Offense’s identity a question for Bama
One of the most dominant seasons in Alabama football history ended in January with Crimson Tide players solemnly filing off the field at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium after Clemson rallied for a 35-31 upset to claim the 2016 national championship.
Several of those Alabama players soon will be first-round selections in the NFL draft, which has left Nick Saban’s 11th spring in Tuscaloosa filled with more lineup holes than normal. The Crimson Tide will begin their quest for a fourth consecutive Southeastern Conference title Tuesday with their first of 15 spring workouts.
“What I’m trying to get across to the players and everybody in the organization is that this is not a time for ‘we,’” Saban said last week at Alabama’s pro day. “This is a time for ‘I.’ This is a time for, ‘What can I do to make things better here?’
“We all need to do a better job for our players and for our organization so that we can do a little better job on the field.”
Here are the five biggest questions facing Alabama this spring:
1. How will Daboll adjust?
After Lane Kiffin’s three years as the offensive coordinator yielded three SEC titles but an abrupt departure during last season’s title run, Saban has handed the play-calling chores to longtime NFL assistant Brian Daboll. This was supposed to be Steve Sarkisian’s offense after Kiffin accepted Florida Atlantic’s head-coaching vacancy last December, but Sarkisian worked just the national title game before bolting to become offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
“Brian has a lot of experience,” Saban said. “He’s coached 11 years with the Patriots. He was an NFL offensive coordinator for six years. He coached with us at Michigan State. I think he’s got a lot of knowledge and experience in the pro game, and he’s a bright guy who can learn some of the things we’ve done here relative to the spread.”
Which quickly takes us to the second question.
2. What will be the offensive identity?
Alabama was an offensive juggernaut through the first two months of last season but was inconsistent in the closing stretch against Florida,
Washington and Clemson.
“I think we wanted to go from pro-style to being a little bit more spread, and maybe we got a little too far to the right on the spread part,” Saban said. “Now we need to develop our quarterbacks to go back and be a little more pro-style. Having a guy like Brian, who knows prostyle, will help us.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the SEC’s offensive player of the year as a freshman, completing 240 of 382 passes (62.8 percent) for 2,780 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Hurts already is the senior citizen of Alabama’s quarterbacks room, with the only other scholarship players at that position early enrollees Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa.
“One of the key things for us this offseason will be to help Jalen develop as a passer and for him to be able to do a better job in the pocket,” Saban said. “I think Brian will do a good job with him in that regard. We’ve never been able to win here when we haven’t been able to make plays in the passing game.”
3. How will tailback shake out?
What a great problem to have. Alabama’s tailback contingent this spring will consist of juniors Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, sophomores Josh Jacobs and B.J. Emmons, plus early enrollee Najee Harris.
Damien Harris led the Crimson Tide last season with 1,037 rushing yards and averaged 7.1 per carry. Scarbrough finished with 812 and 6.5 a rush, but he was the strongest by season’s end, amassing 364 yards in the final three games. Jacobs rushed for 567 and 6.7 per carry.
Najee Harris was the nation’s No. 1 tailback in this year’s signing class, while Emmons was the No. 2 tailback in last year’s crop.
4. Which newcomers will shine?
The Crimson Tide lost a lot of talent and experience from last season’s team but welcomed a lot of talent and youth this winter with the arrival of 16 midyear enrollees.
Jones and Tagovailoa are valuable given the lack of depth at quarterback, while Najee Harris and receiver Jerry Jeudy have the potential to contribute sooner than later. One newcomer who quickly could claim a firstteam spot is offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, who could join a starting front that includes Bradley Bozeman, Lester Cotton, Ross Pierschbacher and Jonah Williams.
“We have really significant challenges,” Saban said, “but it’s a real advantage to have 16 players at midyear who have gone through the offseason program and will go through spring practice. They will have much more of an opportunity to learn, and I think that helps younger players be able to contribute.”
5. Who takes over at outside linebacker? Alabama still has plenty of familiar faces returning on defense, whether it’s Josh Frazier, Da’Shawn Hand and Da’Ron Payne up front or Anthony Averett, Tony Brown, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison in the secondary. The Crimson Tide may be strongest at inside linebacker, where Shaun Dion Hamilton and Rashaan Evans are proven, Keith Holcombe has some experience and Ben Davis and Mack Wilson have plenty of potential.
Touted early enrollee Dylan Moses could compete inside or outside, where the path to playing time could be quicker following the departures of Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams. Anfernee Jennings and Christian Miller are the leading candidates for starting spots on the edge.
“One of the key things for us this offseason will be to help Jalen develop as a passer and for him to be able to do a better job in the pocket.” – NICK SABAN, ALABAMA FOOTBALL COACH