Bryce Young explains how he helps receivers work through drops

With John Metchie and Jameson Williams off to the NFL, it’s going to be an inexperienced wide receiving core for Bryce Young next season. The Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback will have to work on building game reps with some new receivers, whether they are getting an elevated role or came into the program via the transfer portal.

However, throughout spring practice, there have been issues where drops are occurring. When asked about them, Young deflected some of the blame on himself, saying there are areas he can help them work through the drops. He also said he can tell all of the wide receivers are working hard to fix it, knowing the mistakes hurt them more than anybody.

“I really think it’s all mental,” Young said. “We don’t have any guys that don’t have hands or aren’t able to catch. Coach Saban actually talked about it to us yesterday actually. It’s about focus and eliminating the mental errors and being sharp. Also, I feel like that’s a portion of the game but that’s the same as me having to improve on reads and throws. Also, I think being able to see the guys and see what they’ve been able to do this spring. The times when we do have drops, for me, I haven’t had my confidence waiver in anyone. I see how hard they work. Really, I see the drops hurt them more than it hurts anyone else. Also, it’s something that happens every here and there.

“I haven’t seen it be a crazy consistent issue with one certain individual,” Young continued. “Again, it’s spring. I haven’t had any perfect practices, I haven’t been perfect at all, and there’s stuff I want to work on, improve on. We all have stuff for us to build off of and it’s all about just making sure that we’re all reassuring each other and we’re pushing. We’re all trying to be better and that’s what I love about this group. We all have each other’s back. I’m excited for our receiving core and have all the confidence in the world in them.”

Georgia Bulldogs transfer Jermaine Burton is the biggest name on campus for this season, hoping to have a similar impact that Williams did last season. Players such as Ja’Corey Brooks, JoJo Earle, and Traeshon Holden will be looking to make an impact on the offense as well.

However, getting the drops figured out will be the top priority for head coach Nick Saban. They can easily kill drives, especially when going against lethal SEC defenses. Bryce Young will have to continue to work with his receivers before the 2022 season starts.