Alabama Football: 5 post-spring bold predictions for 2019
4. Alabama has (at least) two 1,000-plus yard receivers
There’s not a wide receiver room in the entire country that can boast more talent than in Tuscaloosa. All four of the team’s top wide receivers from 2018 are back for the 2019 campaign, led by Biletnikoff winner Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy was the lone 1,000-plus yard receiver from a season ago, finishing with over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s widely considered the best receiver in college football, and most draft experts expect him to be a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Replacing the production of tight end Irv Smith Jr. will be difficult, and with no bonafide receiving option like him available at the position, don’t be surprised if new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian goes with some four-wide sets to try and maximize the talent on the field and get the ball in the hands of his best playmakers.
Rising sophomore Jaylen Waddle is the No. 4 guy in the pecking order, but he was second on the team in receiving last season with 848 yards. He feasted during garbage time, but he also made plenty of impact during big games, like his long touchdown in the third quarter against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game that finally sparked a previously dormant Alabama offense.
Rising junior Henry Ruggs is also considered a potential first round pick in the 2020 draft. He’s the speedster of a group of speedy wideouts, and was second on the team with 46 receptions last season. He turned those into 741 yards, and should see an increase in targets.
Rising junior Devonta Smith was fifth on the team with 693 receiving yards, but he also missed a couple of games with an injured hamstring. Smith has a good rapport with Tagovailoa already, stemming from the game-winning touchdown pass between the two to beat Georgia a couple seasons ago.
Any one of those three could jump into the four-digit range with yards next season to join Jeudy. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a third accomplish that feat, either.