Opposing SEC coach makes prediction about Alabama in 2023

Alabama doesn’t have a true identity entering the 2023 college football season. Nick Saban is working with a mostly unexperienced roster, but as usual, the Crimson Tide still has a real shot at winning another national championship.

An anonymous SEC football coach recently spoke with Athlon Sports about what he expects from Alabama this season. His answer might’ve just hit the nail on the head.

“By Alabama standards right now, they’re not as talented compared to previous teams, but they’re Alabama, so they’re going to have a guy that you forgot about from recruiting who breaks out and then some other five-star who finally got to the top of the depth chart,” the coach said. “There will also be some dominant new name in the front seven by mid-season, just watch.”

“(Tommy) Reese is under more pressure than he realizes. It doesn’t matter that he came from Notre Dame, which is crazy to say, but that’s Alabama. I don’t think you can look at a lot of his Notre Dame stuff as a preview, though. He’s going to have way, way more depth at skill positions here. Different game entirely.” 

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The real question in Tuscaloosa this offseason has been: Who is going to replace former Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young at quarterback? We know that it’s between dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe, former five-star recruit Ty Simpson and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, but we likely won’t know for sure until the week leading up to the Crimson Tide’s first game of the season.

Freshman safety Caleb Downs and running back Justice Haynes are two names that have been making waves since spring practice, and more unfamiliar names are sure to rise in the depth chart as we progress through the offseason.

Last season’s Alabama team missed out on the College Football Playoff for the second time in four seasons. Finishing the season with two losses — the Crimson Tide could just as easily have gone undefeated, or had lost even more games depending on if a few plays had gone down differently.

Still, a Sugar Bowl finish isn’t enough for the national championship-hungry Crimson Tide fanbase. They couldn’t get it done with arguably the program’s greatest quarterback of all time in Bryce Young, so questions are sure to rise now that he’s gone to the NFL.

But it’s Alabama. They’re going to be in the mix — and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.