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    A Look at Alabama's A-Day MVPs in the Nick Saban Era

    Plenty of A-Day MVPs went on to become standout players for the Crimson Tide.

    Nick Saban will tell you the stats don't matter. Outside of a steak dinner Sunday, neither does the score. Nevertheless, this weekend’s A-Day game is bound to be followed by a series of snapshot evaluations.

    New heroes will be hyped up well into the summer while signs of potential pitfalls will be picked apart from every angle. Such is life with the limited public access Alabama provides.

    Spring success hardly guarantees the same results in the fall. Agiye Hall made headlines in last year’s A-Day game but went on to record more retweets than receptions during his lone season with the Crimson Tide.

    Still, the scrimmage can serve as a coming-out party for future stars. Bryce Young took home MVP honors last year before becoming the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. John Metchie III was the top performer during his freshman season in 2019. While the star receiver had a quiet debut season for the Crimson Tide, he developed into a top target over the past two years.

    Mac Jones’ success at Alabama was foreshowed during the 2018 A-Day game. However, the quarterback shared the honor with kicker Joseph Bulovas, who experienced a much different path moving forward.

    T.J. Yeldon is the only player to earn multiple A-Day MVPs under Saban, taking home the award for three straight years from 2012-14. He put together stellar seasons following each of those performances, finishing his three-year college career with 3,322 rushing yards and 37 scores on the ground.

    Will Young repeat as A-Day MVP this year, or will a new player ascend into the spotlight? Will this year’s performance lead to a promising Alabama career or end up being a piece of forgotten trivia? Those questions will be answered over time and are sure to be discussed over the next few months. 

    Until then, here is a look at each of Alabama’s A-Day MVPs in the Nick Saban era and how they fared after earning the honor.

    A-Day MVPs

    2021: Bryce Young, QB

    Bryce Young during the 2021 A-Day game

    2021 A-Day stats: 25 of 44 (56.8%), 333 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

    2021 stats: 366 of 547 (66.9%), 4,872 yards, 47 TDs, 7 INTs, 3 rushing TDs

    2019: John Metchie III, WR

    John Metchie III during Alabama's 2019 A-Day game

    2019 A-Day stats: 5 receptions, 133 yards 

    2019 stats: 4 receptions, 23 yards 

    2020 stats: 55 receptions, 916 yards, 6 TDs

    2020 stats: 96 receptions, 1,142 yards, 8 TDs

    2018: Mac Jones, QB/Joseph Bulovas, PK

    Mac Jones during Alabama's 2018 A-Day game

    Jones 2018 A-Day stats: 23 of 35 (65.7%), 289 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

    Bulovas 2018 A-Day stats: 5 of 7 (71.4) FGs

    Jones 2018 stats: 5 of 13 (38.4%), 123 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

    Bulovas 2018 stats: 14 of 18 (77.8%) FGs, 75 of 81 (92.6%) EPs

    Jones 2019 stats: 97 of 141 (68.8%), 1,503 yards, 14 TDs, 3 INTs

    Bulovas 2019 stats: 8 of 11 (72.7%) FGs, 59 of 61 (96.7%) EPs

    Jones 2020 stats: 311 of 402 (77.4), 4,500 yards, 41 Tds, 4 INTs

    Bulovas 2021 stats: 14 of 19 (73.7%) FGs, 15 of 15 EPs

    2017: Jerry Jeudy, WR

    Jerry Jeudy during Alabama's 2017 A-Day game

    2017 A-Day stats: 5 catches, 134 yards, 2 TDs

    2017 stats: 14 receptions, 264 yards, 2 TDs

    2018 stats: 68 receptions, 1,315 yards, 14 TDs

    2019 stats: 77 receptions, 1,163 yards, 10 TDs

    2016: Damien Harris, RB

    Damien Harris during Alabama's 2016 A-Day game

    2016 A-Day stats: 20 carries, 114 yards, 2 receptions, 20 yards 

    2016 stats: 146 carries, 1,037 yards, 2 rushing TDs, 14 receptions, 99 yards, 2 receiving TDs

