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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a critical time in Alabama football’s calendar. The summer enrollees officially moved to Tuscaloosa on Sunday, and on Tuesday, the team had its first workout of the summer period.
“Excited about the direction of our football team and where we’re going right now,” first-year coach Kalen DeBoer said from SEC spring meetings on Tuesday. “Guys just reported in for workouts today, so I’m missing that but I think everything’s in a good spot. Looking forward to a great summer and season ahead.”
Alabama has the No. 2 overall signing class nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite composed of high school and transfer portal commits. The Tide are welcoming eight high school enrollees:
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This edition of Alabama football film study dives into what each player will bring to the program. Some might get immediate playing time while others are developmental pieces, but they all have tangible skills that could make them impactful players:
Offense
Wide receiver is the position that could see the most impact from a summer enrollee. It was potentially a position to target in the spring transfer window, but Alabama stayed with what it had, signifying that it’s confident in the receivers it had in spring and the ones coming in. Looking at Williams, Jefferson and Scott collectively, it’s a group that’s advanced in certain areas that make it an exciting trio.
Williams is the headliner and a potentially paradigm-shifting prospect in the DeBoer era. Williams’ high school accolades tell the story: He was the first back-to-back Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year in Alabama history, with a total stat line that includes more than 5,000 all-purpose yards and 72 total touchdowns. In his final high school game, the Class 6A state championship at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Williams caught 11 passes for 232 yards, returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown.
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Williams is a threat from anywhere on the field, lining up both on the perimeter and the slot at Saraland High School. He possesses a slender frame (6 feet 1 and 165 pounds) but has shown the ability to play with physicality and break tackles.
Williams should fit in DeBoer’s offense. The scheme will allow Williams to line up in multiple spots, be utilized in the motion game as a playmaker or as a decoy, and it will put him in positions where he can make plays in space. His ability to create separation and outrun defenders makes him an early contributor candidate despite graduating a year early.
Here’s an example of how Alabama can utilize Williams in spot moments. In a play from Washington, receiver Ja’Lynn Polk took a handoff on an end around for a nice gain. Williams was used in a similar situation at Saraland. Adjusting to college football while being a senior in high school age-wise will be something to watch, but the coaching staff will find creative ways to get him the ball
Perhaps where Williams can impact the game the earliest is on special teams. Alabama has a vacancy at punt returner and capable options at kick returner, but none with many notable explosive plays last season. This is a good way to get Williams with the ball in his hands and get him adjusted to the speed of the game while the offensive knowledge comes.
Meanwhile, Scott and Jefferson are strong additions. Scott epitomizes a core philosophy of Alabama’s new system: getting the ball to players in space and letting them make plays. Scott, 6-0 and 185 pounds, operated primarily in the slot in high school and mostly did damage via yards after the catch. This play, a simple screen, is a frequent look on his tape; he also shows his ability to break tackles and make big plays in tight windows.
In addition to speed, one of Scott’s best attributes is identifying zone coverage and finding soft spots. On this play, he came off the line and immediately sat down in the zone. The quarterback found him, and Scott did the rest.
Scott lined up in multiple spots in high school from receiver to running back, quarterback and kick returner. He has a physical style, and if he adds more weight to his frame, could be a Kendrick Law-esque type of player who can play a utility role on offense. Working the middle of the field, he’ll be a quarterback-friendly target who can turn up field quickly for long gains. Here, Scott stayed in the view of a quarterback under pressure, gave him an easy target and took it for a score.
Jefferson, Tennessee’s D2-AAA Mr. Football in 2023, is the last of the receiver additions. Like Williams, Jefferson lined up both on the perimeter and in the slot in high school, amassing an 18.9 yard-per-catch average and 20 touchdowns last season. His distinguishing traits are his college-ready frame at 6-0 and 200-plus pounds and his route running ability. Jefferson’s releases off the line are excellent, and he scored plenty that way, but he’s a strong second-level separator. On this play, the opposing cornerback was playing off, but a nice double move gave Jefferson the space he needed to score.
Jefferson was an elite baseball prospect who carried a 9.5/10 ranking by Perfect Game. He was an outfielder, and it’s easy to see the traits on tape when it’s time for Jefferson to locate the ball downfield. On this play, he drifted from one side of the field toward the middle for a long touchdown reception, and that’s a skill that will pay dividends down the road.
Tight end is one of the deepest on Alabama’s roster, meaning that Lindsey likely will not have a big role this fall. Lindsey, 6-5 and 235 pounds, played in a wing-T variant offense in high school and was used heavily as a blocker. Here’s a look at him in a situation that he’ll see often at Alabama: coming in motion and blocking on the perimeter as he helped spring the running back for a score.
Inline blocking was a big part of the high school scheme and his most transferable skill to college football right now. It’s hard not to draw comparisons to current tight end Robbie Ouzts who is mostly a blocking tight end. Lindsey doubled as a starting defensive lineman and regularly dominated opposing linemen, as he did on this play.
