NCAAF
The early theme in Alabama’s first spring practices under Kalen DeBoer was building cohesion. Then came establishing competition, and now, as A-Day looms on Saturday, the last element is finding balance.
There’s nuance to dissecting spring practices, and scrimmages in particular: one strength can highlight an equal weakness. Alabama’s first scrimmage revealed a strong day for the run game and the pass rush but reinforced questions in pass protection and about stopping the run. The second scrimmage brought more of the balance DeBoer hoped for. The next scrimmage opportunity on A-Day is the biggest of all for players trying to make a move before the summer.
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“I thought things balanced out more so to where you didn’t see these overriding strengths on either side,” DeBoer said. “Which to me means that the side of the ball we needed to work on, they got better. … I think they see how quickly it’s going. Just wanting to continue to have that urgency each and every day to make the most of the opportunities.”
When asked about standout players from Saturday’s second scrimmage, DeBoer said it can be tough to evaluate based on number of reps per player, the player rotations and more. But there was still buzz about a few players: Offensively, quarterback Ty Simpson had a strong day, as did receivers Kobe Prentice, Emmanuel Henderson and Caleb Odom, who had touchdown receptions. Odom, the 6-foot-5 freshman, was singled out by DeBoer for an athletic touchdown catch in the end zone from Dylan Lonergan.
“I believe Dylan made the throw and gave him a chance,” DeBoer said. “And you saw this mammoth of a human being going up and making a play. That was one of the more impressive plays and that’s what you want to do. It’s gonna be great film for us to teach off of.”
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Defensively, a slew of true and redshirt freshmen stood out. It was a good day for outside linebacker Qua Russaw, who defensive coordinator Kane Wommack noted last week has impressed in recent practices. Keon Keeley continues to get more comfortable with the defensive line and flashed multiple times against the No. 2 offense, while true freshman defensive backs Zabien Brown and Red Morgan continued to work with the first unit.
Alabama will practice two more times, on Tuesday and Thursday, before Saturday’s final scrimmage, which will be one of most anticipated in recent memory. Here’s where Alabama’s roster stands entering the final week of spring practice:
Ty Simpson’s performance on Saturday was a headliner, but Jalen Milroe continues to work almost exclusively with the first-team offense. Milroe had a touchdown pass of his own Saturday, to CJ Dippre, and has consistently received praise from DeBoer.
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“Jalen Milroe has been super consistent,” DeBoer said. “He’s done a good job of just playing ball. He’s got that dual skill set, being able to run and throw, and now we have enough things in which he can utilize all of that. You can see even the play-calling working around what he brings to the table. He’s tough to handle.”
Where it seems both Milroe and Simpson have taken steps forward is in their processing. The internal clock was an issue at times for both players, which resulted in negative plays; that has improved with the scheme’s emphasis on getting the ball out quickly. The situation at the top is healthy — Simpson is steadily improving, which forces Milroe to maintain a high level of play. Depth is going to be critical in an extended season with the 12-team playoff, and Alabama has multiple starting-caliber quarterbacks. The race for QB3 is heating up with Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack having good moments throughout spring, and their share of reps on Saturday is worth watching.
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Running back feels steady with Justice Haynes and Jam Miller leading the way. Though it leaned almost exclusively on Dillon Johnson last year, in 2022 Washington split touches between Wayne Taulapapa (140 carries) and Cameron Davis (107), each of whom had double-digit touchdowns. A similar scenario seems likely for Alabama. As a result, Richard Young has assumed nearly all of the second-team reps, which is big for his development as the RB3.
Alabama suffered a big loss at receiver last week with Jalen Hale’s “significant knee injury,” according to DeBoer, but other good stories have emerged. Kobe Prentice is solidifying himself as a top option and produced a highlight-reel one-handed catch that drew attention last week. It’s not a surprising development, as Prentice has been a consistent contributor since his freshman year and is primed for a bigger role. Another emerging storyline is Emmanuel Henderson Jr. steadily climbing up the depth chart. Henderson, a converted high school running back, has always been an explosive athlete but has committed himself to the intricacies of the position, such as hand technique and route running. He’s working both inside and outside at receiver.
“Extremely fast and a great attitude,” offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. “Hardworking kid that loves football and shows up ready to go each and every day. Yeah, we’re pleased with where E-Man is.”
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Don’t pay much attention to who is with the first or second team at wide receiver and tight end on Saturday; pay attention to who plays the most snaps. The pass catchers are alternating with the first and second teams and at different positions to learn the offense, so who gets the bulk of the snaps is a greater indication of who is leading the way versus being a “starter.” Prentice, Germie Bernard and Kendrick Law at receiver feel like safe bets for big roles. Dippre’s return to practice and touchdown reception on Saturday is good news for a deep group of tight ends that will again lean on multiple players.
