Previewing Michigan Vs. Alabama With A Crimson Tide Insider

By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with Bama Online‘s Charlie Potter for insight on the Alabama Crimson Tide before its game against Michigan Wolverines football in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl. Potter broke down the Crimson Tide and made a final score prediction. We begin with the projected starting lineup for Alabama:

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Alabama projected starters on offense

• #4 – Redshirt junior QB Jalen Milroe (6-2, 225) — Completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,652 yards and 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, adding 719 yards and 20 touchdowns on 152 carries in the regular season. He went 16-of-23 passing for 116 yards, took 6 sacks and rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries in a 27-20 loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl last season. Milroe has completed 20 passes of 20-plus air yards, with 9 of his 15 scoring tosses coming on those plays. A dynamic runner, his 29 rushes of 10-plus yards lead the team. He’s seen 631 of his non-sack rushing yards come on designed runs, while the other 188 are a product of scrambles.

• #26 – Junior RB Jam Miller (5-10, 218) — Second on the team behind Milroe with 641 rushing yards on 135 attempts, scoring 7 times. He averages only 2.8 yards after contact per rush and has broken just 5 runs of 15-plus yards. In the regular season, he split carries with sophomore Justice Haynes, who entered the portal and committed to Michigan this month.

• #5 – Junior WR Germie Bernard (6-1, 209) — The Michigan State (2022) and Washington (2023) transfer has hauled in 46 receptions for 714 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s been efficient on intermediate and deep routes, bringing in 24 receptions on 36 targets on throws of 10-plus air yards. Both of his touchdowns came on passes of 20-plus air yards.

• #2 – Freshman WR Ryan Williams (6-0, 175) — The former five-star+ recruit is 17 years old but leads Alabama with 857 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns on 45 receptions. Williams averages 19 yards per catch, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 17th in the country. Nineteen of his grabs came on passes of 10-plus air yards, and he also averages 8.7 yards after the catch per reception.

• #81 – Senior TE CJ Dippre (6-5, 262) — Hauled in 19 receptions for 238 yards with no touchdowns. He has a 61.5 PFF run-blocking grade.

• #45 – Senior TE Robbie Ouzts (6-4, 270) — Made 7 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. He’s been a run blocker on 197 of his 286 offensive snaps and posted a 55.9 PFF grade in that category.

• #74 – Sophomore LT Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 369) — The second-team All-SEC honoree has started 24 career games. This season, he’s recorded a 76.4 overall PFF rating (sixth among FBS tackles with 300-plus snaps) and allowed 11 pressures and 2 sacks in 10 outings.

• #52 – Junior LG Tyler Booker (6-5, 325) — The first-team All-American (USA Today) has opened 25 career contests. He has a 67.5 overall PFF rating, and his 87.1 pass-blocking mark ranks fifth in the country among guards with 300-plus snaps. He’s given up 9 pressures with no sacks.

• #72 – Redshirt sophomore C Parker Brailsford (6-2, 290) — The second-team All-American (FWAA, 2024) was a second-team All-Pac-12 honoree at Washington last season, before following head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff to Tuscaloosa. He’s opened 27 career outings. He has a 66.2 overall PFF grade and 81.2 pass-blocking rating. He’s given up 5 pressures and no sacks.

• #77 – Redshirt junior RG Jaeden Roberts (6-5, 310) — Opened 19 career games. He’s registered a 66.6 overall PFF grade, allowing 11 pressures and 1 sack in pass protection.

• #57 – Redshirt sophomore RT Elijah Pritchett (6-6, 327) — The first-year starter has opened all 12 games this season, including playing one at left tackle while Proctor was injured. He has a team-worst 44.8 overall PFF grade with 28 pressures and 5 sacks given up.

Alabama projected starters on defense

• #50 – Graduate DT Tim Smith (6-4, 314) — Posted 28 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack, adding 9 pressures this season. He’s played 1,608 defensive snaps in his five-year career with the Tide.

