Alabama returned to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for its second scrimmage ahead of its annual A-Day game on April 16. As the Crimson Tide prepares to enter the home stretch of the spring season, there were a few major takeaways from the closed-door session.
During his opening statement, Nick Saban said that the coaching staff has continued to stress to its younger players that how you practice and prepare is what determines your performance during competitive games. Although Saban mentioned that he is in no way disappointed with where the team is at, there were still some inconsistencies displayed.
“One of the things we tried to stress to the players today was what kind of team do we want to be?” Saban said to the media. “You know the kind of team we talk about playing Alabama football. We wanna play with great effort, great toughness, guys having discipline to execute so they could do their job and play well together as a team. Obviously, you got to be in condition and there’s some other things that go with that to play with good fundamental execution and that’s what we were looking for our there today.
“I think some of the players, especially younger players, gotta understand that how you practice, you know practice execution kind of becomes a reality for you. Whether you drop balls in practice and then you (drop them in the game) it’s the reality of the game. Because what you do in practice is what prepares you and you don’t really rise up when the game comes you really drop down to whatever your level of preparation has been because that’s what develops the habits and the confidence in the things that you need to do to really go out there and execute and be consistent.
“We have guys that play really really well and we got guys that need to learn to play well on a consistent basis. I would say that probably sums up where we are. I don’t wanna sound like I’m disappointed in any way, it’s just trying to get everybody to play to their full potential and every coach is committed to trying to do that but every player needs to be committed to it not just when we have competitive situations but every day in practice, every rep, every meeting, every learning opportunity that they have so we can develop the kind of depth and consistency in performance on our team where we have the best chance to be successful.”
With just two practice sessions left before its spring game, here are a few other major takeaways from Saturday’s scrimmage:
Jermaine Burton impressed with multiple big plays
When he first transferred to Alabama after beginning his career at Georgia, wide receiver Jermaine Burton was looked upon to add depth and experience to a Crimson Tide receiving corps that lost its two leaders to the NFL Draft. So far during his first few months in Tuscaloosa, Burton has made a large impact on the offense and in some regards has been better than expected.
Last week, during the team’s first scrimmage Burton had turned in a solid performance working with quarterback Bryce Young and following today’s scrimmage.
“He made a couple big plays today,” Saban said. “I think he’s had a really good spring. He’s been really productive. He was productive again today, I think he had like seven catches a couple big plays. We just need for everyone else to play with a little more consistency. He’s a good addition for us and hopefully, we can continue to improve around him.”
As a member of the Bulldogs, Burton averaged 19.1 yards per reception which is exactly what Alabama was in the market for after its big-play receiver Jameson Williams turned pro. Should Burton be able to remain healthy, which was something he struggled with at Georgia, more big plays can be expected from the speedster.
Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson continue to make leaps
It won’t be an area of need this season, but the development of the backup quarterback position for Alabama is one that will still need to be paid close attention to. After the team’s second-string quarterback from last year Paul Tyson transferred to Arizona State, sophomore Jalen Milroe was handed the keys to the backup spot behind Bryce Young.
Milroe, who displayed his impressive athleticism during the 2021 season, has had jumps as a passer and has taken much better command of the offense in his second year with the Crimson Tide. Although he did toss two interceptions during the scrimmage, Saban shared that those were a result of dropped passes rather than inaccuracy.
“Jalen is doing some really good things, I’m really encouraged by the progress he’s made,” Saban said. “He makes a lot of plays. He had a couple interceptions today that really weren’t his fault, I mean he threw the ball it hit the guy in the hands it pops up and somebody intercepts it so if you look at the statistics you’ll say ‘well the quarterback threw an interception or two’ but it really wasn’t his fault. So I think you have to be careful in how you analyze and make sure you’re looking at what that individual needs to do to continue to get better.
“He’s got a much better command of the offense. He’s much more confident. I think he makes a lot better decisions because of the confidence and the knowledge and experience that he has.”
Freshman quarterback Ty Simpson continues to settle into the college level taking in each practice as a young player. Although it will likely be a developmental year, Saban has been pleased with his willingness to learn and take in as much as he can.
“Ty’s a young guy,” Saban said. “He’s really conscientious, really trying to learn but just needs to continue to get more and more opportunities in practice so that he can gain the confidence that he needs to be able to go out there and play. I’m encouraged by the progress both of those guys have made.”
Simpson joined Alabama last season during its postseason play to get a jump on learning the team’s offense in order to better position himself for competitive action.
Offense was “spotty” and showed inconsistencies in the run and pass game
Typically around this time of year mistakes will flare up a bit more often than coaches would like, and today’s scrimmage was no different for Alabama’s offense. After noting the team’s numerous dropped passes from last week’s scrimmage, Saban shared that the offense continued to find consistency in both the run and pass game throughout the day.
“I would say we were spotty, a little inconsistent in both areas,” Saban said when asked about the team run and pass game. “We made really good plays running the ball. We made some really good plays in the passing game. But we were also inconsistent at times. When you pass it, you need to have really good protection. We had too much pressure in the pocket. People have to throw the ball accurately, and when it’s thrown accurately, people have to catch it.
“We had too many dropped balls. I would say inconsistency would be the way that I categorize both areas.”
Alabama has lost a significant amount of the plays on the offensive side of the ball from its 2021 team. The offense not only saw Williams, Metchie and Slade Bolden leave for the NFL but also star left tackle Evan Neal, right tackle Chris Owens and the team’s leading rusher Brian Robinson.
Being able to block the Crimson Tide’s front led by Will Anderson and Dallas Turner is a tall task for any offensive line, especially an Alabama one that is continuing to experiment with players at multiple different positions. The unit is also without two primary starters from last season with center Darrian Dalcourt and guard Emil Ekiyor being held out for the spring.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
