It’s a sobering thought for every college football program that doesn’t reside in Tuscaloosa.
What if Alabama picks up from where it left off last season offensively?
“We are striving for consistency,” Crimson Tide sophomore quarterback Bryce Young said this week on a Zoom call, “and we are striving for greatness.”
Alabama’s offensive images from last season remain quite vivid with the top-ranked Crimson Tide set to open Nick Saban’s 15th year Saturday afternoon against No. 14 Miami at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Running back Najee Harris hurdling defenders. Mac Jones completing 81.3% of his passes in the College Football Playoff. Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith racing past opposing secondaries.
The Crimson Tide capped their 13-0 run to the national championship with a 52-24 lambasting of Ohio State in which they racked up an eye-popping 621 yards, but the only offensive starters returning from Alabama’s two playoff routs are receiver John Metchie and linemen Emil Ekiyor, Evan Neal and Chris Owens.
“I think the realistic approach is that we have a lot of new players on offense and that it’s a work in progress to get all these guys to develop to be productive and consistent performers,” Saban said. “We’re working hard on that, and the coaches are doing a good job with that. We’ve got new faces at a lot of positions, which creates a lot of opportunity for people, and how they prepare for the game and take it to the game are all question marks that get answered when you play a game.
“We’re working hard on it, and wherever we are, I have confidence in the players we have. We just have players who don’t have as much experience as we had a year ago.”
Neal could be college football’s best player this year regardless of position, while Metchie came within a whisker of a 1,000-yard receiving season after beginning last year playing third fiddle to Smith and Jaylen Waddle. The Crimson Tide have an experienced running back with Brian Robinson Jr. and acquired experience by nabbing Ohio State receiver Jameson Williams through the NCAA transfer portal.
Yet Saban spent a lot of preseason camp claiming that the offensive weaponry under new coordinator Bill O’Brien had to play better around Young, who is brimming with energy entering his first start.
“Everyone is obviously excited to get the season started,” Young said. “You go through a long offseason of going against each other, and it’s great to finally play other people and be able to game plan and prepare. It’s super exciting.”
Alabama not only landed Williams from the Big Ten power but also signed four of the nation’s top-10 receivers in the 2021 cycle. The freshman receiver who made the most headway in camp was JoJo Earle, who has been listed this week as a co-starter with redshirt junior Slade Bolden at the third receiver spot to accompany Metchie and Williams.
“JoJo has had a very good camp,” Saban said. “He’s very quick, and he’s very fast. He’s really good in and out of a break, and he’s a really good route runner. He’s a very consistent catcher, and he’s just done a really good job and will have some opportunity to play in this game.”
Said Young: “He’s been doing a lot and working hard, and we’ve all kind of noticed that.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.