In an era laden with downfield passing and vertically-driven spread attacks, high-powered offenses often need 3 or 4 elite pass catchers in order to operate at optimal efficiency. Alabama football fans will certainly remember the core of first-round draft picks Henry Ruggs and Jaylen Waddle, Biletnikoff Award winner Jerry Jeudy, and Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith.
This group terrorized opposing secondaries for 2+ years, spanning from the end of the 2017 season through the 2019 Citrus Bowl.
When Ruggs and Jeudy moved on to the NFL following the 2019 campaign, Smith and Waddle were joined by a rapidly ascending sophomore named John Metchie. Metchie was adept at winning on the vertical route concepts designed by Steve Sarkisian while the defense’s attention was primarily on the 2 All-Americans flanking him.
When Smith and Waddle became Alabama football’s 3rd and 4th first-round draft picks at the wide receiver position in only 2 years, they left a massive void in the Alabama receiver room.
Metchie returned for his junior year and has been Alabama’s most reliable target in the passing game. Assuming more of a possession role, the physical receiver has amassed a team-high 67 catches for 722 yards and 6 touchdowns through 10 games.
Despite some recurring concentration issues that have led to dropped passes, Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams has been a blessing for Bryce Young and the Alabama offense. The deep threat has turned into arguably the most dangerous explosive play weapon in the country, as he can score from anywhere on the field.
Williams is far and away the team leader in receiving yards (1,028) and touchdowns (10), and he has done it on only 51 catches. It is rare to see a receiver targeted as often as Jameson Williams averaging over 20 yards per reception, but that’s just the type of player he’s been this year.
As good as Metchie and Williams have been, it will be imperative for a third impact receiver to emerge if Alabama is going to win postseason games against high level competition. With all the blue chip talent on the Crimson Tide’s roster, it is now mid-November and the offense is still waiting for someone to step into that role.
Veteran Slade Bolden starts in the slot, and his performance has been reliable yet underwhelming. Bolden was expected to take a leap this season, after getting plenty of reps last year and having a full offseason with the expectation of starting and contributing. However, there has been no improvement (and possibly even a slight reduction) in Bolden’s production this year. He currently averages less than 10 yards per reception and has scored only 1 touchdown.
Jojo Earle, with whom Bolden has split reps in the slot at times, hasn’t made much of an impact either. He has caught 12 balls and has yet to score his first touchdown in an Alabama football uniform. We have seen Earle’s role in the offense gradually decline as the season has gone on, and he is now out with an injury.
Few things have baffled me more than the inconsistent play from Alabama’s tight end duo this season. Jahleel Billingsley is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the nation, and I thought he had a chance to potentially be amongst the team leaders in receiving prior to the season. He has had a tumultuous, up-and-down season in which he has shown flashes of his ability, but ultimately has not lived up to fan expectations. Billingsley has only 2 receptions for 13 yards since the Ole Miss game on October 2nd.
Cameron Latu stepped up in Billingsley’s early season absence and overall has been a pleasant surprise, hauling in 6 touchdowns. Like his running mate, however, he has a tendency to disappear for long stretches of play and sometimes entire games. Both Latu and Billingsley have also been plagued with drop problems in recent weeks.
Alabama has a group of young and talented receivers from the recruiting classes of 2020 and 2021, including sophomores Javon Baker and Thaiu Jones-Bell and freshmen Agiye Hall and Ja’Corey Brooks. All of these players have seen minutes towards the end of lopsided games, and each has made at least one catch this season. The only one that has seemingly broken into the rotation and gotten meaningful snaps is sophomore Traeshon Holden.
Holden may be the receiver that emerges as a game-changing player for the Tide as the regular season draws to a close. Holden has caught a pass in all but 2 games, and his playing time has slowly increased in the latter half of the season. He has totaled 13 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown, occasionally showing flashes of big play capability. At 6’3” and 208 pounds, Holden brings a whole new element to the Alabama football receiving corps. His size and physicality make him a jump ball threat, and also make him very difficult to bring down after the catch.
Holden gives the Alabama football offense a dimension it has lacked for several seasons, and I imagine his role will only continue to increase with the injury to Jojo Earle. If he can turn himself into a legitimate weapon in Bill O’Brien’s system, we may see Bryce Young and the Alabama offense elevate their game to another level, a jump that would be coming just at the right time.