BAMA ON3 SHOW: Alabama Season Review, Part II - Secondary losses, transfer portal and more
The Bama On3 Show is back for Episode 121, which includes BamaInsider’s Clint Lamb and Jimmy Stein breaking down all the latest happenings surrounding the Alabama football program. Today’s list of topics include the following:
- Nick Saban’s concerns on timing of players portaling out
- Early NFL draft entrants — why Eli Ricks should’ve stayed
- What does Alabama’s secondary look like after losses
- And more!
To keep track of the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal
Click here to join Alabama fans on the Talk of Champions message board
Links to Podcast
Apple Podcast: apple.co/3GMlign
Spotify: spoti.fi/3Xe1gjV
Megaphone: https://bit.ly/3Ctk2Mw
TE snap count observations – Sugar Bowl
Cameron Latu – 50 snaps (89.3%)
Robbie Ouzts – 25 snaps (44.6%)
Danny Lewis – 2 snaps (3.6%)
Miles Kitselman – 1 snap (1.8%)
Observations: On Saturday, Latu snapped a four-game streak of seeing 100% of the team’s offensive snaps. In fact, it was the first time he’s played less than 90% of the snaps since Week 4 against Vanderbilt. The redshirt senior did bring in five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown though.
Similar to Gibbs, Latu saw his heaviest usage on the road this season. Of his 30 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns, here are those percentages that came away from Bryant-Denny Stadium:
- Catches: 21 of 30 (70%)
- Yardage: 260 of 377 (69%)
- Touchdowns: 3 of 4 (75%)
That’s pretty wild to think about, but it makes sense considering Young’s familiarity with Latu. After going the first month of the season without a touchdown, it was nice to see Latu score four times over the final seven games. That’s more on pace with the eight touchdowns in 15 games we saw from him in 2021.
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Of the 187 snaps Ouzts got this season, 99 of them (or 52.9%) came in games Latu wasn’t available.
That’d make you think the second-year tight end wasn’t a factor with Latu in the lineup, but Ouzts actually played 41 of those 187 snaps (21.9%) over the last two games. I think his last three games, which includes Auburn, Kansas State and his start against Austin Peay, have been his best.
Even without a target in the passing game, I thought Ouzts was effective in the run game on Saturday. In fact, I believe his in-line ability is what made Alabama comfortable using veteran Kendall Randolph exclusively as a depth offensive lineman in the Sugar Bowl.
I was surprised to see Lewis and Kitselman as the other two tight ends getting snaps in garbage time. I’m not sure what this means (if anything) for Amari Niblack, but he didn’t play. Either way, Alabama wasn’t comfortable with this position’s outlook heading into the offseason, so the coaching staff secured a quality veteran option in Maryland’s CJ Dippre.
For more offensive snap count observations, click here.
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