Alabama’s passing game is building around a familiar idea this fall: give the offense size, and let the size win.
That was on display at A-Day in April, when two of the biggest receivers on the roster stood out. Derek Meadows, listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, and Cederian Morgan, who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, finished as the game’s top receivers by BamaCentral’s stats. Each found the end zone, with Meadows totaling 76 yards and Morgan adding 69.
Four months later, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb still sounds convinced those kinds of targets are going to matter, even though Alabama has not named a starting quarterback yet.
“There are always different players for different routes, and it certainly depends on defensive structure, but if you get one-on-one matchups where you need to throw to the back of the end zone high ball, in-cut, return stuff on zone, it's certainly good to have big targets,” Grubb said. “We've always carried all those different concepts in our bag, so to speak, so that we can utilize whoever is running the best. And so Cederian and Derek Meadows certainly both fit that bill down there.”
Morgan, a true freshman, earned the nickname “The Gulf of Mexico” after A-Day from Ryan Coleman-Williams because “if you throw it in there, he's going to catch it.” He also arrived in Tuscaloosa as the highest-rated receiver since Coleman-Williams himself. Meadows, another true freshman, barely saw the field on offense last season, but his athleticism stands out for a player his size.
The same theme carries over to the tight ends, where Alabama appears ready to lean more heavily on the group. Kaleb Edwards, listed at 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds, was forced into action last year as a true freshman who had not reported early. Now he enters this season with more polish, more physicality, and the confidence of the staff and both quarterbacks.
Marshall Pritchett, Danny Lewis Jr. and Josh Ford are also expected to play meaningful snaps. The tight end room looks set for a bigger role overall, especially with the emphasis on run blocking and the possibility of regular 12 personnel. Ford, in particular, could take on a fullback-like job at times.
“Do we want to try to use a big body receiver for this, or would we rather get, you know, Marshall (Pritchett) out there? Those are the kind of questions we're going to answer right now in camp,” Grubb said. “But the tight end group is one of the absolute bright spots of camps so far.”
With the offense centered on the 6-foot-0, 184-pound Coleman-Williams, the contrast is obvious. Alabama’s bigger receivers and tight ends give Grubb and Kalen DeBoer another way to attack defenses, and another layer to work with as camp moves forward.
In Other News...
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Is Starting To Tilt One Way
Fall camp has a way of sharpening every quarterback conversation, and Alabamas has started to narrow in a way that matters for the rest of the SEC. Around the country, several major programs are still sorting through open competitions, with Tennessee weighing Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre and schools like Iowa, North Carolina and Florida still without a definitive answer. In Tuscaloosa, the picture is becoming clearer as the Crimson Tide move closer to naming a starter.
Keelon Russell has emerged as the quarterback who appears to be ahead in the race, which gives Alabama a growing sense of direction as the season approaches. Austin Mack remains part of the conversation, but the gap seems to be forming at the right time for a staff trying to settle the position before the games start to count. Another checkpoint is coming soon, and the decision now feels less like a wide-open battle and more like one nearing its final turn. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Offensive Line Is Suddenly Fueling Real Buzz At Camp
There is a little more life around Alabamas offensive line this camp after a strong practice caught the attention of Aaron Taylor, the former Notre Dame lineman and Super Bowl champion who watched the group up close. Taylor came away impressed with the way the Tide were moving people in the run game, pointing to cleaner technique and a more forceful approach than he saw before, while also crediting the influence of offensive line coach Klemm.
For Alabama, that kind of outside validation matters because the line has been a central question as the offense tries to establish itself early in the season. Taylors read was that the group looked improved in the core areas that decide whether a team can control games at the line of scrimmage, and he especially noted the progress in run blocking. The question now is how consistently that camp buzz carries over once the real snaps start adding up. [Read more 🡒]