The quarterback competition continues in Tuscaloosa with the Wisconsin Badgers looming on September 5th. It is abundantly clear that all five quarterbacks possess some qualities that make them starters at the Capstone, but they also have a few warts to their game. Cooper Bateman, a 6-foot-3, 220 pound redshirt sophomore from Salt Lake City, Utah, remains in the thick of things in Tuscaloosa. Here are five reasons why Bateman could lead the Tide in 2015.
- He Has Wheels
Bateman spent time at wide receiver during the spring, and he has the athleticism to make something out of nothing with his legs. The Alabama offensive line looks to be an elite run blocking unit, but its pass protection remains a question mark going into the year. Bateman’s elusiveness could be a panacea to this ill in 2015.
- Wonder Twin Powers, Activate!
The Wonder Twins were a heroic cartoon duo from the late 1970s. They frequently combined their powers to perform stupendous feats in the cartoon world. Bateman and Derrick Henry don’t have the power rings like their cartoon counterparts, but they can certainly combine for spectacular plays. Bateman’s athleticism opens up a group of plays built around the zone-read play. Those plays specialize in giving a running back a chance to get into the second level and do damage. If Henry isn’t enough, a zone-read concept between Bateman and Kenyan Drake is icing on the cake.
- Building For The Future
The oft-uttered phrase around Tuscaloosa is that Alabama doesn’t rebuild, it simply reloads. Starting Bateman would give some continuity to the quarterback position and let the program build around the young man for two more years.
- Gotten Solid Reps
Going into his third year, Bateman has been around the block in terms of learning and executing an offense. Even more importantly, he’s gotten significant reps with the first-team throughout this fall camp. Bateman wouldn’t need as much time to build chemistry with his teammates
- Trending The Right Way
Bateman has seen a surge among many commentators throughout the past week, culminating in what was reported to be an excellent scrimmage performance. It is easy to see that trend continuing and Bateman taking the field in 2015.
The quarterback competition remains wide open as school gets started in Tuscaloosa. Who the starting QB will be on September 5th remains a mystery, but why not Cooper Bateman? There are certainly good reasons for his ascension.
Thomas Watts has written for Touchdown Alabama Magazine for years. Catch him on Twitter@ThomasHWatts, on BAMSRadio every Wednesday from 8-10, and 2 Deep Zone hosted by BamaSportsRadio.
