With the game on the line, Ty Simpson trusted a freshman WR to make a play

Alabama has a deep group of wide receivers. Thank goodness. Because with injuries piling up, Alabama needed that depth.

Freshman WR Lotzeir Brooks has been playing a lot. He played even more against Missouri on Saturday with Ryan Williams clearly hobbled. The true freshman delivered in the biggest moment of the game offensively.

Facing a 4th-and-8 in the fourth quarter and nursing a three-point lead, Kalen DeBoer chose to trust Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide's offense to convert in a critical spot. Simpson trusted a freshman WR with the game likely on the line.

Brooks was blanketed, but Simpson still threw the football. He lofted it over the defense, dropping it into a bucket with a throw not many guys could make, and Brooks hauled it in for a big play and conversion. Alabama ultimately scored a few plays later, with Simpson connecting with Daniel Hill for a touchdown to put the Tide up by 10 with 3:16 to play.

Defensive lapses by Alabama made it interesting from there, but in the most pivotal moment of the game for the offense, DeBoer trusted his QB, and his QB trusted the star freshman WR who was slept on by the recruiting industry.

Lotzeir Brooks came up with a clutch catch to help Alabama beat Missouri

Kalen DeBoer couldn't say enough about his star freshman WR in the postgame.

“A year ago, we were not making the plays in the critical moments to win the game," DeBoer said. "That was a big play to go win a football game, and he did it, and our team needed him, and he came through.

"This guy is just full speed every play."

Missouri's secondary did a good job taking away Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton. Williams was clearly less than 100% and looked hobbled all afternoon. Alabama's offensive line didn't do Simpson any favors with consistent pressure, but Brooks stepped up in a major way.

The freshman was the Tide's leading receiver in CoMo, catching four passes for 58 yards.

Brooks was slept on in the recruiting process, and is more proof of DeBoer and this staff's ability to evaluate talent. He was not considered one of the elite players at this position in the 2025 cycle, but he's already proven to be an elite offensive weapon for the Crimson Tide.

And he's earned the trust of the coaching staff and his QB immediately.