On the speed thing:
Diaco may be a great recruiter. He may be getting every one of his top priorities. But if he's recruiting the WRONG TYPE of player, it doesn't matter.
Prototypes, prototypes, prototypes. The prototypes Alabama gets are big and fast. That's why they have the rating they have. The "Prototypes" we get, are big....and that's it. I would much prefer we recruited every position undersized, and fast, to the current operation.
I don't know this with any certainty, but it seems like common sense to me: It is much harder to add speed and quickness (agility), than it is to add size (weight) and strength. In my uneducated mind, it has to do with the way a person moves his feet with a certain fluidity, or lack thereof. People who are slow at 14, are usually slow at 19, with, i'm sure very few exceptions. If a kid is a slow HS senior, he wont magically be a fast college sophomore.
We are so slow on both sides of the ball. I'd rather we moved everyone "up" on position, than play the way we are now (ie: Diggs at DE, Obi at LB, etc...). Actually, i brought up those 2 examples because i think they may be a real help. Obviously they would leave holes on D, but who cares right now...we're getting killed anyways.
As for the offense, that read- option hand off is SOOOOO slow developing. By the time the decision is made, the DL is already three yards deep in our backfield. HOW CAN NO ONE ON THE STAFF SEE THIS ??????? It's supposed to be misdirection to make the defense think for an extra second, instead, the defense just bull rushes because we never run a counter direction run, or throw a pass out of that set. The most predictable offense i've ever seen run, and its ridiculous that we run it on probably half of our total offensive plays. Embarrassing.