Alabama Football: Tyler Harrell could be Wildcard vs Tigers

It’s no secret that the Alabama football team has struggled at the Wide Receiver position. Replacing the production of Jameson Williams and John Metchie III has been a slow build, with work still left to be done.

The 2022 group has steadily improved, and guys are starting to find their roles. Ja’Corey Brooks may be developing into a legitimate number 1, a combination of Kobe Prentice and a healthy JoJo Earle has given the Tide some athleticism in the slot, and after struggling with drops early Traeshon Holden is developing into a big-bodied possession receiver. The only thing missing is an ‘over the top’ deep threat to help loosen up coverages underneath and make everyone else better. Last year, the tide turned to Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams who excelled in that role before parlaying it into a 1st round draft pick. This year, Alabama football had hoped lightning would strike twice and turned to the transfer portal again in hopes of finding a deep threat. Although injuries have slowed him so far, Tyler Harrell may be poised to deliver on that hope Saturday night.

Alabama Football: What Tyler Harrell Brings

Tyler got his feet wet last game against Mississippi State. The JR from Miami saw action in six snaps and caught one pass for 12 yards. With the bye week, he should have had time to better acclimate himself and prepare for game action.

At 6′ 195, Harrell is slightly smaller than Jameson Williams, but provides the same kind of burst and ability to catch the deep ball. As the video above shows, there’s a reason he was highly sought after in the portal last year. For the season, Harrell caught 18 balls for 523 yards and hauled in six TDs for Louisville. That’s good for an eye-popping 29.1 yards per catch! Harrell is a threat to score every time the ball comes his way and could have a big night against an LSU secondary that has aggressive safeties that can be beaten over the top.