Alabama has spent the first two games leaning on its tight ends in one obvious way and barely using them in another.
The run game has benefited. The passing game has not.
Through eight quarters, Alabama’s tight ends have been on the field a ton in multiple-tight-end looks, which have made up 66% of the Tide’s snaps. That package has helped steady the offense and reestablish some balance on the ground.
But the ball hasn’t been finding them downfield very often. As a group, the tight ends have just four receptions for 52 yards on nine targets.
Saturday against Florida State could be a different story.
The Seminoles’ 3-3-5 setup already leans heavily on linebackers who have to handle both run support and coverage duties. Now Alabama may catch them at a thinner spot, with senior linebacker Blake Nichelson and true freshmen Izayia Williams and Daylen Green all out. That opens the door for the Crimson Tide to stress the middle of the defense even more.
That is where Marshall Pritchett enters the picture.
The 6-foot-5, 246-pound sophomore has only one catch so far this season, but he still looks like Alabama’s most natural pass-catching tight end. His route work and ability to do damage after the catch separate him from the rest of the room, and second-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb clearly expects that side of his game to matter more.
“The touches certainly haven’t shown up yet,” Grubb said Monday. “I know Marshall (Pritchett) had a nice catch; he got called back on an illegal alignment.
We just weren’t off the ball far enough. But he makes a huge play on a third-and-long, and that’s the thing.
For us at practice, that’s what we see No. 9 do all the time. He’s got great hands, he’s competitive when the ball’s in the air, and he’s got great savvy.
So that showed up a little bit, but maybe not as much as we’ve seen.”
Pritchett has a chance to turn that practice reputation into real production against Florida State, but this is about more than one player. Kaleb Edwards and Josh Ford, both 6-foot-6, give Alabama two more long, athletic targets who can force defenses to stay honest.
That matters because Florida State can’t just zero in on Pritchett when Alabama puts several big bodies on the field. If the Seminoles have to respect the run, cover the tight ends, and sort out where Edwards and Ford fit into the picture, Alabama’s offense gets harder to pin down.
That’s the opening the Tide are trying to create.
For a passing game that wants to move quicker and push the ball deeper, a bigger role for Pritchett and the rest of the tight end room could give Alabama another answer when defenses crowd the box.
In Other News...
Keelon Russell May Have Changed Alabamas Ceiling Faster Than Expected
For a quarterback still finding his footing, Keelon Russell made Alabama look awfully grown up against Florida State. He helped drag the Crimson Tide out of a 21-6 hole, finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns, added 56 rushing yards and another score, and guided an offense that scored on seven straight possessions in a 50-36 win.
The bigger takeaway for Alabama is not just the comeback itself, but how quickly Russell appears to be raising the programs offensive ceiling. He was careful afterward to describe himself as still developing, which is probably the most intriguing part for the Tide: if this is the early version, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Kanell Takes Another Shot At Alabama Over Weather Delay
The Alabama-Florida State season opener turned into a long night of stops and starts after lightning pushed the game through multiple weather delays, turning what should have been a clean first look at both teams into a test of patience. As the interruptions stacked up, CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell took to social media and questioned whether the second delay was really necessary, adding another layer of scrutiny to a game already shaped by the weather.
Kanells comments quickly drew pushback, with the response centering on the safety standards that guide lightning-related suspensions rather than the feel of the storm from a TV booth or social media feed. Weather professionals then stepped in to explain the rules behind those decisions, a reminder that these delays are not made on instinct, even when they frustrate fans and analysts alike. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Gets An Early SEC Reality Check In New AP Poll
The first real stretch of SEC play has already started to reshape the AP top 25, and Alabama fans can see how unforgiving that weekly grind can be. Ole Miss win over LSU gave the Rebels another boost in the league race, while Florida moved into the rankings after a road win at Auburn, a reminder that early conference games can swing the national conversation fast.
Texas A&M also took a hit after falling to Kentucky, a result that only added to the sense that the leagues middle tier is still sorting itself out. For Alabama, the early poll movement serves as a useful checkpoint on what the SEC demands week after week, with contenders, sleepers and disappointments all starting to separate a little more clearly. [Read more 🡒]