Alabama Football: Studs and duds from 2021 A-Day Game

Who were the winners and losers for Alabama football on Saturday?

Alabama capped off spring practices with the 2021 A-Day Game as the white team won by a field goal. Things weren’t perfect, but there were plenty of takeaways from the final spring scrimmage of the offseason. Who were the studs and duds for Alabama football?

Stud: Bryce Young, QB

Young is easily QB1 at this point, and it is clear to see why. He manipulated the pocket and had plenty of explosive plays. He had to overcome adversity, and he did just that against Alabama’s defensive starters.

Young’s receivers dropped some balls, and he was unable to fully use his legs. Still, he managed to have over 300 passing yards in the scrimmage.

Dud: QB depth

Jalen Milroe was unavailable on Saturday, so fans watched Paul Tyson and Braxton Barker instead. Barker made one of the nicest plays to Agiye Hall, but he also had multiple turnovers. Tyson had a decent day statistically, but he had no pocket mobility and relied on his check-downs too often. Even against the second unit, neither quarterback showed enough to spark a quarterback debate. It seems like there is a clear path for Milroe to be QB2.

Stud: Young receivers

Alabama football fans are used to stellar seasons from wide receivers. After all, DeVonta Smith just won the Heisman. Still, Alabama has depth on top of depth. Metchie did not play, but Traeshon Holden and Agiye Hall balled out for each team. They could easily compete for the third starting role by the time fall camp gets here.

Dud: Drops

While the young receivers made some insane highlight plays, there were still too many drops. Holden dropped a touchdown pass from Bryce Young on the first drive, and they had to settle for a field goal. Some incompletions were due to inaccurate passes, and others were solid coverage. Still, the drops on catchable balls cannot continue against top teams in 2021.

Stud: Cameron Latu

Fans expect greatness from Jahleel Billingsley, but Latu scored the only offensive touchdown on Saturday. He has athleticism, and his catching ability has improved, and it appears that he is ready to play a pivotal role for Alabama football this season.

Dud: Will Reichard

Reichard has an uncharacteristic day as Alabama’s field-goal kicker. Some were deep kicks that Alabama would never normally attempt, but he missed too many field goals for fans to feel confident. Still, he is considered one of the best kickers in college football. He should rebuild his confidence at some point this summer before the season begins.

Alabama football has a dominant team, and that was clear even without some key starters. We’ll see what the Tide do in the fall, but there were plenty of studs and duds during the A-Day Game.