Passing was at a premium, and Bryce Young wasn’t super, but Jalen Milroe, the presumptive backup, was stellar at times. Bryce is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and he should be fine in the fall, but Alabama fans had to be encouraged by Milroe’s performance in case Young sustains an injury and for the prospects of 2023.

Young put together a stellar 2021 campaign completing 366-of-547 passes for 4,872 yards, 47 TDs against 7 ints. He, Jameson Williams, John Metchie, Brian Robinson and the great Will Anderson Jr, more on him in a minute, put the Crimson Tide on their collective backs and carried the team all the way to the national championship game against Georgia, where they fell to a hungry Dawgs team, 33-18, though Williams was injured after a long catch and run in the second quarter. His presence could have changed the outcome of the game.

Young is a proven commodity, so once he gets cranking in fall workouts and the offensive line, which did get eaten up by Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell among others in the spring game, is a full go with some injured players back in the fall, Young’s results should be a lot better. He’ll have some new skilled players to work with as B-Rob, Metchie and Williams are all going to the NFL. Sadly, Metchie has suffered a form of leukemia, and will be out this year for the Houston Texans, but it’s not a malicious kind and he should recover. Whether he can play football again remains to be seen. He was quite a player at Alabama, and here’s hoping a fine young guy gets the opportunity he deserves in the NFL. As far as the draft went Big left tackle Evan Neal went to the New York Giants as the seventh overall pick. Jameson. Williams was the 18th overall pick in the draft by the Detroit Lions, and Metchie was an, early 2nd round pick by the Texans. Robinson was a third round pick by the Washington Commanders. All should be excellent NFL players. Phidarian Mathism who really came on strong last year with 10 1/2 TFLs and 9 sacks, was drafted be the Washington Commanders in the second round. There are several Alabama players on the Commanders including big defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, big d tackle DeRon Payne and safety Daniel Wright is in camp with the Atlanta Falcons, not drafted but capable of earning a spot on the Falcons’ depth chart. Former Alabama cornerback Jayln Armour-Davis is on the Baltimore Ravens and working to get on the roster and the depth chart

So now you have a new running back rotation with Georgia Tech transfer and former 95, 4 star Jahmyr Gibbs leading the way. Gibbs looks terrific. He rushed for 100 yards in the spring game including a 75 yard house call. He looks superb. Trey Sanders was his primary backup as Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams are recovering from injuries, so the running back room should be in pretty good shape come the fall once McClellan and Williams return. Outside at wide receiver, Christian Leary was impressive in the spring game. He caught 5 passes for 106 yards and a TD, a 52 yard beautiful throw from Milroe. Milroe was 11-of-23 for 149 yards, the TD to Leary and 44 yards rushing. He showed flashes of brilliance. If he can become a consistent passer, the sky’s the limit. Jermaine Burton, the transfer wide receiver from Georgia, should make an immediate impact. He’s got the speed and the hands, to be a Metchie/Williams combo type receiver. Ja’Corey Brooks didn’t play in the spring game, but caught 15 passes for 192 yards and 2 TDs in 2021, including the huge 25 yarder from Young @Auburn that tied the game up late and allowed the Crimson Tide to pull off what looked like an improbable victory on the road against its archival. JoJo Earle had a few drops in the spring game, but like Leary and Brooks, was a 97, 4 star. Leary was 95 and Brooks was a 98, 5 star. Guys like Traeshon Holden, Thaiu Jones-Bell, 5 star freshman Aaron Anderson and two, 96 4 star freshmen, Shazz Preston and Kendrick Law, will add even more depth and talent at wide receiver. So the cupboard isn’t bare at the skilled positions. Cameron Latu is back at tight end, and he’s a big play player for the Crimson Tide. Could be a very valuable part of the offense. Young likes going to him a lot. Sort of a security piece for Young and the offense. He’s an important player this upcoming season. Robbie Ouzts and graduate Kendall Randolph are listed as the backups. And another addition to the wide receiving corps is a big one. The Crimson Tide added 91 4 star transfer Tyler Harrell from Louisville. He’s 6’0”, 165, He posted 18 receptions for 523 yards and 6 TDs for the Cardinals. Another Jameson Williams explosive, lightning fast receiver with excellent hands.

