Alabama Football: There is room for Bryce Young to grow

Alabama football can still improve at quarterback

Last season, Bryce Young became the first quarterback in Alabama football history to win the Heisman Trophy. He raised the bar once again for how talented a quarterback could be in Tuscaloosa, and he’s coming back for another season.

Young’s season was exquisite, but it wasn’t perfect. He made freshman errors early in the year, and the team around him didn’t elevate him the way it has other quarterbacks in the past. Because of that, there is actually room for Bryce Young to become a better quarterback in his junior year.

That idea should scare fans of opposing SEC teams. Young torched almost every defense he faced last year on his way to a Heisman win. He carried a struggling offensive line to the national championship despite losing the two best receivers from the previous year. If he gets better than 2021, the Tide will be virtually unstoppable.

So, what can Alabama do to develop Young as a junior? For starters, he needs to do a better job of making quick decisions. This was a challenge with a struggling offensive line in 2021, but Young would hold onto the ball for too long in hopes of finding something. To protect himself and avoid disaster, he needs to be okay with settling for checkdowns or throwing the ball away.

Alabama football also has a chance to expand the rushing attack with more quarterback-specific runs. Young scrambled some, but they rarely ran plays where he was supposed to tuck it and run. If they open up the playbook, Young will be one of the most dynamic athletes in college football.

Bryce Young deserves credit for an elite sophomore season, but there is still room for growth. If the mental aspect of the game improves for Young, he will vault himself up the leaderboards. He could be one of the best players in Alabama football history, but we’ll see what happens.