Nick Saban wants to see more consistency from Alabama wide receivers

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama offense is averaging a little more than 200 passing yards per game (203.3), which is 13th out of 14 SEC teams and 102nd among FBS programs.

The Crimson Tide has been figuring out its quarterback position through the first month of the 2023 season, finally settling on redshirt sophomore Jalen Milroe for the start of SEC play, and its offensive line has struggled in pass protection, allowing 16 sacks in four games.

One bright spot has been the wide receiver group, which has come up with some big catches, but head coach Nick Saban said he wants to see more consistency from UA’s wideouts.

“We need to develop confidence in terms of playing together – quarterback, receiver,” Saban said Wednesday. “I’m supposed to sit down if it’s zone, I sit down. You drift in a zone and it’s 3rd and 5 and now the ball comes out because a quarterback thinks you’re sitting and now you’re punting instead of getting first down. 

“So I think all those little things and those details … I say this all the time, what might be the most overused – attention to detail – term in the building, that can make things work or not work. I think we need to pay more attention to detail and the togetherness of how we execute in the passing game, whether it’s protection, whether it’s quarterback reads, whether it’s route running, the whole thing. 

“I think we can continue to make a lot of progress. And I’m not disappointed with the way that guys have played. They’ve made some great plays. But I think the consistency would be helpful.”

Through the first four games, senior Jermaine Burton leads Alabama in receiving yards with 189 and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with two on eight receptions. He has also seen two big-play scores negated because of penalties along the offensive line. Sophomore Isaiah Bond paces the Tide with 11 catches, turning them into 162 yards and a touchdown.

Five other wide receivers have caught passes up to this point, including Kobe Prentice (8), Malik Benson (4), Jalen Hale (3), Kendrick Law (2) and Ja’Corey Brooks (1). But Saban wants to see more steadiness from the position group as the offense continues to develop.

While the Alabama head coach provided a typical response, leaders of opposing teams see the Tide receiving corps as a threat to make plays downfield. Speaking on the SEC teleconference on Wednesday, Mississippi State’s Zach Arnett praised Burton’s playmaking ability.

“When a guy can run at you fast, it forces you to play softer and stay on top, and that opens up all the other routes that are not verticals, right – curls, comebacks, digs, every other break – because you’re so threatened by the speed and having to stay on top of the route that now, it makes all the other shallower routes harder to defend,” Arnett said. 

“He has tremendous speed. They have a whole receiver room full of tremendous speed. That’s kind of the No. 1 skillset at wide receiver. When you can run really fast and then when you can change directions well, that’s a good foundation for a receiver.”

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