Jameson Williams and John Metchie both went over 1000 yards for Alabama football in 2021. The Crimson Tide hasn't had a 1000-yard receiver since. The evaluations and development in the receiver room the last few years has been lacking.
The biggest improvement on the coaching staff from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer is arguably at WR. JaMarcus Shepherd is a massive upgrade over Holmon Wiggins and it was obvious with the WR room last season, and that room should take an even bigger step forward in 2025.
It's not a coincidence that Alabama's two most productive receivers last season - by far - were two newcomers.
Freshman Ryan Williams and Washington transfer Germie Bernard combined for 98 catches, 1659 yards, and 10 touchdowns. The next leading WR was Kendrick Law with a paltry 129 yards and one touchdown. Law was a difference-maker as a blocker, but never made much of an impact as a pass catcher.
Perhaps the biggest roster turnover this offseason for Alabama was at the WR position. Shepherd wants his guys in the room, and now he's got it. Gone are Law, Kobe Prentice, Emmanuel Henderson Jr., and Caleb Odom.
In are Miami (FL) transfer Isaiah Horton, and freshmen Derek Meadows and Lotzeir Brooks. Alabama will also likely continue the WR experiment with former 5-star CB Jaylen Mbakwe, who seems to prefer moving to the offensive side of the ball after a promising first season as a corner.
DeBoer made sure to mention that all three QBs competing for the starting job are "pass first" guys. Comparatively, Milroe was such a threat with his legs that Alabama's passing game at times struggled to get moving. Alabama's streak of three straight 1000-yard seasons probably comes to an end next season.
Williams dazzled as a true freshman, making some awe-inspiring plays that would have been tough to believe if you were watching football on Sunday, not to mention from a 17-year-old true freshman. His freshman-to-sophomore leap should be gigantic, and he's likely to be a Biletnikoff candidate for the Crimson Tide.
Williams hit a bit of a freshman wall as gameplans began focusing solely on him in the passing attack. Down the stretch of the season, Bernard was Alabama's most consistent WR. In eight of Alabama's last nine games, Bernard had at least 60 yards receiving. His most prolific game was the Iron Bowl, catching 7 passes for 111 yards.
His decision to return for his senior season was huge and gives Alabama a proven 1-2 punch at the position that will be extremely beneficial as they break in a new QB.
The depth behind Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard is promising for Alabama
Alabama sorely needed a proven No. 3 option at WR last season. They tried a lot of different combinations, but couldn't get consistency out of any other player. DeBoer and company didn't want to depend on the natural development of a player on the roster or the recovery of Jalen Hale from a torn ACL, so they hit the Transfer Portal and landed Isaiah Horton from Miami.
Horton caught 56 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns last season with the Hurricanes. His size at 6'4" should make him a perfect complement to Williams and Bernard. He'll likely see a lot of time as a "big slot" guy and should create some matchup problems for nickel corners everywhere.
Hale showed a lot of promise as a freshman but suffered a torn ACL in the preseason and missed the entire year. He - along with Mbakwe - are big wildcards in the receiver room. If Hale takes a step and is fully recovered, he'll be hard to keep off the field. Mbakwe is a talented athlete who is fully capable of taking a leap this spring and becoming a legitimate option at WR.
The coaching staff also has a lot of confidence in redshirt sophomore Cole Adams, who saw a lot of snaps at WR last season before suffering a season-ending injury. He'll likely be a factor at punt returner, too.
Rico Scott got some valuable reps during bowl practice due to the Transfer Portal exodus. He only caught one pass for 9 yards in the ReliaQuest Bowl, but he flashed as a playmaker on an end-around that went for 28 yards. He had an impressive touchdown grab in garbage time from Austin Mack against Mercer, too.
Freshman Derek Meadows has apparently already turned some heads as an early enrollee. Meadows is another big-bodied WR like Horton who is physically ready to play right away but was billed as raw. Shepherd is as good as any in the country at molding young WRs.
Lotzeir Brooks is one of the most underrated players from the 2025 recruiting class and his speed and contested catch ability will make him an intriguing option at the position.
All in all, there should be much improvement in the WR room next season. Another year of the returnees working with Shepherd and the further removed it gets from Wiggins' impact and players, the better for the group.
Williams and Bernard may both go over 1000 yards in 2025. They will be as good of a 1-2 punch as there is in college football next season. But the biggest jump for Alabama will be the quality depth behind them.