Alabama wide receiver room stepping up with John Metchie out

Alabama suffered a tough blow to its offense, as wide receiver John Metchie has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. Metchie was injured late in the second half of the SEC Championship game.

Losing Metchie is a tough blow to Alabama’s offense. He leads the team with 96 receptions, and trails just Jameson Williams with 1,142 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Williams has 68 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns.

With Metchie now out, Alabama is looking for others to step up in the receiver room. Alabama head coach Nick Saban addressed some of the players that have stepped up to offset the loss of Metchie.

“Yeah well I think the guys are stepping up and doing a good job,” Saban said of Alabama’s wide receivers filling Metchie’s void. “Javon Baker has done a good job. Traeshon Holden has done a good job. Agiye Hall is making some good plays. I think those guys look forward to the opportunity that they have and they’re doing the best they can to get prepared to try to be able to help the team every way that they can. Ja’Corey (Brooks) has been playing well for us. So he’s also a guy that continues to improve.”

There is a big dip in production behind Williams, Metchie in Alabama’s receiver room

Behind Williams and Metchie, only one player has 300 receiving yards: wide receiver Slade Bolden. Tight ends Cameron Latu and Jahleel Billingsley and running back Brian Robinson Jr also have at least 240 receiving yards. Traeshon Holden has 15 receptions for 211 yards and one touchdown this season. Javon Baker has seven catches for 101 yards and a score.

As Alabama loses Metchie, it is getting receiver JoJo Earle back for the national championship push. Earle has 12 receptions for 148 yards in five games this season. In Week 5, he was injured and has not yet returned this season.

Whoever steps up in Alabama’s receiver room will be looking to create plays alongside star wideout Jameson Williams. Williams is a likely top ten pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. While Williams knows there will be more on his shoulders, he is also confident that the team can replicate its success despite not having Metchie.

“I feel like we all have to step up with Metch going down,” Williams said. “We all have to step up no matter what it is, we have a lot of talent in the room and big-play mentality.

“(Holden and Brooks) can do the same things. I’ve seen flashes of those guys this season and the way they stepped up when their name was called. I think we’re in good shape, I don’t see any drop-offs happening.”