NICK KELLYAL.com
The first Alabama football scrimmage of preseason camp is in the books.
The Crimson Tide ran about 102 plays at Bryant-Denny Stadium, per coachKalen DeBoer. Of those plays, 81 went to the first and second teams.
“Got some explosive plays, some tackles for loss,” DeBoer said. “Obviously from my standpoint, you want the defense to do better on the explosive plays and not give those up. And then you’re proud of the offense and vice versa with the tackles for loss and sacks and things like that.”
Alabama holds Fan Day on Sunday with plenty more practices to come and one more scrimmage next weekend. So, the work and preparation are far from done with the first game on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky.
The latest Ryan Williams buzz
The hype around Williams grows louder by the day.
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He’s supposed to be getting ready for his senior season in high school. Instead, Williams is drawing rave reviews from people who have seen the work he’s putting in before the season.
That will happen when you catch a long touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe. That’s what Williams did Saturday. “The real deal” is a popular description for Williams. He’s explosive and a playmaker.
Williams might not start against Western Kentucky, but it might not be a long wait. There’s a decent chance Alabama opens the season with Germie Bernard, Kendrick Law and Kobe Prentice (three veterans) in the starter spots at receiver. But each day, it seems more and more likely Williams is going to have a role on the offense before long. He’s too good not to.
Jalen Milroe and the quarterbacks
Milroe has displayed noticeable improvement, per multiple onlookers. A common review for Milroe from the scrimmage is that he is progressing and looks more polished.
One way he has improved: His decision making. Milroe sounds to be making better decisions in the throws he makes, how he gets rid of the ball and how he runs the offense.
Ty Simpson also drew positive comments. After a strong spring, Simpson continues to represent himself well and has shown improvement this summer too.
“I thought the plays that are there, and you need to make that throw, I think (the quarterbacks are) doing that at a higher level, not just today, but throughout camp getting better at it,” DeBoer said. “And a lot of that’s trust in your guys around you that they’re going to be where you anticipate them being, especially in those moments when you get a little bit of pressure, you get a little bit of a rush around you and just managing it.”
The quarterback position looks to be in good hands now and into the future. A year ago, that was much less clear when Alabama had a quarterback competition that didn’t resolve itself until a few weeks into the season. While that starting job is Milroe’s now, Simpson continues to take steps forward and impress folks.
Other Alabama scrimmage notes
-Caleb Odom, the freshman receiver, made one of the other top plays of the day when he secured a one-handed catch along the sideline. Recruited as a tight end, Odom has the physical gifts and attributes to be a mismatch. His development will be worth monitoring because he’s got the tools to be a problem for defenses.
- The right tackle competition remains ongoing betweenElijah PritchettandWilkin Formby. They’re still rotating. Meanwhile,Kadyn Proctorseems to have earned his left tackle spot back after he rejoined the team this summer. That became clear during practice viewings open to the media this past week.
- The cornerback competition seems to be ongoing as well. There’sDaShawn Jones, the Wake Forest transfer who’s the experienced option. Then there’sZabien Brown, a talented freshman who has generated buzz and received praise. Can Brown’s potential move him past Jones? Maybe, maybe not. Both seem to be the top two options right now for the cornerback spot oppositeDomani Jackson. Meanwhile, freshmanJaylen Mbakweis trending in the right direction as well. He’s showing promise already.
- The defensive front sounded like it had a good day with solid pressure. This past Sunday, the defensive line was a group that drew praise from DeBoer as the most consistent so far through the first couple days of camp. The position has plenty of experience and depth and could be a foundational piece for this new defense under defensive coordinatorKane Wommack.
-LT Overtonis a name to watch. The Texas A&M transfer is expected to be one of the top players at the Bandit defensive end spot for the Crimson Tide. It sounds like he made some plays Saturday in the scrimmage. If he can consistently provide pressure, he could prove disruptive for offenses.
-Jam Millerleads a running back group alongsideJustice Haynesthat has some serious potential. Reviews were solid Saturday for a group that could be one of the biggest strengths of this Alabama team. DeBoer said Miller and Haynes took most of the reps with the first team. “They did a great job running the football, physical. Really not many times where you’re just like, ‘Aw, come on,’ or anything like that,” DeBoer said. “So I just really feel that we’ve got a great, solid backfield with both of those guys.”
- Alabama could move the ball around a lot this season with all the different options it has. Tight endCJ Dipprecould be the beneficiary of more targets, even though he wasn’t used much in the passing game last year. But overall, it sounds like there are a lot of weapons on offense for DeBoer and offensive coordinatorNick Sheridanto use this season.
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