Amari Niblack can be 'mismatch' player for Alabama passing game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – When Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked about the tight end position earlier in preseason camp, he mentioned two players by name. The first was Maryland transfer CJ Dippre, who was lured from the transfer portal to possibly be a Day 1 starter.
But the second was sophomore Amari Niblack, who has put together an impressive spring and summer up to this point and seems poised to see his role increase in Year 2 with the team.
Following the Crimson Tide’s 11th practice, Saban shared the latest on Niblack’s progress.
“He’s doing great,” Saban said Tuesday. “He’s gotten bigger, he’s gotten stronger. He understands the offense a lot better. He is a mismatch player, to some degree, in the passing game, and he’s done a really good job. He was very productive in the first scrimmage.
“And he is blocking better, and I think that he can be an impact player for us if he continues to grow and progress. We’re excited about his future.”
Niblack was a top-100 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. On3 rated the Saint Petersburg, Fla., native as a 5-star recruit before he enrolled at Alabama, listing the Lakewood product as the nation’s No. 1 tight end and 27th-best overall prospect.
As a true freshman last season, Niblack appeared in 10 games for the Crimson Tide, making his first and only start on the road at Tennessee. His lone reception of the season came in Week 3 at home against ULM, which resulted in a 15-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Last year, Saban believed Niblack could be a weapon for the Alabama offense as he continued to make progress, and his teammates were effusive in their praise for the then-freshman.
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“He has a lot of speed and is a very knowledgeable guy,” said former top tight end Cameron Latu last September. “He picks up on a lot of things quicker than most. Once he gets it down, we’ll get to see him a little bit more, but we love his speed, we love his game and he’s a very strong guy actually for his size.
“He hasn’t really worked the run game in high school, but he’s learned really fast and he’s gonna be a great player for us.”
Now up to 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds, Niblack appears ready to take the next step in his career at Alabama and be a top option at the tight end position, not only as a receiver but a blocker.
“He’s definitely physical,” right tackle JC Latham said. “He’s great at communication, knows where he’s supposed to be at. He’s just a mismatch. He knows how to hit big guys, whatever it might be. He’s not shying away from any type of contact.”
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