Kalen DeBoer: Alabama 'still establishing' top wide receivers

Alabama has missed a true No. 1 wide receiver over the last two seasons. The final year of Bryce Young and last season of Jalen Milroe had good contributors but nobody stood above the rest. Kalen DeBoer is hoping to change things heading into the 2024 season.

Even so, the position is still a work in progress. DeBoer brought Germie Bernard with him from Washington and he impressed during the spring game. People are making plays but finding everything is fluid at the moment.

“I think we’re still establishing that,” DeBoer said on the receivers. “You saw the spring game. I think Germie Bernard has some special skills. I think you go on down the line, all those guys are doing their thing, and making plays.”

DeBoer is bringing a whole new offensive scheme to Tuscaloosa. We say the power it holds as Washington made a run to the College Football Playoff and national championship. Not many teams were able to run with them — partly due to the elite wide receiving core the Huskies possessed.

The chemistry between Micahel Penix Jr. and his receivers stuck out more than anything. DeBoer is currently making sure everyone is on the same page, rotating the WR two-deep with all four quarterbacks during spring practice.

Milroe is the starter but making sure the likes of Ty Simpson, Dylan Lonergan, and Austin Mack are comfortable is where DeBoer wants to be.

“A lot of these guys, timing with the quarterbacks,” DeBoer said. “We’ve been rotating receivers with the ones and the twos for the most part, guys that would be in the mix. And then also, not every drive has been Milroe because you need to get those other guys action. So, you bump guys up… The timing this summer is what they got to work on.”

Alabama will be adding an impressive receiver this summer, with former Five-Star Plus+ Ryan Williams joining the team as a true freshman. He will factor into the rotation immediately, adding to the list of guys DeBoer has a lot of faith in.

“I think we do have multiple guys that can do a lot of special things for us on the football field,” DeBoer said.

The last 1,000-yard receivers from Alabama were Jameson Williams and John Metchie en route to a national title appearance in 2021. You have to imagine DeBoer wants to change that and find someone Milroe can truly call his No. 1.