Wildly divergent expectations for Alabama offense
Heading into the Kalen DeBoer era, opinions are pretty split on how Alabama’s offense will look this fall. While this unit has a lot of talent, it lacks experience in some key areas and could be volatile as a result.
The inconsistencies of quarterback Jalen Milroe last season are likely the primary reason for the differing levels of confidence. Personally, I believe Milroe will be one of the top quarterbacks in college football and once again be a Heisman contender. My opinion is based on Milroe’s ability to generate explosive plays on the ground as well as in the air, the improvement he showed throughout the 2023 season (his first as a starter), and what I perceive to be a better offensive coaching staff surrounding Milroe as he heads into year two.
Even after an SEC title and College Football Playoff appearance, Milroe has not yet gained the trust of the entire Alabama fan base. He must show more consistency as a passer, display more certainty in his decision-making, and take fewer sacks to be a complete quarterback.
Last season, the Bama offense protected the ball pretty well but stagnated far too often, regularly going three-and-out. In his second season as a starter, I expect Milroe to trust his eyes more. As a result, he should be able to continue to limit turnovers without having to be overly conservative. This should help the offense to flow better and maintain its rhythm in 2024.
How will Milroe’s weapons perform?
Alabama’s skill players, while young and unproven, are very talented and will be exciting to watch. Jam Miller, Justice Haynes, and Richard Young will spearhead what should be an improved and more dynamic running back room.
While Bama’s lack of a proven alpha receiver is somewhat concerning, the talent here dictates that a trusted playmaker will eventually emerge. Germie Bernard, Kendrick Law, and Kobe Prentice are the leaders in the room with two years of playing experience each. While it’s easy to see all of them stepping into bigger roles and playing well, none of these receivers have even reached 700 career yards, so there’s a lot of projection in believing they’ll be a productive group.
Emmanuel Henderson and true freshman Ryan Williams are candidates to burst onto the scene and elevate the ceiling of this room. Henderson has dealt with injuries and a position change since coming to Tuscaloosa as a running back, but continues to impress as a receiver and is a popular sleeper pick. Williams, a consensus 5-star recruit, could be the true X-factor in the receiver room.
More optimistic factions of the fan base see the talent Alabama possesses at the skill positions and envision an offense that could be one of the best in college football. For fans of the recently released College Football 25 video game, EA Sports agrees that the Bama offense will be elite.
Other fans, however, won’t fully believe in the offense until it proves that it can perform consistently at a high level.
Leaning on an improved offensive line
One area where Alabama fans tend to agree is with regard to the offensive line. Led by returnees Tyler Booker, Jaeden Roberts, and Kadyn Proctor, along with transfer center Parker Brailsford, Bama’s O-line should be dominant this season. All four of the aforementioned players received preseason All-SEC honors and will look to live up to that billing this fall.
Bama has to figure out its right tackle position, which seems to be a competition between Elijah Pritchett and Wilkin Formby at the moment. If it can solidify this spot, the line shouldn’t have any weaknesses.
This offensive line should give the Alabama offense a fairly high floor, while the dynamic ability of Milroe and his weapons offer a lot of potential. With the Washington trio of Coach DeBoer, Nick Sheridan, and JaMarcus Shephard serving as the masterminds of the operation, I will continue to say that the sky’s the limit for this unit.