Tide’s Hanks ready to shine

He may be the best Alabama receiver fans have almost never seen, but Darius Hanks hopes that will change in a few weeks.

Hanks, a 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore from Norcross, Ga., is always among the first names that come up when Alabama teammates are asked who will be the guy who takes the heat off Julio Jones.

He was a training camp terror before the 2007 season. Crimson Tide veterans said his hands were phenomenal. In fact, he caught a pass in that year’s opener, but was injured and earned a medical redshirt.

Last season, nagging knee and shoulder injuries kept him on the sidelines for much of the year. He’s caught nine passes for 94 yards in two abbreviated seasons.

He wants more.

Coming into his sophomore season, Hanks is only healthy, he’s added some weight – about 10 pounds, he said — to deal with the physical nature of the slot receiver position.

“Playing the slot, you have to take a little bit of a beating in there,“ Hanks said. “I try to condition my body in the best shape that I can to be able to play with those guys on the field. I put on a lot of muscle, try to eat good this year. In the slot, I feel you have to be a little smaller but a little bulkier. I’m not bulkier, but I can make guys miss when they try to throw me off my route. I feel like that’s an advantage that I have.“

Alabama coach Nick Saban likes the bigger frame.

“He plays with a lot more toughness now,“ Saban said. “He’s a lot more physical. He’s a little stronger. He’s got really good hands. He’s very athletic, and I think he’s playing with confidence right now. I think he can make plays for us.“

Hanks said he’s also worked hard on getting open against nickel backs and linebackers, who generally play bump-and-run. He’s spent extra time with offensive graduate assistant Mike Groh answering that physical style.

“He taught me a little technique, that when I come through just to lower my shoulder a little bit,“ Hanks said. “That’s going to help me a lot to get past those defenders and get open.“

The receiver said going against an experienced Alabama defense every day has made the passing game better. He relishes the challenges of going against cornerback Javier Arenas.

“Me and Javy are at each other’s neck every day,“ Hanks said. “I make him better, he makes me better. I don’t think I’ll go up against another guy out there that’s better than Javy and will play me in the slot. I also feel like (safety) Justin Woodall and (linebackers) Rolando (McClain) and Dont’a (Hightower), just going up against those guys every day just makes us all better.“

Hanks is trying to prove he can make those plays from any receiving position. Like the entire wide receiver corps this preseason, he hasn’t been solely used in the slot.

“This year, I want to be very versatile,“ Hanks said. “I want to play inside and outside and not just be known as a guy who can catch very well. I want to be known as a guy who can catch the ball and do something with it.“

He insists he’s one of several Alabama receivers who will put pressure on defenses.

“We’re all out there to try and make each other better,“ the receiver said. “We’re going to be a good bunch this year. I feel like we’re going to have four guys go in and then four more guys come in when those guys get tired.“

More importantly, he is excited about Greg McElroy’s development and Alabama’s commitment to better balance this season.

“This year, I think the ball is going to spread around a lot,“ Hanks said. “I think everybody will get to touch the ball this year.

“Greg’s in the playbook, he’s in the film room and he’s always telling us what we have to do to get better. He’s definitely putting the ball out there.“

Hanks said he and McElroy worked together long before this season.

“Our freshman year until now, we used to go out and throw after practice to get our timing down,“ he said. “I just feel like the bond is there.“

His relationship with his quarterback is just another reason the confident Hanks can’t wait to show what all the talk has been about.

“It’s coming,“ he promised. “I really haven’t gotten the chance that I really need to be able to prove that I can go out there on the field. When I was called upon last year, I felt like I did a good job but this year I’m going to be called on more and you’re going to see a lot more.“