• #96 – Redshirt junior DT Tim Keenan III (6-2, 326) — Registered 36 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks, with 12 pressures. His 89.1 PFF run-defense rating leads the Crimson Tide defensive line.

• #22 – Junior DE LT Overton (6-5, 283) — Collected 35 tackles, 3 stops for loss and 2 sacks. He leads the team and ranks tied 12th in the SEC with 35 pressures. His 17-percent pass-rush win rate checks in sixth among SEC edge rushers.

• #20 – Redshirt senior DE Jah-Marien Latham (6-3, 278) — Recorded 27 tackles, including 2 for loss and a sack, adding 1 fumble recovery and 13 pressures.

• #11 – Junior LB Jihaad Campbell (6-3, 244) — The second-team All-American (FWAA, USA Today) and first-team All-SEC selection is the second-best linebacker prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, according to PFF’s big board. He leads the team with 106 tackles — including 11.5 for loss and 5 sacks — adding 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. His 17 pressures on 94 pass-rush snaps rank tied 33rd among Power Four inside linebackers.

• #0 – Redshirt junior LB Deontae Lawson (6-2, 239) — The third-team All-SEC performer has tallied 76 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups and an interception. He’s added 12 pressures on 66 pass-rush snaps.

• #7 – Redshirt junior NB DaShawn Jones (6-0, 185) — The Wake Forest transfer is expected to make his first start as an Alabama player, after nickel DeVonta Smith hit the transfer portal and committed to Notre Dame. Jones has tallied 20 tackles, including 2 for loss and a half-sack, and 2 pass breakups. He possesses a 66.6 PFF coverage grade, giving up 12 receptions for 100 yards and 1 touchdown on 19 targets.

• #1 – Junior CB Domani Jackson (6-1, 201) — The USC transfer has racked up 48 tackles, including 2 for loss, 2 interceptions, 9 pass breakups and a forced fumble. The picks came against Georgia and South Carolina. He has a 65.8 PFF coverage rating, allowing 23 catches for 280 yards and 1 touchdown on 47 targets.

• #2 – Freshman CB Zabien Brown (6-0, 196) — The All-SEC Freshman Team member has made 17 tackles, including 2 for loss, 4 pass breakups, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. He’s registered a 63.7 PFF coverage rating with 16 receptions for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns given up on 37 targets.

• #18 – Sophomore S Bray Hubbard (6-2, 204) — Started five games following a season-ending injury to junior Keon Sabb, a Michigan transfer. He’s posted 48 tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 pass breakups. He has an 89.7 PFF coverage rating, which ranks eighth among FBS safeties with 150-plus such snaps.

• #12 – Freshman S Zavier Mincey (6-3, 204) — One of the few young players that have been listed as needing to step up in the bowl game following the injuries to graduate Malachi Moore and Sabb, Mincey was a top-25 recruit nationally out of Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland. He’s recorded 9 tackles and a pass breakup in 12 games off the bench.

• #13 – Graduate S Malachi Moore (6-0, 201) — The second-team All-American (AFCA, AP) is a team captain with 70 tackles, including 3 for loss and 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles with 1 recovery. He has an 89.5 PFF coverage rating, which ranks tied 11th among FBS safeties with 150-plus such snaps.

Alabama specialists

• #14 – Senior K Graham Nicholson (6-0, 183) — He’s 6-of-8 on field goals with a 47-yard long. He’s 2-of-3 from between 40-49 yards and 0-of-1 from 50-plus. Redshirt freshman Conor Talty handles kickoff duties, booting 39 touchbacks on 72 attempts.

• #86 – Redshirt senior P James Burnip (6-6, 236) — The Melbourne, Australia, native is averaging 44.9 yards per punt with a 64-yard long. He’s pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 19 times and has 17 kicks of 50-plus yards. His 4.28-second average hangtime ranks tied second in the SEC.

