Alabama Crimson Tide: Full Of Hope, In Good Hands, And Ready For The 2024 Season Post Nick Saban
The Alabama Crimson Tide’s loss of long-time coach Nick Saban will certainly be felt around Alabama and the SEC as a whole. Good news is, the hiring of Kalen DeBoer should offer an uptick even for the already powerful Crimson Tide offensive attack. Alabama ranked 58th in the nation in total offense last year, while DeBoer’s Washington Huskies were ranked 12th. How DeBoer can amp up the Tide offense will probably be the biggest story to follow this spring. How well and quickly can coach DeBoer implement his system with a completely different group of players than the one he assembled at Washington will be interesting to see.
With the return of Jalen Milroe, Alabama gets back a Heisman trophy finalist for 2024. A season ago, Milroe passed for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns. He rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. If anyone on this team is the immediate beneficiary of a boost from DeBoer’s system it’s Jalen Milroe. How well he learns a new style with be crucial, and the spring game was a good opportunity to assess Milroe’s progress.
Jalen Milroe has been QB1 for the whole entire spring but redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson is right behind him nipping at his heels. During the spring game, Milroe appeared decisive running plays called by new coordinator Nick Sheridan and ran a couple of option handoffs. Elsewhere, Simpson completed some nice throws but missed others, and his first series featured a dart to Cole Adams on one deep crosser and a near interception in double coverage a snap later. Some of the team’s most efficient plays came from a jet-action motion.
The offense then cooled off when freshman Austin Mack checked in with walk-ons on both sides of the ball and penalties began. Jalen Milroe went 3-for-9, with 100 yards in the spring game. And Ty Simpson went 7-for-12, with 102 yards in the spring game. The other quarterbacks Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack went a combined 14-for-21, with 100 yards. Now that we had a good look at the quarterback situation for the Alabama Crimson Tide, let’s take a look at the running back situation and the defense.
While Milroe returns, the Alabama Crimson Tide is replacing virtually all of their other skilled players. That includes all three starting wide receivers and both of their leading rushers from a season ago. Jase McClellan is headed to the NFL, while Roydell Williams transferred to Florida State. That leaves plenty of uncertainty at the position, with junior Jam Miller, sophomore Justice Haynes, and redshirt freshman Richard Young all looking for touches under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The trio combined for just 75 carries a season ago, but Alabama is still likely to focus on running the football despite the departure of Nick Saban, so any of these backs could emerge at RB1.
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Now, let’s look at the defense under new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Alabama fans don’t fully understand the amount of quality depth that is still on this Alabama defense, as they return the whole front seven. Just along the defensive line Alabama has experienced players like Tim Smith, Tim Keenan, James Smith, Jah-Merian, and Damon Dayne in the mix. Both Jihaad Campbell and Deaontae Lawson are both back at inside linebacker and Quandarrius Robinson and Keanu Koht will provide great edge rushing. Malachi Moore will be roaming at safety, but after that, it’s mostly new faces.
That includes Michigan transfer and true freshman Keon Sabb has likely locked down one of the safety spots and true freshmen Red Morgan and Zabien Brown have had impressive springs. The first corner spot is locked down by USC transfer Domani Jackson, and while the talent is there the experience is lacking for the young Alabama secondary. The only issue for the Alabama Crimson Tide defense is they don’t have coach Saban’s defense and defensive background anymore. He was the mastermind behind the Tide’s defensive excellence. We will see how well his former players deal with the transition to a new brain in 2024.
Alabama’s top receiver from last year, Jermaine Burton, is in this year’s 2024 NFL Draft. The second leading target last year, Isaiah Bond, has transferred to Texas along with top tight end, Amari Niblack. This means somebody has to catch all the passes coach DeBoer will dial-up, but who will it be? Well, there’s Washington transfer Germie Bernard, who caught 34 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns last year. There’s top returnee Kobe Prentice who had 18 receptions for 314 yards and two touchdowns.
