Bryce Young can do just about anything for Alabama football this season
Alabama football‘s offense will look a lot different in 2021 thanks to the departure of their starting quarterback, Heisman receiver and award-winning running back. They are also replacing their left tackle, guard and center, and they have a new offensive coordinator in charge. This gives the Tide an opportunity to pivot, and their new quarterback gives them options.
Bryce Young will be one of the best runners to play quarterback in the history of Alabama football. Only Blake Sims and Jalen Hurts can compare in the Saban era. This will give the Tide the chance to run option plays and quarterback runs.
However, he has a solid arm. He proved this in the A-Day Game last month, and he will continue to develop this summer. This versatility gives him options under center, and Alabama would be smart to take advantage of that.
Also, Alabama has a wide range of skill players. They have speed at receiver, but there are also big-bodied options available. John Metchie can be a deep threat, and Slade Bolden can work underneath. At running back, Brian Robinson can be a bruiser. Options like McClellan and Williams rely on speed.
This embarrassment of riches comes at the perfect time. In the past, Alabama has relied on a similar scheme to win games. While they won’t do too much to break the mold, they can at least have new packages that utilize all of Young’s traits.
Bill O’Brien has experience with this. When he was the head coach of the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson was a mobile threat. He mostly won with his arm, but his ability to scramble had to be respected. That small wrinkle would be enough to leave SEC defenses questioning themselves, and Young could take advantage of their hesitations.
Alabama doesn’t have a great history with mobile quarterbacks. Sims failed to win a national title, and Hurts lost his starting job because he couldn’t develop as a passer. However, Young projects to be a better passer than both Sims and Hurts. Running can still be his second option, but it’s a great second option.
At the end of the day, your offense is better when your bag of tricks is diverse. Bryce Young will have options thanks to his range of skills, and that will make Alabama’s offense better.