Lindsey had limited opportunities as a pass catcher in high school, but it’s worth noting that last summer, he camped at Alabama and earned an offer while he was committed to Mississippi State. He has shown an ability to catch, and while he might not develop into a prolific target, he certainly can be a threat. This play showed good hands to catch an underthrown pass and some athleticism post-catch.
Running back is a position that appears set in contributors this fall, but Riley is one to watch down the road. Riley’s a Tuscaloosa native who stayed committed after Nick Saban’s retirement; credit position coach Robert Gillespie for that. Now Riley joins a strong group. He is a traditional north-south, one-cut-and-go type of back; he runs upright but does so with physicality. His tape is a good mix of explosive plays and tough runs where he breaks tackles.
Pass-catching was an emphasis for Alabama’s running backs during spring practice. There are flashes of good pass-catching potential from Riley on tape, and on this play, he executed a nice wheel route for a touchdown. His tape shows some explosive plays in the screen game, displaying an ability to catch downfield that is a bonus.
One way for a young player who’s in a crowded group to get on the field early is through special teams. Riley’s physical style can be used in other ways besides carrying the ball. On this play, Riley leveled an oncoming defender on a kickoff return, and this type of effort will get noticed and lead to some snaps early on until a bigger role arrives.
Defense
Reese totaled 167 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and six forced fumbles while leading his Ramsay High School to a 5A Alabama state championship runner-up finish.
At 6-0 and 205 pounds, Reese isn’t physically imposing but is extremely instinctive and is a good tackler on tape. His father, Quinton Reese, was a defensive end at Auburn in the 1990s, and that pedigree is easy to see on tape as the younger Reese is a quintessential “always around the ball” type of defender who knows how to diagnose plays to make stops.
Alabama LB commit Quinton QB Reese @qb_reese was filling holes in the first half. pic.twitter.com/wt6JBdSQmd
— Touchdown Alabama Recruiting (@TDARecruiting) December 16, 2023
One factor that will help him early on is that his high school team employs a 4-2-5 scheme, which is what will be run at Alabama under Kane Wommack. Reese is joining a position that has two established starters but several true freshmen. Reese likely will spend the fall developing and adding to his frame but can turn into a contributor down the road.
Another developmental prospect with potential is Mboumoua, the No. 3 international prospect in the 2024 class from Quebec, Canada, where high school students graduate in Grade 11. There’s a two-year pre-university program in Quebec referred to as CEGAP, and Mboumoua completed his “senior” season at CEGAP Notre Dame de Foy.
At 6-4 and 260 pounds, Mboumoua projects as a defensive lineman but lined up in various spots for his team, including hand-on-the-ground defensive lineman, edge rusher and even at linebacker. This play was a snapshot of Mboumoua’s athletic potential: How many defensive line prospects are making tackles on kickoffs?
Mboumoua’s profile projects him to the newly formed Bandit defensive end position, manned by players like Jah-Marien Latham, LT Overton and more. One of Mboumoua’s strengths is eye discipline, a key trait for a defensive lineman. On this play, the opposing team sendt a ton of pre-snap motion and a play action to confound the defense, but Mboumoua moved past the smoke screen and forced a tackle for loss.
An important part of playing the Bandit position is rushing the passer. Mboumoua has good closing speed when in position but needs to continue developing a repertoire of moves to get past college offensive linemen. While that area needs work, Mboumoua is a strong run defender. Plays like the one show Mboumoua’s ability to be a factor in the running game in space. Alabama doesn’t need him to contribute early with the experience it has, but an athletic specimen like Mboumoua is exciting for the future.
Another high-profile recruiting win was Carter, a top-100 recruit who flipped to Alabama from Washington after DeBoer’s hiring. Carter epitomizes where the edge rusher position is going: 6-5 and 225 pounds with elite athletic traits. He’ll fit nicely into the outside linebacker position with similar athletes.
Carter finished the 2023 season with 55 tackles, 11 sacks, eight receiving touchdowns as a receiver (playing on the perimeter and in the slot) and two punt return touchdowns. His athleticism and motor are on display on this play. This sums up the “SwarmD” philosophy under Wommack: Carter never gave up on the play, running across the field to make a tackle. His closing speed is impressive.
As a pass rusher, Carter showed a good ability to use his eyes and not rush too far out of the passing lane. On this play, it looked like he rushed too far upfield but never lost the quarterback from his line of vision and reversed course to make the sack from behind.
Carter’s athleticism means he can make game-changing plays when given the opportunity. His prowess as a receiver was on display with this interception.
(Top photo of Jake Crandall / USA Today)
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Courtesy : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5529257/2024/05/30/alabama-football-recruiting-summer-high-school-enrollees/