THREE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
1. Offensive line
Despite losing left guard Tyler Booker as the 12th overall selection of this year’s NFL draft to the Dallas Cowboys, Alabama has college football’s top offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. Headlining this season’s Crimson Tide up front will be left tackle Kadyn Proctor, center Parker Brailsford and right guard Jaeden Roberts, who did miss the two preseason scrimmages due to a concussion.
2. Receiving threats
Although Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith was the top freshman receiver nationally last season and may be college football’s top player this year, Ryan Williams made a spectacular breakthrough with Alabama as well. Williams will be joined this year by Germie Bernard and Miami transfer Isaiah Horton, who had 56 catches for 616 yards for last season’s Hurricanes and provides a bigger target at 6-foot-4.
3. Older secondary
Alabama’s secondary with cornerbacks Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown and safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb is another year older. Now it’s a matter of keeping everybody healthy, as Sabb was lost for the rest of last season with a broken foot at Tennessee.
THREE REASONS FOR CONCERN
1. A new quarterback
Although Ty Simpson is the son of a coach and appears to have the necessary traits to be successful, he has yet to make his first start in a Southeastern Conference that has a lot of quarterbacks with returning experience either at their respective schools or elsewhere.
2. League gauntlet
Five straight SEC games against Georgia in Athens, Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa, Missouri in Columbia, Tennessee in Tuscaloosa and South Carolina in Columbia with no open date in between. The Tide went 3-2 against that quintet last season and were fortunate in the late going against Georgia and South Carolina. All five of those teams had winning seasons, with four winning at least nine games.
3. Depth dilemma
Alabama’s starting 22 could be as good as any team nationally, but there are depth concerns, even in perceived strong areas such as receiver. The “next man up” mantra is being put to a quick test due to Jam Miller’s upper-body injury that is expected to Alabama’s top returning rusher for the first few weeks of the season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.