Calling Germie Bernard a WR would be an oversimplification of his role for Alabama football. He's much more than just a receiver. He's a jack-of-all-trades, master of ALL. He lines up all over the field, from the outside to the slot to the backfield.
He was Alabama's leading rusher against Tennessee last week, producing 49 yards on four carries. Alabama's running backs combined for just 47 yards on 22 attempts against the Vols, but Bernard's yards - plus a 16-yard carry by Ryan Williams - allowed the Crimson Tide to still put up 120 rushing yards for the game.
When Alabama is in a critical situation, chances are Kalen DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb are going to put the ball in Bernard's hands. If they don't, Ty Simpson typically will.
For the season, Bernard is Alabama's leading receiver, putting up 472 yards and five touchdowns on 33 receptions. He's also carried the ball 12 times for 71 yards, adding another touchdown on the ground. And Grubb has tried to dial up two trick plays this year for Bernard to throw the football. They just haven't worked. That's okay, though, because even when plays are obviously blown up, Bernard has the ability to do this:
Germie Bernard is unreal. pic.twitter.com/fj1P1DNSqn
— Gabe Burggraf (@GabeBurggraf) October 19, 2025
Bernard's all-around offensive game has led to some flattering comparisons for the Tide senior receiver. None probably better, or more apt, than Parker Brailsford - his teammate at both Washington and Alabama - comparing Bernard to former South Carolina star and NFL All-Pro Deebo Samuel:
“He’s real versatile, like swiss army knife type. He can throw ball, he can run the ball, he can get in the backfield and be a running back for us. He’s a great player, kind of like Deebo Samuel in my eyes.”
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) October 22, 2025
Alabama center Parker Brailsford describes Germie Bernard’s game. 💯 pic.twitter.com/TUdyiBnATV
Parker Brailsford compares Germie Bernard to Deebo Samuel
The play styles are certainly different - Samuel is a RB in a WR's body. And Bernard doesn't have the game-breaking speed of Samuel, who also returned kicks in college and the NFL. But Alabama is utilizing Bernard in a similar fashion to how Samuel has been used throughout his football career, at least offensively.
Bernard is just a winning player. It's hard to label him as anything else. He makes winning plays, and that's why the coaching staff trusts him. Take the "double-pass" against Tennessee. How many players would have thrown that football anyway in Bernard's position? Or how many would have just fallen down? Instead, Bernard turned what should have been a 10+ yard loss into an 18-yard gain. There is a small list of guys in the country who could have made that play.
On a National Championship contender, Bernard has emerged as arguably the most important skill position player on the team. Ryan Williams is the most talented, but Bernard is the most important. His all-around ability has been pivotal for the Crimson Tide's offense, particularly with the struggles in the traditional running game.
Bernard's play - and versatility - is beginning to garner a lot of NFL attention.