• #2 – Freshman PR/KR Ryan Williams (6-0, 175) — Averages 8.2 yards per punt return on 10 attempts, with a 28-yard long. He’s brought back 2 kicks for 14 yards (with a long of 14 yards).

The Jalen Milroe rollercoaster

Milroe finished top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting last season, but he wasn’t quite the difference-maker with his arm that Alabama needed him to be — particularly in third-and-long situations — in a loss to Michigan in the semifinal at the Rose Bowl. He appeared to take a step forward this season early on, throwing for 374 yards and 2 touchdowns in a win over Georgia, but has been inconsistent. The turnovers have been an issue, with 6 of his 10 picks coming in the team’s three losses.

“It’s been up and down,” Potter said of Milroe’s season. “In the first month of the season, he looked like a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy. I also don’t think he played poorly at Vanderbilt, but the next three games were rough before another monster performance at LSU. Then he had the worst showing of his Alabama career at Oklahoma in a game where the Tide only mustered three points — the same number of interceptions he threw.

“Milroe is a dynamic athlete that can take over a game. But at times, he tries to force things rather than using his greatest gift — his legs. This is most likely his last game in crimson, so UA is hoping for Georgia Milroe rather than Oklahoma.

“Turnovers have been an issue for Milroe. He has 10 interceptions on the season, and some of those have been costly. I know Michigan will be without some key defensive pieces, so it will be important for him to take care of the football in Tampa.”

Strengths and weaknesses of the Alabama offense

The weakness of Alabama’s offense, per Potter, has been its propensity to turn the ball over, as broken down above. He also mentioned the depth of the wide receivers, not having a No. 2 running back with Haynes being in the portal and offensive tackle depth as issues.

There’s a lot to like about the Crimson Tide offense, though. The group ranks tied 14th nationally with 17 plays of 20-plus yards, and Milroe can push the ball down field, especially on broken plays when he scrambles.

“Explosive plays,” Potter said of one of the strengths. “But we haven’t seen as many as we did early in the year when Ryan Williams burst onto the scene. Milroe has a cannon for an arm and playmaking receivers to go get it, but they haven’t connected on as many of late. There will also only be four healthy scholarship receivers for this game after the departures and injuries. The top two targets are still around — Williams and Germie Bernard — so the potential for explosives is still there.

“Alabama also sees success when it’s able to establish the run. The only three games with less than 100 rushing yards were the three losses. While Justice Haynes is on his way to Michigan, the Tide still has a good stable of backs, led by Jam Miller, and a mobile quarterback that can make defenses pay. Get the run game going and Alabama can have a big day.”

Strengths, concerns for the Alabama defense

Alabama is giving up only 17.3 points per game under coordinator Kane Wommack, who Michigan saw twice when he was in charge of the Indiana defense from 2019-20.

“Alabama has been opportunistic when it comes to turnovers, forcing 27 this season (16 INTs, 11 fumbles),” Potter noted. “The Crimson Tide will be down three starting defensive backs and the signal caller in the middle of its defense, but others have stepped up in their place — like safety Bray Hubbard, who leads the team with 3 interceptions. It will be interesting to see how Alabama replaces Malachi Moore in the back end, but there are some promising young players.

“A big issue for UA has been quarterback runs. Diego Pavia and Jackson Arnold carried the ball 20 or more times in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma’s wins over the Tide, with the latter eclipsing 100 yards on the ground. Quarterback runs open up a team’s overall ground game, and Alabama has had problems when a team’s signal-caller is able to get outside of the pocket.”

Potter’s final score prediction

“Alabama is a double-digit favorite in this game and didn’t have any key players choose to focus on the draft,” Potter began. “While there were departures during the transfer window and some contributors will be out due to injury, I think this group, after everything they’ve been through this year, is focused on finishing on a high note. Given U-M’s attrition, I’ll go with Alabama.”
Prediction: Alabama 35, Michigan 17