One Alabama freshman should be able to make a clear impact right away.
A new era of Alabama football is beginning in 2020 now that Tua Tagovailoa is with the Miami Dolphins. Mac Jones appears to be holding down the starting job for now with Bryce Young right behind him. Paul Tyson rounds out the depth chart.
Young is showing up to Alabama as one of the more hyped prospects in recent memory. That is why the young man should be expected to make an immediate impact even if Jones holds down the starting spot for the season.
The hype is real with Bryce Young at Alabama
Young is the top recruit in his class according to 247Sports and has the 20th-highest prospect ranking in history using the site’s composite rankings. He is also the top-rated dual-threat quarterback, which is why he should be expected to contribute in 2020 as a freshman.
Jones appeared in 11 games last season and got significant playing time due to a Tagovailoa injury. This experience is why he should be the starter when the season opens. However, he only had 36 rushing yards all season.
Now the team has a legitimate dual-threat option in Young. Think back to when Jalen Hurts was the starting quarterback for the program. He had 954 rushing yards in 2016 and followed that up with 855 in 2017. He eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark through the air as well.
Jones will be expected to do his job as a passer. But now the offense can put Young on the field for a limited set of plays and the defense will have zero idea what is coming. The key will be to avoid being predictable by only having him run the ball. Throwing him on the field in limited action will make him more of a mystery and a threat at the same time.
Young’s abilities will allow him to make an immediate impact without being the starting quarterback. But what if Jones struggles early on? Nick Saban has shown he is not afraid to switch quarterbacks during a game. That is how Tagovailoa originally burst onto the scene and it helped Alabama win a national championship.
Saban may also want to see what his top recruit has if Jones is not playing at an elite level. The season will be unique in 2020, but that doesn’t mean the head coach wants to get away from his goal of competing for whatever a national championship looks like.
Young is the future at quarterback for the Crimson Tide and his dual-threat abilities give him an edge over Jones. Jones just has the experience for now and thus should earn the starting nod. But who knows if that job even lasts through the first game of the season if he struggles early.
Young can make an impact off the bench and Crimson Tide fans should be excited to see what plays the offensive staff comes up with, which should bring back memories of how Hurts was used in the offense. That style of play only led to great things in Alabama.
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