Texas football vs. Alabama: Breaking down Tide’s skill players
By Shane Black
https://twitter.com/TDAlabamaMag/status/1566614629140267011
Wide Receivers
Tuscaloosa has turned into the place to be if you are a talented wide receiver who has NFL aspirations. Over the last three NFL Drafts the Crimson Tide have produced five wide receivers drafted in the top-15 picks of the first round. The rest of the country has produced four.
With that said, the 2022 Alabama receiving room may not be as dynamic as years past.
The Crimson Tide have a bevy of talented wideouts in their program, though many of them lack the experience of their predecessors.
Transfers Jermaine Burton and Tyler Harrell have the most game experience in this unit. Burton, a 2021 National Champion with Georgia, had 53 receptions for 901 yards and eight touchdowns in two years with the Bulldogs. The former five-star will likely be Young’s go-to target this season. He has smooth hips and gets in and out of breaks with ease, but is certainly not the caliber of former Bama No. 1’s such as Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, and Jameson Williams.
Harrell, a Louisville transfer who racked up 18 catches for 523 yards and six scores last season, is currently the backup to Burton. Harrell is a deep-play threat with his speed being his best asset. He averaged an insanely impressive 29.1 yards per reception last season.
Traeshon Holden and Kobe Prentice will likely slot in as the other two starting receivers with Burton. Holden had 21 receptions for 239 yards in his first year of game action in 2021. Prentice is a true freshman who was a high four-star recruit. He possesses elite track speed and is very shifty out of the slot.
Beyond those names, the Tide will mix in sophomores Ja’Corey Brooks and Christian Leary. Brooks, a five-star, and Leary, a high four-star, both have the potential to be some of the next great Alabama receivers. With that said, they both saw limited game action last season.
Although the name recognition is not there with this Alabama receiving corps, the talent of these players cannot be questioned. I do, however, think Texas can match up with the Tide on the outside and should play a good amount of man coverage on Saturday.