Alabama’s win over Vanderbilt proved that one of the Crimson Tide’s biggest weaknesses last season has suddenly become a strength
The development of the WR room in Tuscaloosa has been impressive.
Last year in Tuscaloosa was a disappointment in a lot of ways. But one of the bright spots for the Alabama Crimson Tide was Ryan Williams. The problem is, after bursting onto the scene the first half of the year, he sort of slowed down as the season went on.
A main reason for that? There just wasn’t enough help around him. It was the Ryan Williams show, and that was about it when it came to who was winning on the perimeter of Alabama’s offense. But that has now changed.
Alabama’s WR corps runs deep with Germie Bernard, Isaiah Horton, and even Lotzeir Brooks behind Ryan Williams. Well, that is starting to show itself, and Alabama is winning because of it.
Alabama’s versatility at WR shines against Vanderbilt
“Yeah, they’re just their competitors,” said DeBoer of the WR group after the game. “They all have a little something different. I mean, there’s a ton of overlap on their skill sets [but] they can all different things with the ball. You see Isaiah [Horton] going up just a big, tall target and just grabbing the ball out of the air in between safeties and corners along the sideline. He’s done that [a] number of times now. That’s awesome for a quarterback to have that. So as a group, you know, it isn’t just those three. I mean, Rico [Scott], you know, caught a nice ball over the middle today. Just the guts and the pride that that group has in each other and as a unit to go out there and keep getting better.”
The best WR rooms are like basketball teams. You have a guard, a forward and a center, with a couple of each mixed in behind. That is what Alabama has built with the trio of Horton, Bernard, and Williams.
You need a big play down the field in a 50-50 situation? You go to Horton. It’s third and six, and you need a first down on a slant; you have Bernard as the reliable option over the middle. And of course, if you need someone who can do it all, who can break the game open with one touch, you go to Ryan Williams.
“They push each other in practice,” added DeBoer on Williams. “That’s what’s cool to see [with] them. They’re good friends. They all want to be out there, but it’s a healthy competition, much like we talked about in other positions. So great job by those guys to find a way to get explosives. I mean a third and extra long. We still believe we can convert it in those spots, but I feel like we’ve got we’re calling plays to where, if there’s any time for Ty, he’s gonna make the throw, they’re gonna make the catch.”
Alabama will need that throw and catch dynamic going forward, especially as we get into the meat of the conference schedule.
Alabama Crimson Tide News
Alabama players give Diego Pavia a taste of his own medicine in postgame skirmish following dominant win against Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia had a lot to say before the game, but Alabama’s play silenced him and they let him know about it.
