texas -- and besides he'll be on the White team, in part due to sustaining a sprained knee earlier this spring.

In contrast, the first-unit offense will only have three new faces including tight end Michael Williams and left guard Chance Warmack (although David Ross will fill in for injured center William Vlachos). The third will be in the scrimmage's high-profile matchup, right tackle D.J. Fluker, who will square off against Dareus.

"I like to go against competition and our defensive backs or defense as a whole we really need the competition," Dareus said about the format. "We want to do this way so the best can go against the best."

Dareus had nine sacks and 18 tackles in the first two scrimmages this spring, prompting a teammate to recently call him almost unblockable.

Fluker is listed as 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, and entered college wearing a size 22 shoe.

"He's developing into a really good offensive lineman," Dareus said of Fluker. "He's aggressive he gets after it. He's really improved."

Another matchup fans will be watching is how well the new cornerbacks fare against Alabama's experienced receiving corps, especially Julio Jones. He'll primarily face his friend B.J. Scott, and occasionally Dre Kirkpatrick.

Don't think for a second he'll go easy on them, and not just because ESPN will be broadcasting from Bryant-Denny Stadium.

"There's steak on the line" said Jones who had beans after his first two A-Days.

Incidentally, he prefers his steak "medium well."

CRIMSON

2 Tana Patrick LB

4 Marquis Maze WR

8 Julio Jones WR

9 Phelon Jones DB

10 John Fulton DB

10 J.B. Kern LB

12 Greg McElroy QB

14 Andrew Davidson DB

14 Phillip Sims QB

15 Darius Hanks WR

15 Mark Holt DB

17 Tyler Maddox DB

18 Rod Woodson DB

19 Jonathan Atchison LB

22 Mark Ingram RB

24 Nathan McAlister WR

26 Nick Tinker RB

28 DeMarcus Milliner DB

31 Kelly Johnson DS

31 John Baites TE

32 David Blalock DL

34 Jeramie Griffin RB

34 Hunter Bush DB

35 Nico Johnson LB

37 Hardie Buck WR

38 Levi Cook DB

40 DeMarcus DuBose LB

42 Eddie Lacy RB

45 Kolby Taylor PK

45 Jalston Fowler LB

46 Wesley Neighbors DB

47 Ed Stinson LB

48 Rowdy Harrell LB

49 Ranzell Watkins DB

50 Andrew Schieffer LB

51 Michael DeJohn LB

53 Anthony Orr DL

54 Glenn Harbin LB

55 Chavis Williams LB

60 David Williams OL

63 Kellen Williams OL

64 Kerry Murphy DL

65 Chance Warmack OL

68 Taylor Pharr OL

69 Spencer Whitfield DS

73 William Vlachos OL

74 David Ross OL

75 Barrett Jones OL

76 D.J. Fluker OL

77 James Carpenter OL

81 Kendall Kelly WR/DB

82 Earl Alexander WR

85 Preston Dial TE

89 Michael Williams TE

90 Jeremy Shelley PK

90 Milton Talbert LB

92 Damion Square DL

92 Jason Walter P

93 Chris Bonds DL

93 Jay Benson P

94 Darrington Sentimore DL

94 Parker Stinnett PK

95 Brandon Lewis DL

95 Colin Gallagher PK

97 Brandon Moore DL

97 Sam Buckingham P

Coaches: Jim McElwain Burton Burns Bo Davis Jeremy Pruitt

WHITE

1 B.J. Scott DB

2 Star Jackson QB

3 Trent Richardson RB

4 Mark Barron DB

5 Jerrell Harris LB

6 Demetrius Goode RB

7 Kenny Bell WR

9 Nick Williams WR

10 A.J. McCarron QB

11 Brandon Gibson WR

13 Rob Ezell WR

16 Michael Adams WR

17 Brad Smelley TE

18 Morgan Ogilvie QB

19 Roland James WR

20 Nate Carlson TE

21 Ben Howell RB

21 Dre Kirkpatrick DB

23 Robby Green DB

23 Craig Dee RB

29 Will Lowery DB

30 Dont'a Hightower LB

33 Mike Marrow TE

36 Chris Jordan LB

37 Robert Lester DB

38 Petey Smith LB

39 Kyle Pennington DB

41 Courtney Upshaw LB

43 Cade Foster PK

43 Taylor Conant WR

46 William Strickland WR

47 Logan Thomas WR

51 Carson Tinker DS

52 Alfred McCullough OL

54 Russell Raines OL

56 William Ming DL

57 Marcell Dareus DL

57 Aaron Joiner OL

58 Nick Gentry DL

61 Anthony Steen OL

66 Brian Motley OL

67 John Michael Boswell OL

71 Allen Skelton OL

72 Tyler Love OL

78 Chad Lindsay OL

79 Austin Shepherd OL

83 Kevin Norwood WR

86 Undra Billingsley DL

87 Drew Bullard LB

87 Chris Underwood TE

88 Michael Bowman WR

91 Alex Watkins LB

94 Zach Goehler P

96 Luther Davis DL

99 Josh Chapman DL

Coaches: Kirby Smart Sal Sunseri Curt Cignetti Joe Pendry Bobby Williams