Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to repeat as national champions. With 15 practice sessions – including the A-Day Game – the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews on marquee players.
Player Name: Jahleel Billingsley
-Classification: Junior
-Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
-Height: 6’4
-Weight: 230
-Strengths: Athleticism, speed, route running,
-Weaknesses: First time as a primary option, consistency in run blocking
-Summary:
Jahleel Billingsley is being eyed as one of the breakout stars of the 2021 season. With a combination of size and speed, the Chicago native is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and was able to display his potential during the final stretch of the 2020 season.
After not getting much work at all at the beginning of the year, Billingsley became a main fixture of the best offense in college football as he caught 17 passes for 274 yards in the final seven games of the season.
He first made a name for himself against Kentucky where he stepped in for an injured Miller Forristal and shined against the Wildcats. Billingsley recorded three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown which included a big 34-yard reception.
Once he became more involved in the passing game, Billingsley proved why he was valued as a four-star recruit. He ran a multitude of unique routes and lined up in many different spots along the field while operating inside Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
Billinsgley will now need to build off of the strong finish he had as he gets more integrated into the offense. Since he first joined the Crimson Tide, Billingsley was not always a featured addition in the team’s run game. That responsibility was mainly given to Forristall who has now moved onto the NFL.
In 2021 Billingsley will need to become a bit more of a consistent run blocker in order to round out his game and become one of the best tight ends in all of college football.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
