Alabama concluded its regular season on Saturday with a 28-14 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and now await their postseason fate.
The season did not go as many had hoped, but it was good opening campaign for head coach Kalen DeBoer. A three-loss season will not define the Alabama football program or render its past. That is a positive takeaway from everything that occurred this season. There wre some good and bad things that were put on display this season.
Today, we will grade and assess how each position group fared during the regular season.
Quarterback: B+
Coming into the season, there were hopes that Jalen Milroe would be the best quarterback for the Crimson Tide to transition from the Nick Saban era to the Kalen DeBoer era. To begin the season, that was the case. Milroe was virtually unstoppable to start the season. However, things changed following the Georgia game in week four. The redshirt junior had a decline in production, and a lot of it stemmed from him throwing more interceptions and struggling to run the football effectively. In Alabama’s losses, Milroe turned the ball over multiple times and could not generate success in the rushing department. Milroe regressed as the season went on, but he did do enough to keep the program afloat and under College Football Playoff consideration.
Running Back: B-
Jam Miller and Justice Haynes were the workhorses in the backfield this season for the Crimson Tide. The duo was held in high regard entering the season despite having limited opportunities in the previous season. The two split carries for the majority of the season. Neither of them really took over as RB1 at any point in the season. While the numbers might say otherwise, the two of them were productive from a statistical standpoint. They combined to have 1,089 yards and 14 touchdowns. They did not see as many opportunities as many would have liked or expected, but they did perform well enough to receive a B-.
Wide Receiver: B-
After losing multiple wide receivers to the transfer portal and NFL, there was some skepticism regarding Alabama’s production from the wide receiver position heading into the season. Quickly, the skepticism was squashed by freshman phenom and 17-year-old Ryan Williams. He took college football by storm through the first four to five games of the season. However, the production took a dip after that. Williams still found ways to impact the game, but he was not putting up Madden-like numbers down the stretch. Washington transfer Germie Bernard stepped up on multiple occasions and continued to be featured more and more in the offense as the season progressed. Other wide receivers like Cole Adams, Kendrick Law, Emmanuel Henderson Jr., and Kobe Prentice each had their share of success, but it was not enough to have a substantial impact on any games. Overall, this group seemed to neither underachieve or overachieve.
Tight End: A-
During the offseason, Alabama lost its top receiving tight end to the transfer portal in Amari Niblack. That was viewed as a substantial loss to the tight end room given his playmaking ability. However, it did not seem to be much of a loss at all for Alabama this season. Senior CJ Dippre and redshirt junior Josh Cuevas collectively did a good job of filling the void that Niblack left. The two of them combined to have 34 receptions for 451 yards and a touchdown. In addition, graduate senior Robbie Ouzts reeled in several passes and contributed primarily as a blocker for the Crimson Tide this season. As a unit, the tight end room was one of the team’s strengths this season.
Offensive Line: B-
Alabama placed an emphasis on the offensive line during the offseason. The new coaching staff brought in three offensive line transfers in tackle Kadyn Proctor (Iowa), Parker Brailsford (Washington), and Geno Vandemark (Michigan State). Proctor started 10 games at right tackle this season for the Crimson Tide. Brailsford started all 12 games at center. Vandemark was a key ‘utility’ offensive lineman over the course of the season. He played multiple positions. The two guard spots were manned by junior Tyler Booker and redshirt junior Jaeden Roberts. Both of which have helped anchor the interior of the offensive line in each of the last two seasons. The biggest weakness and liability along the offensive line this season was redshirt sophomore and right tackle Elijah Pritchett. At times, he would hold his own. Oftentimes, he struggled to block elite pass rushers which led to problems more times than not. With the instability and struggles at right tackle, I have to give the offensive line a B-.
Defensive Line: B-
One of the most experienced groups along Alabama’s roster is the defensive line. The group was led this season by graduate senior Tim Smith, redshirt senior Jah-Marien Latham, redshirt junior Tim Keenan III, and junior LT Overton. Each of which had their share of ups and downs over the course of the season. Out of the four of them, I would say that Overton was the most disruptive as a pass rusher. Keenan III seemed to excel the most as a run stopper. Several other players like James Smith, Jordan Renaud, Damon Payne, and Edric Hill saw playing time as well. Altogether, I felt like the group performed okay. There was never a player that emerged from the group and truly stood out among the rest. In each of Alabama’s losses this season, the defensive line lost at the point of attack. Opponents were able to move Alabama around and effectively run the football. That was my biggest takeaway from the group. There will need to be some adjustments and changes made up front heading into the offseason.
