They have not had an opportunity to prove it yet, but this is a pivotal season for Alabama’s wide receiver room.
JaMarcus Shephard, the Crimson Tide’s wide receivers coach, knows what he has. He put three playmakers in the National Football League from Washington, including a first-round pick in Rome Odunze. Shephard brings big energy to Alabama, yet the Tide’s receiver room has something that will make it very successful in the fall. Nick Sheridan, Alabama’s offensive coordinator, spoke to the media after Wednesday’s practice. He identified the most significant asset this group has heading into the season.
Alabama OC Nick Sheridan on the biggest strength of the WR room:
“I think the biggest strength is speed. I think we have a room that can run.”
Sheridan wants improve on the fine details, though.@TDAlabamaMag @TouchdownETP pic.twitter.com/0LrOvDQmqb
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 7, 2024
“I think the biggest strength is speed,” Sheridan said. “I think it is a group that can run.”
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Sheridan wants to see the small details cleaned up, but could the speed of this group rival the 2018-19 room of Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, and Jaylen Waddle. Ruggs was a 10.5-100 meter track star in high school.
Waddle, a Houston (Texas) native, could fly. Jeudy and Smith were more so route runners, but they had speed to burn too.
Alabama has some speedsters on this team. Ryan Williams (freshman) and Kendrick Law both were sub 10.5-100 meter dash runners in high school. Cole Adams was a 10.6-100 meter dash runner, while Kobe Prentice clocked at 10.8 in the 100 meters.
The room has elite speed, but it is perfecting everything else.
Sheridan will watch the receivers in Saturday’s scrimmage to see which players start to stand out.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
