Alabama football: Bill O'Brien speaks on Bryce Young, taking over as OC

Bill O’Brien made his first media appearance as Alabama football offensive coordinator on Sunday and had plenty to say about Bryce Young. The Crimson Tide’s new offensive coordinator spoke for nearly 20 minutes in what will be his only availability of the regular season, per coach Nick Saban’s rules.

The former Houston Texans coach addressed his return to college, saying working with Saban has been a pleasure. He noted he spent 16 years as a coach at the college level and has “learned a lot” in his short time with the Crimson Tide. Then the focus turned to the offense he will lead.

Bryce Young, a sophomore, faces the tall task of replacing Mac Jones this season for Alabama football. O’Brien was extremely complimentary, noting his quarterback’s intelligence and saying it was clear he was coached well in high school and last season.

“He’s a very bright young man,” O’Brien said. “He works really hard. He’s a really good teammate and he cares about the team. I’ll say that about the whole quarterback room. When you talk about the whole room: Paul Tyson, Jalen Milroe, Braxton Barker and Stone Hollenbach. It’s a really good room.”

O’Brien said he didn’t want to compare Young to any other quarterbacks he has coached, but the list includes big names. He coached Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson in the NFL.

“Everybody brought a little bit of a different skillset each year” O’Brien said. “You’ve got to do what’s best for not only them but also the players around them — whether it’s the receivers, tight ends, the backs, the offensive line, that all plays out during training camp.”

The Crimson Tide not only have to replace Jones, but also running back Najee Harris and receivers Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith. Normally this would be a difficult situation for a first-year coordinator to inherit, but Alabama football consistently stocks its program with five-stars waiting to make an impact. Bryce Young is just another one of those top-rated prospects.

He was the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2020, according to 247Sports. He finished 5-of-8 passing for 54 yards in his college debut against Missouri last season. His NIL deals are approaching $1 million despite having not played a meaningful snap for the Crimson Tide.

It’s clear many in Tuscaloosa believe he will be another success, one of many quarterbacks to lead the Tide to a title. That could very well come true, and it’s safe to say O’Brien enters a very good situation.

Photo courtesy of Alika Jenner/Getty Images.