“These are 250-plus, 260-pound guys — that’s not totally normal, honestly,” Sheridan said. “There’s some uniqueness in size. There’s some uniqueness in body control, ball skills, so each guy’s a little bit different. What we’re trying to do along with all the other players is expose them to the system, expose them to the scheme, and then as we get through spring practice, try to identify what each guy does best and put them in those positions.”
Two pieces of news surfaced on the offensive line on Saturday: Jaeden Roberts suffered a lower leg injury and center Parker Brailsford is expected to be on the team this fall despite being absent from practice recently. If neither plays on Saturday, a possible starting group (left to right) is Elijah Pritchett, Tyler Booker, James Brockermeyer, Olaus Alinen and Wilkin Formby. At center, freshman Joseph Ionata took snaps with the second unit in Brailsford’s absence. Another option is Roq Montgomery, who has been with the second unit as a guard this spring but was a reserve center last season.
Another Day in the Denny! 😤#RollTide pic.twitter.com/AkvQ0V6bzk
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) April 8, 2024
It was an up-and-down week on the defensive line with a subpar performance in the first scrimmage, leading to a big day for the offense running the ball, before it bounced back in practice and the second scrimmage. Jaheim Oatis remains out, but it’s still a group with a ton of playable options. The most intriguing battle is at bandit, where Jah-Marien Latham is an established veteran, LT Overton is a newcomer who is coming on strong and Keon Keeley, a converted edge player, might prove to be too good to keep off the field if he keeps improving. Latham is the top option now, but it’s a position that could see a good amount of rotation.
Qua Russaw’s ascension is an encouraging sign at outside linebacker, which has been a possible position of interest in the transfer portal. At this time of year, it’s sometimes unrealistic to find concrete conclusions. The coaching staff’s objective is to answer a simple question: Can we take this same group into the fall and be OK? Russaw coming on might solidify that unit, along with veterans Quandarrius Robinson and Keanu Koht in the mix.
“I think I’ve seen a number of our guys flash right now,” Wommack said. “I’m pleased with all of those guys, particularly when it comes to their pass-rushing ability. We’re moving in the right direction there.”
Things remain steady at inside linebacker with Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell as starters. It will be interesting to see how the pair fills in their gaps in run support against the first-team offense. The player with the most intrigue entering Saturday is Jeremiah Alexander, who is in his first spring inside after converting from edge last season. His athleticism is standing out, and he will play a major role on defense down the road, if not this season as the third option.
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“I just really love the way he flies around,” DeBoer said. “He plays with passion, intensity, physicality, too. It’s pretty serious stuff when he’s out there and on the football field. He’s fun to watch — I’m glad he’s on my side, I know that for sure.”
The starting secondary appears to be Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown at corner, Red Morgan at husky (slot) and Malachi Moore and Keon Sabb at safety. There’s an experience gap that Alabama will likely address in the spring portal window, but the athletes in place provide some optimism. Saturday is going to be a big opportunity for a number of young players, including Jaylen Mbakwe, Tony Mitchell, Zay Mincey and Peyton Woodyard. Mincey could see snaps in multiple spots.
Special teams has been overshadowed by other storylines this spring, but there are starting vacancies at kicker and punt returner. Alabama hasn’t done any live return work, but the coaches are working on technique with several players. Kendrick Law has the most in-game return experience as the starting kick returner last year, but players like Emmanuel Henderson, Cole Adams and Jaylen Mbakwe are in the mix.
DeBoer said on Saturday that there’s an “open competition” at kicker, with the biggest name being redshirt freshman Conor Talty, who was the backup last season.
“It’s kind of everyone’s had their days,” DeBoer said. “We had a windy day a couple of days ago, a couple of practices ago and struggled a little bit, right. But those are great learning moments and really trying to push through. (Saturday) was a really good day — making all their kicks, really didn’t have any long field goals except a session we had early on where we were trying to challenge them for five minutes.”
This position maybe more than most will be affected by the large crowd, which is a good time for coaches to evaluate how each player prepares and performs in a game-like environment.
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / Tuscaloosa News / USA Today Network)
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Kennington Lloyd Smith III is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Alabama football. Kennington most recently covered University of Iowa football and men’s basketball for the Des Moines Register. He is a three-time state press association award winner in feature writing, enterprise writing and podcasting. Kennington attended The University of Georgia and originates from Atlanta, GA. Follow Kennington on Twitter @SkinnyKenny_
