5 bold predictions for Texas football vs. Alabama

Xavier Worthy becomes the first receiver to go over 100 yards vs. Alabama since the 2021 SEC Championship Game

Weirdly enough, saying that star sophomore wide receiver Xavier Worthy will cross the 100-receiving yard mark this weekend feels bold to me. Worthy is going to face an extremely stingy group of Alabama safeties on Saturday afternoon that is one of the best in pass defense in the entire country.

Led by senior Jordan Battle, this group of Alabama safeties is likely going to have at least one man devoted to shadowing Worthy over the top all game long. Alabama is going to try to avoid getting beat deep by Worthy in this game at all costs.

The area where Worthy will find an opportunity to get his production this weekend against the Alabama secondary will be against some of the more unproven and/or questionable corners. If Worthy gets matched up on the outside against the likes of sophomore cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, junior transfer Eli Ricks, or redshirt freshman Terrion Arnold, he’ll have some chance at separation on some out and corner routes near the sidelines and some crossing routes across the middle.

The intermediate and outside passing game will be where Worthy will have a chance to earn his keep this weekend. He’ll certainly be facing some talented Alabama corners this weekend, but he’ll have more opportunities to get some short and medium-passing game targets completed when he’s not blanketed by one of these safeties and/or the nickel (junior Brian Branch).

If Worthy is able to reach the 100-receiving yard mark on Sep. 10, it will be the first time that Alabama allowed such a feat since the SEC Championship Game last season, when the Georgia Bulldogs star tight end Brock Bowers crossed that threshold.