Broadcast crew for Alabama vs. Miami announced

ESPN PR announced the broadcast crew for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game featuring Alabama and Miami on Saturday, Sept. 4.
Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, field analyst Todd McShay and reporter Molly McGrath will open the season with defending College Football Playoff national champions and preseason No. 1 Alabama against Miami, who enters the year ranked No. 14, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta.
McDonough and Blackledge will work together for the third year, joined for a second season by McShay and McGrath, who is back on the sidelines after taking maternity leave at the end of 2020. McDonough and Blackledge combine for more than four decades of broadcast experience, while McShay continues to serve as one of ESPN’s NFL Draft experts and McGrath covers a multitude of college sports across ESPN networks as both a reporter and host. McDonough will also serve as a leading voice in ESPN’s NHL coverage this fall.
Alabama vs. Miami preview
Alabama enters the season as the reigning College Football Playoff national champions and the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
Offensively, gone are quarterback Mac Jones, wide receivers DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, running back Najee Harris, and offensive linemen Landon Dickerson, Deonte Brown and Alex Leatherwood.
Alabama also lost offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who is now the head coach at Texas, and replaced him with former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien.
Offensive notable contributors project to be quarterback Bryce Young, wide receivers John Metchie III, Agiye Hall and Jameson Williams. Tight end Jahleel Billingsley, offensive lineman Evan Neal, running backs Brian Robinson Jr and Trey Sanders, will be names to know.
Defensively, the Tide lost defensive lineman Christian Barmore, cornerback Patrick Surtain II and Dylan Moses.
Alabama projects to be stout once again on the defensive side of the ball and Tennessee linebacker transfer Henry To’oto’o will be a key reason why. Linebacker will be a strength for the Tide this year. Besides To’oto’o, Will Anderson and Christian Harris are both highly touted players.
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On the defensive line, Alabama doesn’t have a star but they have a lot of experience. Phildarian Mathis, LaBryan Ray and DJ Dale project to start. All three have been in the program for at least two seasons.
At defensive back, Josh Jobe, Jordan Battle and Malachi Moore are experienced and will be bright spots. Freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry also projects to play a key role in 2021.
There’s a lot of holes to fill, but no one is more adept to reload than Alabama.
Miami returns quarterback D’Eriq King, who went down with a torn ACL in the Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma State in late December.
King returns and will have a new weapon in former Oklahoma wide receiver Charleston Rambo, who transferred to Miami this offseason. At running back, the rotation of Cam’Ron Harris, Jaylan Knighton and Donald Chaney looks promising.
Defensively, replacing Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche could prove to be a tough task. Senior Zach McCloud, redshirt freshman Jahfari Harvey and Tennessee transfer Deandre Johnson will be expected to fill the production left behind. If they aren’t, a stout secondary that features the Hurricanes’ leading tackler from last season, Bubba Bolden, and Georgia transfer Tyrique Stevenson will have to step up even more. At linebacker, Corey Flagg, Gilbert Frierson and Bradley Jennings are expected to be notable contributors.
Alabama-Miami will be an early test for the reigning national champions and though it’s a long shot, the Hurricanes shouldn’t be counted out, especially with the pieces the Tide have to replace.