Nick Saban assesses wide receivers in first Alabama scrimmage, shouts out Kobe Prentice
The Alabama Crimson Tide completed their first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday. The Crimson Tide have the quarterback spot locked up with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. But one of the critical things Alabama and head coach Nick Saban are trying to figure out is who will be his targets on the outside at receiver. In the scrimmage, Saban got a good look at the entirety of his receiver room and gave his assessment of their performances.
“We were inconsistent at receiver today. We made some really good plays, and we dropped some balls,” said Saban. “I think Kobe Prentice of the young guys, I think he had like five catches. He was probably the guy that stood out the most of the young players. But each and every day, there’s a different guy that shows that they have some ability to do things in a really positive way.
“So, I think if I was going to evaluate the group, I would say we all need to play with more consistency. We gotta get the quarterback really comfortable with the receivers that we’re going to play with and the spots they’re going to play. That’s gotta be a goal for us in the coming weeks.”
Alabama is attempting to replace 2700-plus yards and 23 touchdowns of production that left the program when Jameson Williams and John Metchie were both taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. And to add more pressure on the Crimson Tide receivers, last year’s third receiving option, tight end Cameron Latu is expected to miss a couple of weeks after suffering a minor knee injury in the offseason. So far, it appears that only true freshman Kobe Prentice has made an impact in the fall scrimmage.
Prentice is a native of Caldera, AL, and according to On3’s consensus database, he is a high-end 4-star recruit ranking 74 nationally, 11 at his position, and the 5th best player to come out of the state of Alabama. The Crimson Tide will need more than just the freshman to show up and show out, especially if they have plans on being in the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.