Alabama’s offseason gamble was simple enough to understand: trust the players already in the building, and let them grow into bigger roles instead of leaning hard on the transfer portal for skill-position help.
So far, that call looks pretty sharp.
After the blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl, the Crimson Tide staff had to decide how much of the roster to patch with outside additions and how much to build around internal development. Alabama did bring in a few transfers on offense, mainly for depth up front on the offensive line. But at wide receiver, running back and quarterback, the Tide mostly stayed the course with the players they already had.
That approach has started to pay off quickly.
In Alabama’s 50-36 win over Florida State, three true freshmen found the end zone: receiver Cederian Morgan and running backs EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown. Crowell and Brown have now scored in each of Alabama’s first three games, giving the Tide another layer of production from players who were supposed to be part of the future, not just the present.
The sophomore class is making just as much noise. Lotzeir Brooks, Jackson Lloyd, Kaleb Edwards, Michael Carroll, Marshall Pritchett and Keelon Russell are all either starting or playing major snaps as second-year players. Brooks broke through with his first 100-yard receiving game on Saturday, Edwards added a touchdown, and Russell delivered his best start yet with 320 yards and thrree touchdowns.
For offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, the payoff is tied directly to the staff’s willingness to believe in its own evaluation.
"I think it says a lot about the program and the high school kids we recruit and the development of the players here at Alabama that it’s not just a transfer portal solution place," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan GRubb said Monday. "For us offensively, honestly, that started for us way back after the Rose Bowl when we were making decisions in the transfer portal ourself.
And it was like, are we saying Jackson Lloyd’s gonna be the guy? Is Kaleb Edwards ready to do it all the time?
How good’s EJ going to be? All those things.
Lotzeir Brooks was a freshmen and just continue to rely on those guys and bet on them, and how that’s paid off for us has been a lot of fun because there’s a lot of things that go into a team.
"The guys have to feel like you have their back too. Certainly they’ve been paying off in that regard.”
Grubb didn’t stop there when talking about the group.
"This is one of the funnest groups I’ve ever coached," Grubb said. "They’re a blast.
They’re maddening at times, but they’re fun. They really are.
They work their tails off. I think they’re progressing than probably what some people would’ve thought.
We’ve got a ton of work to do. We’re still not anywhere close to done."
That’s the tension for Alabama right now: these young players are already producing, but they’re also still growing. The Tide are averaging 47.7 points per game through three games, and every one of the players named above has at least one year left in the offense, which only sharpens the upside.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer sees the same thing.
"It’s exciting to see those guys," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "You’re just living in the moment with them, trying to maximize as quick as possible each day in what we practice.
They’ve shown they can go out and make the plays. I appreciate our staff and our assessment and everyone working together to try to really understand what we had in the program and who we recruited and what that development could look like.
These guys are working hard to-- they’re not perfect yet, but it’s fun seeing what they can become. Obviously you’ve got to take care of business right now, but they’re making plays, moving the chains, scoring touchdowns.
These guys, they got an energy. They’re getting a swagger about them.
Hopefully that will continue on and just continue to build, and I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
In Other News...
Alabamas Slow Starts Are About To Get Seriously Punished
Alabama has survived its first three games, but the early warning signs have been hard to miss. The Crimson Tide have needed second-half rallies to steady themselves, and that habit is about to be tested by a schedule that leaves very little room for slow starts. What looked like manageable early-season turbulence now sits in the shadow of a run that brings ranked opponents and real pressure almost immediately.
South Carolina and Mississippi State loom as the next checkpoints, and both carry enough intrigue to make Alabamas opening stretches matter even more. LaNorris Sellers and Kamario Taylor are among the names to watch in those matchups, but the broader concern for the Tide is simpler: if the sluggish opening quarters continue, the margin for error disappears fast once Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU all come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To South Carolina With Problems It Can't Keep Ignoring
Alabamas win over Florida State in Week 3 gave the offense plenty to like, with quarterback Keelon Russell helping the Tide score on nine consecutive drives. But the celebration came with a sharp reminder of how much cleaner the overall product still needs to be, because the defense gave up nearly 500 yards and 36 points in a game that could have easily turned into a much bigger conversation about balance.
As Alabama turns to South Carolina, the same issues are sitting right in front of it: slow starts that leave little margin for error, explosive plays that flip momentum, and third-down situations that have too often put the defense on its heels. Kane Wommacks unit will have to show it can sustain a better level for four quarters, because the Tide can afford to admire the offenses rhythm only if the other side of the ball stops creating new problems. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Win Was Comfortable But UTSA Exposed One Lingering Concern
Texas left Alabama with little doubt in Week 3, but the broader non-conference slate still gave the Crimson Tide something to think about. Across the American Conference, teams went 2-7 outside league play, and UTSA was one of the better examples of a team that at least found a little footing on one side of the ball. East Carolina also grabbed a needed win over Old Dominion after a rocky start, while Florida Atlantic and North Texas had mixed showings in their own games.
For Alabama, the comfort of the final result did not erase the fact that UTSA managed to reveal a lingering concern. The Roadrunners were better defensively than they had been earlier in the season, but their offense never really got going in the loss to Texas, which is the kind of uneven performance that can still matter for the Tides long view of where this team stands. Alabama got the win it wanted, but games like this are useful reminders that the details underneath the score still deserve a close look. [Read more 🡒]