Who Could Step Up at WR for Alabama in Sugar Bowl
NEW ORLEANS — For the first time since 2017, Alabama will finish the season without a 1,000-yard receiver. In fact, it will snap a three-season streak of having two receivers finish with at least 1,000 yards.
Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien addressed the media Wednesday afternoon and skirted around a question about inconsistencies at receiver around quarterback Bryce Young.
"I think everybody plays a part in that," O'Brien said. "I don't think it's just one position or one person. I think it's a team game. At the end of the day, we've been very good for most of the season. But certain times during the season we weren't as consistent as we wanted to be. And hopefully, we've really worked on that the last two weeks and will play a very consistent, productive football game on Saturday.”
Despite getting off to a slow start, sophomore Ja'Corey Brooks has been Alabama's best receiver this season. He has 623 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Brooks said that since he was a freshman, older guys told him he needed to be vocal and slide into a leadership role, and it's something he has embraced this season.
"But now this year that we had some guys leave that were veterans, the whole team needed me to step up," Brooks said during Wednesday's media availability. "And I was a leader not only in my room, but for the team. I just had to step up and be a guy vocally.”
Alabama did not have any players opt out of the bowl game, but did have several enter the transfer portal. Wide receiver was one of the position groups hit the hardest with Traeshon Holden transferring to Oregon and JoJo Earle transferring to TCU. Reserve receivers Aaron Anderson and Christian Leary also found new programs.
Both O'Brien and head coach Nick Saban have talked about the bowl practices being an opportunity for younger guys to get more reps whether that's current underclassmen or the early enrollees that have made the trip to practice, but not play with the team.
Back in Tuscaloosa leading up to the Sugar Bowl, running back Jahmyr Gibbs specifically mentioned Isaiah Bond, Kendrick Law and Kobe Prentice as freshman that had impressed. All three have played a contributing role this season as true freshmen, with Prentice earning a couple starts. Law and Bond were both named unsung heroes of the team by Saban late in the season.
Young said it's been an "interesting year" with so many freshmen having to play at the position, but he has been impressed with their professionalism and growth as the year has gone on.
"You can see now, with all the experience they've gotten throughout this year, they're so much more comfortable," Young said. "They know where they're supposed to be. They can have that much more creativity with their routes. They know where they need to be. They've grown a lot. I think it's just that consistency and the experience they've had, at least all the growth that we've seen this year.”
The young receivers could play a key role for the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State's 57th-ranked passing defense. Here's some names to watch for who Young could be targeting against the Wildcats.
Ja'Corey Brooks against Texas A&M
TG Paschal, BamaCentral
Ja'Corey Brooks- 37 catches, 623 yards, 7 TDs
Let's start with the obvious one. As previously mentioned, Brooks is Alabama's statistical leader in receiving yards and touchdowns. He's not planning on things changing for the Sugar Bowl.
"We loved all the guys that were here, but, you know, as a team they’re not here anymore," Brooks said. "So the guys that are in the room know they had to step up. We all had to step up. Really nothing had to change. Everybody still plays their role, and everybody has to do their job."
Brooks has been one of Young's favorite targets since the end of the 2021 season and will likely be someone the Alabama quarterback is looking at again in likely his final game under center for the Crimson Tide.
Isaiah Bond at Tennessee
Alabama Athletics
Isaiah Bond- 16 catches, 214 yards
The few times Alabama has gotten big plays in the passing game, it has come to Bond. He holds Alabama's longest reception by a wide receiver this season with a 53-yard snag against Arkansas. He also had a 33-yard catch against Tennessee that set up a Alabama's first touchdown of the game.
Bond's speed makes it easy for him to get behind the defense, which TCU wide receiver Quinten Williams was able to do successfully against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game with four catches for 139 yards. Bond could be poised for a big game as well as his playing time will likely increase with no Holden or Earle.
Kendrick Law at Ole Miss
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Kendrick Law- 8 catches, 103 yards
Ever since being mentioned as an unsung hero of the team by Saban prior to the Ole Miss game, Law has seen an increased role in the Alabama offense.
He had two catches in Alabama's season opener against Utah State, and then seemingly disappeared on offense before re-emerging against Ole Miss. Over the Crimson Tide's final three regular season games, he had six catches for 81 yards.
Law doesn't have a touchdown catch yet this season, and Saturday would be the perfect time as Law will likely have a little extra motivation playing in his home state at the Caesars Superdome.
"Those guys are extremely talented," Young said about the freshmen wide receivers. "Great group of receivers. And for them to be so great at this stage, it's going to be really, really fun just to watch them grow and watch them progress. So again, just see all they've done, so many as young guys, as true freshman, it's only up from here for those guys.”
See also:
Where Has Alabama Football's Offense Grown This Season?
Everything Kansas State's Defense Said On Wednesday of Sugar Bowl Week
Alabama Football Sugar Bowl Wednesday Practice Report
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