An overview of Alabama football for the spring: dissecting the team’s offensive system
Now that Alabama’s football staff is set, the winter practices are coming to an end, and it’s time to start anticipating the Crimson Tide’s spring practice.
For obvious reasons, the 2024 spring will be unlike any other. It will culminate with the A-Day Game on April 13. New offensive and defensive schemes need to be implemented, a new head coach is in charge, and a number of position battles are about to start. The offensive unit is where the spring practice primer begins.
Quarterback
Last year at this time, the team’s biggest question mark was the quarterback position. It is in a strong position. Eli Holstein (Pitt) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State), two previous blue-chip prospects, are gone, but the Tide still has four exciting alternatives for the future.
The group has a fresh start with a new coaching staff, but Jalen Milroe is the current leader. Backup Ty Simpson decided to come back for another season, although if he had gone through the transfer portal, he would have been pursued by other Power 5 institutions.
Given the chance, he demonstrated growth during 2023, and his presence along with his anticipated future growth will put pressure on Milroe and the other quarterbacks. Plus, depth has never been more crucial in a season that has a more difficult schedule and an expanded college football playoff.
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Using Alabama’s film study, Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb can make use of the Crimson Tide’s personnel. This spring, the main narrative will revolve around how new coach Kalen DeBoer builds the offense around Milroe, as he said during his inaugural news conference that his system will be shaped around his players.
Michael Penix Jr. was heavily relied upon by DeBoer during the previous season, when Washington passed about 60% of the time and Penix had the most pass attempts in the country (554). Under the new staff, Milroe will be expected to do more. Alabama’s attack will be explosive if he can advance, particularly in the throwing game involving short yardage.
DeBoer’s offense relied heavily on getting the ball out fast and in space, at least in 2023. Despite being one of the top deep-ball throwers in the nation (15 yards or more), Penix only made 28% of his tries in the 0–5 yard range, more than double Milroe’s total (266–119).
Using screen throws and underneath routes to gain positive yards and thwart the pass rush, the great majority were 0 to 9 yards.This stands in sharp contrast to Alabama’s 2023 attack, which for long stretches of time depended largely on long-developing pass plays to gain substantial yardage down the field rather than using the quick, short passing game.
Although Milroe’s strength is the deep ball and he will surely use it in the offense, spring practice will mostly focus on him accepting what the defense offers him and not holding the ball for too long, which will be one of Milroe’s weaknesses in 2023.
Success is guaranteed when vertical passing is applied consistently, Milroe’s legs pose a threat, and there is consistency in the short area of the field.
Two other fascinating contenders are Austin Mack and Dylan Lonergan, who trail Milroe and Simpson. They both expect to be in the middle of the competition in 2025, but barring major injuries, neither will play a big part this autumn.
Last season, Lonergan garnered attention in the spring and fall and had a couple memorable moments in his lone game versus Chattanooga.
Mack, a transfer from Washington, was reclassified to 2023 and worked with DeBoer last season, although he would have been among the best quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class. His familiarity with the system will be beneficial in the near run.
Sprinting Back
Additionally, going into spring, running back should be seen as a strong position. Although Alabama lost two seniors in the form of Randyll Williams and Jake McClellan, supporters should be thrilled with the combination of Jam Miller and Justice Haynes. The use of the run game by DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan in 2024 will be interesting to watch.
The lone back with more than 50 carries in 2023 was Washington’s Dillon Johnson, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry while rushing for 1,195 yards and 16 touchdowns. Two competent backs and three explosive athletes, including Milroe, provide Alabama’s offense options for read options and run-pass possibilities that were closed off to Washington the previous season.
Haynes and Miller must keep becoming stronger at pass protection; if they had, they would have had greater workloads in 2023. But the backs should anticipate playing more in the passing game. Johnson’s 24 receptions last season were almost equal to the total of all Alabama backs’ 30.
Richard Young, a redshirt freshman, was deemed the most improved back from the 2023 season by running backs coach Robert Gillespie during the Rose Bowl preparations.
Young’s growth this spring is an underappreciated narrative because the third running back place is crucial due to the physical demands of the position. Furthermore, he might be able to secure big carries if he makes an impression.
Spring practice will include Daniel Hill, the incoming freshman. Despite being reported by Alabama at 231 pounds, he was featured on recruiting sites at 6 feet 1, 240 pounds. This suggests that he may have lost some weight during his winter workouts. A season ago, early enrollment worked wonderfully for Haynes; the versatile Hill could benefit from it as well.
