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Surprising. Did Bama's WR recruiting fall off after their latest run of studs? I figured Bama was just there to look good and he didn't really have that option and he'd end up at Ole Miss or someplace like that
Wide receiver is similarly unsettled. The team’s only returning centerpiece, Metchie, missed the spring with an injury. While Bolden figures to maintain his status as a starter, there is one other starting role up for grabs and plenty of rotational snaps. Sophomore Javon Baker is considered a potential breakout candidate and fellow second-year receiver Traeshon Holden has drawn some buzz as well. Then there’s Alabama’s loaded 2021 crop of receivers with Jacorey Brooks (No. 26 nationally), Hall (No. 44), Christian Leary (No. 74) and summer enrollee JoJo Earle (No 46), all of whom hope to carve out immediate playing time.
“I think they’re still works in progress with several players in the mix,” Potter said. “Fall camp might be where we see these ultimately play out.”
Biggest Question Exiting Spring Ball: Wide Receiver
For a defending national champion with a bevy of NFL losses, the Crimson Tide have fewer questions than you might think. Young is expected to take over smoothly for Jones. The offensive line still projects to be among the nation’s better groups. And a defense that returns 77% of its production from last season, per ESPN, might even improve.
Yet wide receiver remains a huge question mark. The quartet of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Smith and Waddle helped form the nation’s most feared skill group the last three seasons. Alabama will undoubtedly take a step back at that position in 2021. How sizable a step that is may well determine the Crimson Tide’s ceiling.
“I think it’s getting wide receivers not named John Metchie or Slade Bolden to be more consistent to where they can be counted on come the fall,” Potter said.
They aren't as "loaded" as the Buckeyes; however, they had 3 other WRs make catches in the CCG: John Meechie III (8), Slade Bolden (3), and Xavier Williams (1) and I ass/u/me all three will return in 2021. Jahleel Billingsley caught a couple passes too but is considered a TE. They also have at least one true Freshman 5 star WR in Jacorey Brooks, and five more 4 star WRs returning that (for whatever reason) didn't play; Christian Leary, Agiye Hall, Javon Baker, Treashon Holden, and Thaiu Jones-Bell.
Jerry Jeudy was the #3 WR, #21 overall prospect of 2017Surprising. Did Bama's WR recruiting fall off after their latest run of studs? I figured Bama was just there to look good and he didn't really have that option and he'd end up at Ole Miss or someplace like that
Jerry Jeudy was the #3 WR, #21 overall prospect of 2017
DeVonta Smith was the #9 WR, #62 overall prospect of 2017
Henry Ruggs was the #11 WR, #75 overall prospect of 2017
Jaylen Waddle was the #5 WR, #39 overall prospect of 2018
Jameson Williams was the #13 WR, #82 overall prospect of 2019
Looking this up revealed 2 things. 1) Jameson isn't too far off from what they were getting. 2) Their 2019 WR recruiting actually did fall off, signing only WR 40. 2020 only produced WR 25, 34, and 42. Recruit ranking-wise....Jameson immediately becomes the best WR they have from those 2 classes.
edit....need to be faster.
I hope he’s just trolling TF outta DFBIA..otherwise the parting isn’t as amicable as I’d assume.
More surprising than his decision to transfer was the ultimate destination. It's not often in college football that a player departs one powerhouse for another -- although, as mentioned above, that may change in the future -- as players with a ticking clock on their careers often want to get on the field, even if it means not as much team success. Williams, however, has three years of eligibility remaining, so he has time to establish himself in Tuscaloosa.
This is also a program that sent four wide receivers into the first round of the NFL Draft the last two years. And while neither Henry Ruggs nor Jerry Jeudy lit up the NFL as rookies, the chance to be a part of an offense that produces at a high level and is watched closely by professional scouts while still getting a chance to compete for championships was too much for Williams to pass up.
And it's likely that he will be a part of the Alabama offense in 2021, or at least have a better chance of seeing the field than he was going to in Columbus. As mentioned, two more Crimson Tide wide receivers, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, were top 10 picks in the NFL Draft over the weekend, taking away the team's top two receiving threats. While sophomore John Metchie returns after hauling in 55 passes a year ago, Williams will be one of the more experienced wideouts on the roster despite his limited catches the last two years.
While no player just walks into Nick Saban's program and is guaranteed a spot, it's hard to see Williams not find a role in the Alabama offense in 2021. He will have to compete with the likes of Slade Bolden, Javon Baker and Traeshon Holden for snaps but given his experience and skill, and the fact that the Crimson Tide saw him up close just a few months ago, it's a safe bet that Williams is at least the No. 3 receiver in the fall, assuming he learns the playbook as expected.