Then there’s true freshman Ryan Williams who is supposed to be the long-term answer for the Tide but might be the short-term answer as well. One of its expected contributors
Alabama Crimson Tide: Full Of Hope, In Good Hands, And Ready For The 2024 Season Post Nick Saban
The Alabama Crimson Tide’s loss of long-time head coach Nick Saban will certainly be felt around Alabama and the SEC as a whole. Good news is, the hiring of Kalen DeBoer should offer an uptick even for the already powerful Crimson Tide offensive attack. Alabama ranked 58th in the nation in total offense last year, while DeBoer’s Washington Huskies were ranked 12th. How DeBoer can amp up the Tide offense will probably be the biggest story to follow this spring. How well and quickly can coach DeBoer implement his system with a completely different group of players than the one he assembled at Washington will be interesting to see.
With the return of Jalen Milroe, Alabama gets back a Heisman trophy finalist for 2024. A season ago, Milroe passed for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns. He rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. If anyone on this team is the immediate beneficiary of a boost from DeBoer’s system it’s Jalen Milroe. How well he learns a new style with be crucial, and the spring game was a good opportunity to assess Milroe’s progress.
Jalen Milroe has been QB1 for the whole entire spring but redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson is right behind him nipping at his heels. During the spring game, Milroe appeared decisive running plays called by new coordinator Nick Sheridan and ran a couple of option handoffs. Elsewhere, Simpson completed some nice throws but missed others, and his first series featured a dart to Cole Adams on one deep crosser and a near interception in double coverage a snap later. Some of the team’s most efficient plays came from a jet-action motion.
The offense then cooled off when freshman Austin Mack checked in with walk-ons on both sides of the ball and penalties began. Jalen Milroe went 3-for-9, with 100 yards in the spring game. And Ty Simpson went 7-for-12, with 102 yards in the spring game. The other quarterbacks Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack went a combined 14-for-21, with 100 yards. Now that we had a good look at the quarterback situation for the Alabama Crimson Tide, let’s take a look at the running back situation and the defense.
While Milroe returns, the Alabama Crimson Tide is replacing virtually all of their other skilled players. That includes all three starting wide receivers and both of their leading rushers from a season ago. Jase McClellan is headed to the NFL, while Roydell Williams transferred to Florida State. That leaves plenty of uncertainty at the position, with junior Jam Miller, sophomore Justice Haynes, and redshirt freshman Richard Young all looking for touches under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The trio combined for just 75 carries a season ago, but Alabama is still likely to focus on running the football despite the departure of Nick Saban, so any of these backs could emerge at RB1.
Now, let’s look at the defense under new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Alabama fans don’t fully understand the amount of quality depth that is still on this Alabama defense, as they return the whole front seven. Just along the defensive line Alabama has experienced players like Tim Smith, Tim Keenan, James Smith, Jah-Merian, and Damon Dayne in the mix. Both Jihaad Campbell and Deaontae Lawson are both back at inside linebacker and Quandarrius Robinson and Keanu Koht will provide great edge rushing. Malachi Moore will be roaming at safety, but after that, it’s mostly new faces.
That includes Michigan transfer and true freshman Keon Sabb has likely locked down one of the safety spots and true freshmen Red Morgan and Zabien Brown have had impressive springs. The first corner spot is locked down by USC transfer Domani Jackson, and while the talent is there the experience is lacking for the young Alabama secondary. The only issue for the Alabama Crimson Tide defense is they don’t have coach Saban’s defense and defensive background anymore. He was the mastermind behind the Tide’s defensive excellence. We will see how well his former players deal with the transition to a new brain in 2024.
Alabama’s top receiver from last year, Jermaine Burton, is in this year’s 2024 NFL Draft. The second leading target last year, Isaiah Bond, has transferred to Texas along with top tight end, Amari Niblack. This means somebody has to catch all the passes coach DeBoer will dial-up, but who will it be? Well, there’s Washington transfer Germie Bernard, who caught 34 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns last year. There’s top returnee Kobe Prentice who had 18 receptions for 314 yards and two touchdowns.
Then there’s true freshman Ryan Williams who is supposed to be the long-term answer for the Tide but might be the short-term answer as well. One of its expected contributors Jalen Hale was injured this spring and potentially out of the season. DeBoer and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard produced stars at the position in their time with Washington. The Alabama Crimson Tide will be tasked with generating a 1,000+ yard receiver in Tuscaloosa for the first time since John Metchie in 2021.
was injured this spring and potentially out of the season. DeBoer and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard produced stars at the position in their time with Washington. The Alabama Crimson Tide will be tasked with generating a 1,000+ yard receiver in Tuscaloosa for the first time since John Metchie in 2021.
