Opportunities come in multiple different forms and in football injuries are the number one way for players to get a leg up on the depth chart. Alabama’s starting spots at receiver is a wide-open competition as spring football begins.
But the Crimson Tide will go through the 12 practice session leading up to A-Day without one of its more experienced options and a favorite to start this upcoming season. Head coach Nick Saban shared during his first press conference of the spring last Friday, that freshman wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks would be held out of spring practice for an undisclosed reason.
Brooks, who caught 15 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns during his freshman campaign, creates even more competition this spring for a number of Alabama wide receivers looking to make an impact.
One player who everyone needs to keep their eye on (for multiple reasons) this spring is wide receiver Agiye Hall.
For better or worse, Hall has garnered a tremendous amount of attention for a player who has yet to start a game at Alabama. He burst onto the scene around this time last season when he had a monster spring game catching four passes for 72 yards while a part of the second-team offense.
But rather than making a name for himself on the field, Hall has been at the middle of “Gump Twitter” with his series of posts trolling Alabama fans since he first aired his frustrations on the app following the Missississippi State game. After working his way out of the dog house Hall was called upon to step in during the national championship game against Georgia after Jameson Williams left the game with a knee injury, but struggled throughout during the loss.
Now, Hall has another chance to fulfill his potential in Bill O’Brien’s offense. With Williams, John Metchie and Slade Bolden off to the NFL Draft, Hall can make a name for himself in the receivers’ room as one of the primary options this spring. Standing at 6-foot-3 and pounds 195, his physical attributes alone set him apart from the rest of the group. It’ll be more of a case of getting on the same page as quarterback Bryce Young and allowing his game to do the talking.
Another receiver who will be contending for the attention of the coaching staff is transfer Jermaine Burton. Burton joined the Crimson Tide after spending his first two seasons with the Bulldogs and easily has the most game experience out of the bunch. Burton fills a hole that Alabama will sorely miss in the explosive play department.
Meanwhile, sophomore Traeshon Holden, who is the most experienced Crimson Tide receiver from last season, will be in the mix as well during the spring. Holden saw action in every game last season and ended with 21 receptions with 239 yards and a touchdown.
As the season approaches, opportunities could become few and far between which makes this time of year that much more crucial to make an impression.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
