Coker excited about future with Crimson Tide

Alabama quarterback Jacob Coker (14) works through drills  at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama quarterback Jacob Coker (14) works through drills at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

As Alabama starting quarterback Blake Sims fielded questions alongside coach Nick Saban as the MVP of the Southeastern Conference championship game earlier this month, backup Jacob Coker was tucked away with his teammates in the Crimson Tide locker room.

Projected to be the successor to AJ McCarron after transferring from Florida State following the spring semester, Coker instead watched with everyone else as Sims became the surprise of the league. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound redshirt junior from Mobile has played in just six of 13 games entering Alabama's date with Ohio State on New Year's night in the Sugar Bowl.

"There was obviously a lot of hype there, and that's unavoidable," Coker said. "That's all part of Alabama football and the quarterback situation. That's how it's going to be, but it's been really exciting for me to come back to Alabama, where I was a fan all my life."

Coker has made the most of his limited time on the field, completing 38 of 59 passes (64.4 percent) for 403 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

His busiest outing occurred in the second game against Florida Atlantic, when he completed 15 of 24 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. He entered that contest late in the first quarter but with Sims having already staked the Tide to a 21-0 lead.

Coker had mop-up duty in routs of Southern Miss, Texas A&M and Western Carolina but was thrust into the Sept. 20 game against Florida with the Crimson Tide leading just 28-21 late in the third quarter. A 24-yard Sims run near midfield resulted in a shoulder injury that required a visit to the locker room, so Coker entered and handed the ball off to Derrick Henry twice and T.J. Yeldon once.

Those three carries netted 48 yards and set Alabama up with a first-and-goal, which Coker converted with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper.

"Toward the end I got a lot more comfortable, and I'm a lot more comfortable with the offense now," Coker said. "The timing of everything is a lot better, and I'm figuring out how each individual receiver runs certain routes. Being more familiar with the team is the biggest part."

The pressure put on Coker following his arrival from FSU never sat well with Saban. Several days into preseason camp, when the battle between Sims and Coker for the top spot dominated the discussion, odds were released for the Heisman Trophy.

Reigning winner Jameis Winston, who beat out Coker for the chance to quarterback Florida State in 2013, was a 9-to-2 favorite. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, the eventual winner, was next at 6-to-1, and Coker was among the top 20 Heisman bets at 50-to-1.

"It wasn't really fair to Jake, to be honest with you," Saban said last month. "He was the new guy in the program and had never been in the system, and he had a lot on the uptick side to be able to grasp in the offense to get what he needed not having been in spring practice. It wasn't really fair to him, and I think it was largely created by the media and fans who always hope for the unknown to be better."

Should Alabama defeat the Buckeyes in New Orleans to advance to the title game of the inaugural College Football Playoff, Sims would make one final start for the Crimson Tide. Few expected Sims to win the job, and fewer expected him to set Alabama's single-season passing mark, but those impressive storylines soon will be placed in the past.

And Coker will get first crack at guiding the 2015 Tide.

"Having a year under your belt always helps, especially when you are learning a new offense," Coker said. "It helps immeasurably, and I can't wait. I had a long way to go, and I still have a long way to go, but I'm excited about my future here."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

Upcoming Events