Nick Saban reveals how Kobe Prentice has taken the next step

The Alabama wide receivers room is still evolving and taking shape after the loss of JoJo Earle but freshman Kobe Prentice is emerging as a surprise as the season creeps closer. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban credited the 5-foot-10 wideout for taking advantage of the void left by Earle.

“Well, I think that he’s showing promise with his quickness playing in the slot, I think his opportunities have increased since JoJo got hurt, and he’s taken advantage of it and played, you know, fairly well,” Saban said.

“I still think he’s got a ways to go in terms of knowledge of the offense and you know, doing things exactly as we’d like him to do it. But he’s got a great work ethic, he works hard every day, he’s got a great attitude, he’s really positive and upbeat about what he’s doing. He doesn’t get frustrated easily so, I think all those things are contributing to his development.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Prior to suffering a Jones fracture in his foot, Earle had 12 catches for 148 yards last season as a freshman last season. He was a weapon on special teams as well with 16 returns for 88 yards. After decent showings in 2021, Saban was expecting him to take another step in 2022.

Prentice showing signs of contributing in Year One

Kobe Prentice, a Calera, Alabama native, did not enroll early like many of his 2022 signing classmates. However, he’s emerged as a potential first-year contributor thanks to his spark and explosiveness so far in fall camp.

Saban gave Prentice a shoutout early in fall camp after he pulled in a handful of catches in the team’s first scrimmage.

Coming out of Calera High School, Prentice was a four-star prospect with 22 offers to choose from. He was the No. 72 prospect in the nation in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, and ranked No. 11 amongst wide receivers.

He committed to the Crimson Tide in the summer before into his senior year after clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash at camp in Tuscaloosa and landing an offer from Nick Saban. Prentice was committed to Maryland but flipped his decision after getting the nod from Bama.

The slot receiver is one of several highly-touted pass catchers Alabama added in the 2022 class. With Prentice, Aaron Anderson, Isaiah Bond and Shazz Preston, Saban had arguably the best class of receivers of any program last cycle.