Inside Linebacker: A-
In the past, Alabama has had a lineage of elite linebackers. Players like Reuben Foster, CJ Mosley, Reggie Ragland, and Rolando McClain were each instrumental in helping the Crimson Tide achieve sustained defensive success over the years. With players like Terrion Arnold, Dallas Turner, and Kool-Aid McKinstry leaving for the NFL, many had hoped that the linebacker duo of Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell would step up in a big way in 2024. Early on, the two of them performed fairly well. Nothing special. As the season progressed, they became more acclimated to the defense and performed extremely well alongside one another. Each of them improved from week-to-week and were crucial to the defense’s success down the stretch. Senior Justin Jefferson also provided valuable depth and made an impact when his number was called. He started the Iron Bowl after Lawson suffered a season-ending injury against Oklahoma. As a group, I was thoroughly pleased with how the group developed, performed, and became leaders when Alabama needed it the most.
Outside Linebacker: B
In Alabama’s new look defense, the outside linebackers were considered “WOLFs”. Coming into the season, the players that were expected to be in the mix at the position were Que Robinson, Keanu Koht, Qua Russaw, and Yhonzae Pierre. Robinson made nine starts at the position before suffering a season-ending injury against LSU. During the time that Robinson was healthy, he was the team’s most consistent pass rusher. He put a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks and provided leadership at a relatively young position group. Russaw battled through some injuries over the course of the season but was a valuable asset when healthy. He stepped up in wake of Robinson’s injury. Pierre was limited for the majority of the season due to injuries. He played well given his ample amount of playing time. Koht was the biggest disappointment of the group. He was expected to be 1A-1B with Robinson. That never came to fruition as he was suspended toward the season and subsequently entered the transfer portal. Altogether, the group performed well enough to aid in the defense’s continued growth over the course of the season.
Cornerback: B+
After losing five cornerbacks during the offseason, cornerback was viewed by many as a group that would be a work in progress. Well, that was the case early on in the season. The group was young and inexperienced. As conference play rolled around, the cornerbacks grew up quickly. Only two teams passed for over 252 yards against the Crimson Tide during the season. Those two teams were Auburn and Georgia. USC transfer Domani Jackson stepped in as the team’s top cornerback and manned the position throughout the entire season. Freshman Zabien Brown matured quickly and played opposite of Jackson all year long. The other cornerbacks that saw playing time were DaShawn Jones, Zavier Mincey, Red Morgan, and Jaylen Mbakwe. I did not think that I would feel this way heading into the season, but I was pleased at the overall play at the position this season. Thus, the group gets a B+.
Safety: A
After losing Freshman All-American safety in Caleb Downs to the transfer portal, there was some concern among Alabama fans that the coaching staff could not replace him. That was certainly not the case. The new coaching staff went into the transfer portal and landed Michigan transfer Keon Sabb. In the seven games that Sabb started, he was a very impactful player. Even after he suffered a season-ending injury, Alabama did not suffer any setbacks. Sophomore Bray Hubbard filled in for Sabb and did not skip a beat. He was sound in each of his five starts. Graduate senior Malachi Moore and DeVonta Smith performed at a really high level all season long and were monumental pieces of the ‘SWARM’ defense. This group performed the best out of any group in my opinion giving all things considered.
Special Teams: A
After losing the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer Will Reichard to the NFL, Alabama was tasked with finding his replacement. The Crimson Tide wasted little time by bringing in Lou Groza Award winner and Miami-Ohio transfer Graham Nicholson. There were some lofty expectations that accompanied the graduate transfer. In 12 games, Nicholson attempted just eight field goals. He made six of them. The sample size was too small to give him a fair assessment. However, redshirt senior punter James Burnip was a bright spot for the Crimson Tide. He averaged almost 45 yards per punt and was helpful in flipping the field multiple times during the season for the Crimson Tide.
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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.