Strength Coach David Ballou has been working with the offensive line all summer and will throughout the season and first year offensive line coach Eric Wolford will try to develop them into a cohesive, dominant unit, which you have to have in the SEC. I’m looking for massive sophomore J.C. Latham to have an All-SEC, All-American type year. He’s 6’6”, 326 and was a 5 star in the 2021 class. He should be a dominant player at right tackle. Across the board you have left guard and the veteran and leader of the line, Emil Ekiyor (redshirt senior, 6’3”, 307, center Darrian Dalcourt, a 6’3”, 305, right guard Javion Cohen (Jr. 6’4”, 305), and new left tackle Tyler Steen, a 91 4 star transfer from Vanderbilt who is 6’5”, 317. He was an 85, 3 star out of high school, but really excelled at Vanderbilt. So, as Theo likes, there is some serious “size” at the tackle positions.. The Brockmeyer twins from Fort Worth, Tommy, a 6’5”, 304 5 star, who is a sophomore, and James, a 6’3”, 282, and s 92 4 star, should add depth and may challenge for starting jobs before it’s all said and done. Tommy is a left tackle and James plays center. Seth McLaughlin, a redshirt sophomore who is 6’4, 295, is a backup piece for now at center and could be a big contributor. There are others. S has recruited well on the line like everywhere else, so there are 12 to 15 guys who can contribute in 2022.

On defense, it’s about Will Anderson Jr. and his comrades on the edge. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien has been around the block and coached a lot of terrific football players. He coached Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as offensive coordinator, he was head coach at Penn State and he was head coach of the Houston Texans. He said Anderson Jr. is the best football player he’s ever seen. The 6’4”, 243 pound rising junior tallied 34 1/2 tackles for loss for -148 yards and 17 1/2 sacks, both of which led the country. His tackles for loss number is the best ever nationally. He should have been in New York for the Heisman Trophy and if he continues his pace from last season he could win it this year. He dominated once again in the spring game with 2 sacks in the first half, and didn’t play any in the second half. He’s unblockable. You add the great Dallas Turner, who had 3 sacks in the spring game was the most valuable defensive player, and posted 10 TFLs and 8 sacks last season, and emerging star Chris Braswell, and you’ve got a sacking force. Braswell also took down the quarterback twice in the spring game. S wants to use all 3 at the same time this coming season. Good luck with that opposing offensive line coaches and coordinators. These guys are unstoppable. Braswell and Turner were both 5 stars in the 2021 class and play like it. They, along with Anderson Jr., will terrorize opposing quarterbacks in the fall. Another guy I liked a lot in the spring game was 6’3”, 309 defensive tackle Jamil Burroughs. He had a couple of sacks and looks like he’ll be a force playing with 6’3”, 300 pound senior D.J. Dale. Senior bookends Justin Eboigbe (6’5”, 292) and Byron Young (6’3”, 292) are looking for breakout seasons. Inside linebacker and a guy who should be a leader on the team, Henry To’o To’o (6’2”, 228), will return for his senior season. To’o To’o led the defense in tackles with 111, added 7 1/2 TFLs and 4 sacks. He’s an extremely valuable piece in the middle of the defense and will be calling the signals. Anderson Jr. also amassed 101 tackles last season just for good measure. What a player. Jaylen Moody, a redhshirt senior and 6’2”, 225, looked excellent in the spring game and is poised for a breakout year as well in 2022. In the secondary, S got stellar junior transfer Eli Ricks from LSU, a former 99, 5 star in the 2020 class and a standout for the Bengal Tigers, to play one corner. Kook Aid-McKinstry, the 5 star in 2021, is set to play the other. DeMarcco Hellams is back at free safety and looks to be a leader back there with Ricks and the great Jordan Battle. Bsttle and Hellams both had 3 picks in 2021, and Battle has been one of the elite Tide defensive players since he’s been in Tuscaloosa. He just has a propensity to make big plays and make pick six’s at the most clutch times in games. Brain Branch will play the Star and Malachi Moore will back him up. Battle and Hellams are seniors and McKinstry is a sophomore. Branch and Moore are juniors. Kristian Story, who backs up Battle at strong safety, had an interception in the spring game and looks stellar as well. Khyree Jackson, a senior transfer from East Mississippi Community College, is another capable player battling it out with Ricks at corner.

There is excellent talent and excellent depth on this defense. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding has got to love what he’s working with.

The outstanding Will Reichard is back to kick. S solved his kicking problems when he signed Reichard. He’s a senior. Jack Martin, a senior, is backing him up. Martin and Reichard both kicked well in the A-Day game. James Burnip is the punter and averaged 39 yards on punts last season. Reichard was 22-of-28 on field goals last season. He was 5-of-5 from 20-29 yards, 9-of-10 from 30-39 yards, 7-of-11 from 40-49 yards, and 1-of-2 from 50 or longer with his long being 51. He didn’t have to kick a ton because of Young and the offense. Earle is listed as the punt returner. And kick returner is to be determined. Gibbs is listed as one. Maybe Earle even Burton with his electric speed.