    2017 stats: 135 carries, 1,000 yards, 11 rushing TDs, 12 receptions, 91 yards

    2018 stats: 150 carries, 874 yards, 9 rushing TDs, 22 receptions, 204 yards 

    2015: Robert Foster, WR/ArDarius Stewart, WR

    Robert Foster during Alabama's 2015 A-Day game

    Foster 2015 A-Day stats: 6 receptions, 125 yards 

    Stewart 2015 A-Day stats: 8 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TDs

    Foster 2015 stats: 10 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TDs

    Stewart 2015 stats: 63 receptions, 700 yards 4 TDs

    Foster 2016 stats: 5 receptions, 55 yards, 0 TDs

    Stewart 2016 stats: 54 receptions, 864 yards, 8 TDs

    Foster 2017 stats: 14 receptions, 174 yards, 1 TD

    2014: T.J. Yeldon, RB

    T.J. Yeldon during Alabama's 2014 A-Day game

    2014 A-Day stats: 11 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD,  1 reception, 9 yards

    2014 stats: 194 carries, 979 yards, 11 rushing TDs, 15 receptions, 180 yards 1 receiving TD 

    2013: T.J. Yeldon, RB

    T.J. Yeldon during Alabama's 2013 A-Day game.

    2013 A-Day stats: 15 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD, 7 receptions, 60 yards

    2013 stats: 207 carries, 1,235 yards, 14 TDs, 20 receptions, 183 yards

    2014 stats: 194 carries, 979 yards, 11 rushing TDs, 15 receptions, 180 yards 1 receiving TD

    2012: T.J. Yeldon, RB

    T.J. Yeldon during Alabama's A-Day game

    2012 A-Day stats: 16 carries, 88 yards, 5 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD

    2012 stats: 175 carries, 1,108 yards, rushing 12 TDs, 11 receptions, 131 yards, 1 receiving TD

    2013 stats: 207 carries, 1,235 yards, 14 TDs, 20 receptions, 183 yards

    2014 stats: 194 carries, 979 yards, 11 rushing TDs, 15 receptions, 180 yards 1 receiving TD

    2011: Trent Richardson, RB

    Trent Richardson during Alabama's 2011 A-Day game

    2011 A-Day stats: 9 carries, 49 yards, seven receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD

    2011 stats: 283 carries, 1,679 yards, 21 rushing TDs, 29 receptions, 338 yards, 3 receiving TDs

    2010: Mark Ingram, RB

    Mark Ingram during Alabama's 2010 A-Day game

    2010 A-Day stats: 9 carries, 90 yards 

    2010 stats: 158 carries, 875 yards, 13 rushing TDs, 21 receptions, 282 yards, 1 receiving TD

    2009: Greg McElroy, QB/Marquis Maze, WR

    Greg McElroy during Alabama's A-Day game

    McElroy 2009 A-Day stats: 16 of 30 (53.3%), 189 yards, 2 TDs

    Maze 2009 A-Day stats: 87 receiving yards, 47 rushing yards

    McElroy 2009 stats: 198 of 325 (60.9%), 2,508 yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs, 1 rushing TD

    Maze 2009 stats: 31 receptions, 523 yards 2 TDs

    McElroy 2010 stats: 222 of 313 (70.9%), 2,987, 20 TDs, 5 INTs, 1 rushing TD

    Maze 2010 stats: 38 receptions, 557 yards, 3 TDs

    Maze 2011 stats: 56 receptions, 627 yards, 1 TD

    2008: Terry Grant, RB

    Terry Grant during the 2008 A-Day game

    2008 A-Day stats: 6 carries, 21 yards, 4 receptions 87 yards, 2 TDs

    2008 stats: 35 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD, 4 receptions, 36 yards

    2009 stats: 40 carries, 166 yards, 3 TDs, 3 receptions, 47 yards

    2007: D.J. Hall, WR

    D.J. Hall

    2007 A-Day stats: 5 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD

    2017 stats: 67 receptions, 1,005 yards, 6 TDs, 
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