Broad Receiver
With six departures through the NFL Draft and transfer portal, wide receiver was the offensive position that suffered the most attrition. Alabama signed Germie Bernard, a transfer from Washington and a reliable rotation player from the last squad, but there isn’t a clear front-runner on the roster at the moment.
JaMarcus Shephard, the new position coach, has an impressive development history. He most famously developed David Bell at Purdue in 2021 and Washington’s elite trio in 2023.
Bernard, Kendrick Law, and Kobe Prentice are among the strong possibilities that Shepherd inherits. Remember that Alabama did not have a 1,000-yard receiver in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016 and 2017 during the previous season?
Nevertheless, despite not having a strong No. 1, the team made it to the College Football Playoffs, proving that a committee system is acceptable.
In order to dismantle defenses and set up one-on-one opportunities for its playmakers, Washington’s offense in 2023 was heavily reliant on pre-snap movements. Because of this group’s strengths, expect to see more yards-after-catch possibilities for Alabama’s receivers. This spring, keep an eye on sophomore Joelen Hale and junior Emmanuel Henderson, two X-factors.
In 2023, Hale made a few dazzling appearances. At 6-1, 189 pounds, and with a great wingspan, he possesses a blend of size, athleticism, and explosiveness that sets him apart from other players in the position. He’d make an excellent X-receiver. Despite missing much of the previous season due to injury, veteran Henderson is regarded as one of the team’s fastest players.
The size difference between Alabama’s wideouts this season and Washington’s last season is a significant factor. Rome Odunze, Jay Lynn Polk, and Joel McMillan were all 6-2, 200 pounds or more, which allowed them to make contested receptions in addition to the standard repertoire of plays.
Watch out for true freshman Caleb Odom, who may be playing both tight end and receiver this spring. Alabama doesn’t have that kind of body in that position.
Close to the End
Despite the loss of dexterous pass catcher Amari Niblack to the transfer portal, tight end is one of the deepest positions on the club. This spring, it will take some time to fill that loss, but seniors CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts return, along with competent redshirt sophomore Danny Lewis Jr. and others.
The amount of time spent using tight ends will probably alter. Alabama used two-tight-end formations 38.5 percent of the time, compared to Washington’s 17%.
However, this still plays a significant role in the DeBoer plan. Washington used a tight end or H-back over offensive tackles for leverage in the run game (as Alabama did frequently the previous season), and two of their top six pass catchers in 2023 were tight ends.
Under DeBoer last season, tight ends lined up everywhere, from boundary receiver to inline. The lack of a tried-and-true asset like Niblack somewhat restricts that adaptability, but Odom could make up for it and Dippre has flashed as a solid safety net who can be a valuable target in center screens upfield.
Ouzts is a versatile football player who can be used in a variety of ways for the offense. He is a bit of a jack of all-trades.
Line of Offense
With crucial position battles, depth issues, and a philosophical shift, the biggest offensive conundrum is on the line. Positively, the Tide lineup could be the greatest in NCAA football thanks to Tyler Booker, Parker Brailsford, and Jaeden Roberts at guard/center-guard.
Elijah Pritchett, Miles McVay, Wilkin Formby, and Naquil Betrand are the only four real tackles on the team, and none of them have ever started a game. Under perfect circumstances, Pritchett leaves spring camp as a legitimate starting tackle.
He saw a lot of snaps at left tackle in 2023, competing against Kadyn Proctor before Proctor established himself. Pritchett made enough of an impression to raise hopes for him being a reliable starter.
McVay, Formby, and Betrand, redshirt freshman, are expected to compete for the right tackle position if Pitchett wins the left tackle position. Although Alabama may be searching for a known quantity in the post-spring transfer portal window, all three of these players were highly anticipated prospects coming out of high school.
Deep experience is the main source of concern. Perhaps the only lineman on the second team who isn’t a true freshman or redshirt freshman is center James Brockermeyer.
Zone and gap schemes were utilized by both Alabama and Washington in 2023, but Washington’s line—which was awarded the Joe Moore Award—used a lot more pull blocking to attack the perimeter.
A contributing factor, apart from the coaching approach, was that Washington’s starting line weighed slightly more than 300 pounds on average, whereas Alabama’s line weighed more than 350 pounds. The perfect illustration of the disparities is Washington transfer Brailsford, who is listed at 275 pounds.
It is not necessary, however, for players like Booker and Roberts to lose more than thirty pounds. DeBoer will adjust to the players, but it will be fascinating to watch if specific players are asked to bulk up or reduce weight following spring practice under the new scheme.