The 2023 recruiting class is ranked 8th in the country for now with 14 commits. Ninety Eight point 86, Five star cornerback Jahlil Hurley, 6’2”, 170 from Florence, and 98.78, 5 star safety Tony Mitchell, 6’2”, 180, are the highest rated players in the class. Ninety seven, 4 star Eli Holstein from Zachary, Louisiana is 6’4”, 222, and looks to have all the tools though the Crimson Tide, Georgia and others missed out on 100.00, 5 star Arch Manning, who committed to Sark and Texas. Manning is 6’4”, and one of the most heralds recruits in a long time. He is the son of Cooper Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie as most people know. If Texas’s season doesn’t pan out, Manning’s recruiting could open up again. But Holstein looks like a very good addition as well.

Schedule

The Tide opens with Utah State on Saturday, Sept. 3rd in T-town, at 6:30 PM CT on the SEC Network, then take a trip to Austin to face Sark and the Longhorns on Saturday, Sept. 10th at 11 AM CT on FOX. Interesting starting time. Those 11 AM games can be tricky. Texas will try to prove they belong in the Southeastern Conference eventually, but they’ll have a tall order. Then Saturday, Sept. 17th Louisiana-Monroe comes to Tuscaloosa for a 3 PM CT kickoff on the SEC Network. Saturday, Sept. 24th, Vandy comes to town. Time and TV is to be announced. Could be a long afternoon for the Commodores. They should be improved, but not enough to hang with the Crimson Tide. Saturday, Oct. 1, the Tide is @ Arkansas for a road test. Sam Pittman has recruited well and will have a solid team, so a challenge there as well, like Austin. Then Jimbo Fisher and his highly touted freshman class at Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Oct.8th. There are no announced TV times, but I can guarantee that’ll be a 2:30 PM CT on CBS. While Fisher had the number one recruiting class in the country in 2022, they are freshmen, and it takes a “minute” for those guys to get acclimated to the college game. Alabama struggled with that a little last season. Fisher has recruited well and defeated Bama last season in a remarkable performance by now Auburn Tiger Zach Calzada at quarterback, so this one is circled by Saban and the team. With the offseason verbal barbs between Saban and Fisher about recruiting this should be even more interesting. A&M is still trying to find its quarterback between sophomore Haynes King, who was the starter last year, and talented left handed LSU transfer Max Johnson. Both are capable, so will keep you posted on who emerges there. That’ll be a tall order for the Aggies as well. Then the Tide has another challenge @Tennesee on Saturday, October 15. Josh Heupel has a good returning team in 2022, so that should be formidable. Then it’s Mississippi State at home on Saturday, October 22. That’ll be homecoming. That’s kind of a tough opponent on homecoming, but we’ll see if Mike Leach has developed his team well in his third season. The team is off Oct. 29, then on Nov. 5, it’s @ LSU. Very interesting to see if Brian Kelly has any more ability against Saban on the Bayou. He’ll have more talent to work with, but it’s another tall order for a new SEC coach, but there is plenty of talent on that roster. At Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov.12 is formidable as well. Lane will pull out all the tricks against S and the Tide, so big game in mid November. Ole Miss is trying to figure out its starter between USC transfer Jaxson Dart and returning sophomore Luke Altmyer. I’m looking at Dart to be the starter. He put up some pretty good numbers at SC last season. Austin Peay comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Nov. 19th and Auburn comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Nov. 26. I’ll have my Auburn preview later this week with a more in depth look at the Tigers. Wild offseason down on the Plains. Maybe Bryan Harsin can do well and survive both the SEC gauntlet and the Auburn gauntlet. That should be a 2:30 PM CBS game as always. The SEC Championship Game is Saturday, Dec. 3rd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The usual time is 3 PM CT on CBS.

So, the Crimson Tide looks to be a favorite in the SEC along with Georgia. Can Georgia maintain success after a tremendous season in 2021? That’ll be a major question. They’ll be loaded with talent as Kirby Smart has recruited at a high level, and while he lost a lot of key defensive pieces, 5 in the first round of the draft, he’ll return a very good offense and will reload with younger, 4 and 5 stars on defense. The Crimson Tide has challenges in their schedule, and Georgia is the favorite in the East with Florida having a new coach in Billy Napier, whom I expect to do well in the future. But South Carolina is better and Kentucky has been very good for a while now under Mark Stoops. Nationally, the Crimson Tide could see the likes of Ohio State, which is loaded. Penn State, which has a good team. USC under Lincoln Riley should be much improved. Clemson should be better and make a challenge nationally. Oklahoma has a new coach in Brent Venables, the long time defensive coordinator from Clemson. So another compelling 2022 season in college football and for the Crimson Tide. I expect them to be firmly in the thick of things come November and competing to play once again in the playoff and have another National Championship shot under Coach Saban.

Auburn Football 2022 coming up in the middle of the week