Bryce Young Discusses Building Chemistry with Alabama's New Transfer Additions
After losing the majority of last year’s offensive playmakers, Alabama plunged into the NCAA transfer portal this offseason to replenish its attack around Bryce Young.
The Crimson Tide added one of the nation’s most dynamic running backs in Georgia Tech’s Jahmyr Gibbs, before bringing in a pair of big-play receivers in Georgia’s Jermain Burton and Louisville’s Tyler Harrell. During an appearance at the Manning Passing Academy on Friday, Young discussed the three incoming skill players while describing his growing chemistry with the trio.
Here’s what the reigning Heisman Trophy winner had to say about his new weapons and how they are adjusting to life with the Crimson Tide.
Alabama Athletics
Jermaine Burton
Young: “It’s been really, really cool working with him. He’s someone I knew from California earlier before in high school. So already knowing him and now getting a chance to work with him more closely, he has a really good work ethic.
“He’s easy to work with. We have good communication and we talk, ‘Hey I want this’ and he’ll be like ‘I like running it like this.’ Just being able to have that back-and-forth, just being able to work day in and day out, getting closer on that same level, same page that we want to be at. It’s a process, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it.”
Photo | Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Harrell
Young: “Same thing with TY. He’s come and had a really good attitude. He’s someone who always wants a little more, always on the Jugs, always looking for extra work. He’s really open to communicate, easy to talk to, easy to get on the same page. It’s a little fresher now just because I spent the spring with Jermaine and TY just got there.
“We’ve got a little work before our seven-on-seven started, and now we’re getting more reps in with the defense. The process is a little newer there, but he’s been doing well and I’m excited to be throwing to him.”
Alabama Athletics
Jahmyr Gibbs
Young: “Jah is super explosive, super dynamic, someone who is just lightning in a bottle. Every time he touches the ball, he’s a threat. Getting the ball in his hands and just seeing him be able to improvise and just do great things with it, it’s been really fun for me to watch.”
Along with adding Burton, Harrell and Gibbs, Alabama also added Vanderbilt offensive tackle Tyler Steen and LSU cornerback Eli Ricks from the transfer portal. Burton, Gibbs and Ricks participated in the Crimson Tide's spring camp while Harrell and Steen joined the team over the summer.
“Obviously, we wouldn't have recruited them if we didn’t think they’d help our team in some way," Nick Saban said during a Nick’s Kids Foundation event earlier this month. "We’re still always trying to develop our team with young players in the program. If we’re going to take guys out of the portal, we’re going to take guys who can help impact and affect the team immediately. We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes this summer and how those guys develop, learn, grow in the system. But we’re hopeful that they’ll all add some value.”
