Alabama football coach Shephard excited about sleeper wide receiver
Alabama football might not have a great deal of experience at the wide receiver position in the first spring practice under new coach Kalen DeBoer, but with that comes a more open competition.
And that's good news for players like Emmanuel Henderson.
The junior from Hartford, Ala., hasn't yet found his niche in the program, coming to Alabama as a running back initially, then being switched to wide receiver. He was primarily a special teams player over the last two seasons under former coach Nick Saban, but is looking to break into the offensive rotation this fall in a new offense. And wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is excited about what he's seen.
"That boy can run, there's no doubt about it," Shephard said. "His ability to drop his weight and get in and out of his breaks has improved immensely. With his football knowledge, FBI (football intelligence), he's become more of a guy who can be depended on to know and understand the why behind what we're doing."
Henderson was a five-star recruit at running back, but under two head coaches who've found him to be effective at receiver, his days as a running back appear finished. And that suits Shephard just fine.
"I've been really impressed with him so far," Shephard added. "There's been a lot of rhetoric about what he can do from guys who've been here, and to this point he's been everything I've wanted him to be."
Alabama's most experienced receivers include Kobe Prentice, Kendrick Law and transfer Germie Bernard, who came to Alabama as a transfer from Washington, although none were considered a primary target a year ago. With a new offensive being installed, competition at the wide receiver position is wide open. That will eventually include five-star recruit Ryan Williams, a highly-regarded signee who has yet to enroll.
For now, however, Henderson couldn't ask for a better chance to shine.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
4. Northside (12-12-1)
Why: The Lady Rams are coming off a 5-4 victory over Brookwood in nine innings. They have started area play 2-0 with wins over Sipsey Valley (6-0) and Oak Grove (9-0).
5. Winfield (11-1)
Why: Winfield has scored in double digits in multiple games this season, with its most lopsided victory coming in a 17-0 win over South Lamar. Its one loss came from Brooks, the No. 6 team in Class 4A.
Other teams for consideration:
American Christian Academy, Brookwood, Lamar County, Sulligent
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @annaesnyder2