Alabama players feel Jeremy Pruitt is '100 percent focused' on Clemson

NEW ORLEANS — Ronnie Harrison hasn’t let his defensive coordinator off the hook completely. The jovial Alabama safety admits he’s taken advantage of the opportunity to mess with Jeremy Pruitt ever since he took the head coaching position at Tennessee earlier this month.

“Oh yeah, I joke with him a little bit about going to Tennessee,” Harrison said. “I just sing ‘Rocky Top’ and all that, just messing with him a little.”

Although, as No. 4 Alabama prepares for its Sugar Bowl matchup against No. 1 Clemson on Monday, the quirky Tennessee folk song is the only bit of Knoxville to make it into Alabama’s practices.

Pruitt was hired by Tennessee on Dec. 7 but decided to remain at his position of defensive coordinator at Alabama until the end of the College Football Playoff. Immediately after being hired by Tennessee, Pruitt hit the recruiting trail, building his new class until returning to Alabama on Dec. 18 when the dead period of recruiting started.

Since then his focus has been preparing his defense for another playoff run.