Alabama football: 1 offensive and 1 defensive player poised to break out in 2021
By John Buhler
The Alabama football program has no choice but to reload after winning the national title.
Even if the Alabama football team lost so much talent to the 2021 NFL Draft after winning the College Football Playoff, few programs recruit as well as the Crimson Tide.
This is a big reason why Alabama can theoretically compete for back-to-back national championships after losing major award winners at seemingly every position. Though there are no guarantees the Crimson Tide will come out of the SEC this year to make the four-team playoff field, they have a handful of underclassmen poised to have breakout seasons of their own in 2021.
Keep an eye on these two sophomores to ensure that the Alabama program does not skip a beat.
Alabama football: 2 breakout stars to emerge this season
It is Bryce Young’s time to shine under center for the Crimson Tide
Though he faces a world of pressure given the position he plays and for what team, sophomore signal-caller Bryce Young was built for this. The former five-star recruit from Southern California made his way to Tuscaloosa by way of high school powerhouse Mater Dei. While some people thought he may win the starting job as a freshman, we all saw how great Mac Jones was in 2020.
Young played sparingly in his freshman season with Alabama. He completed 13-of-22 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Had he have played at most other Power 5 schools, there is a great chance we would have seen Young flourish in his freshman season. Instead, iron sharpened iron in Tuscaloosa, as expected. Young is finally ready to ascend to the Alabama quarterbacking throne.
Young has to play up to the level his predecessors Jones, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts did before him. The good news is he has plenty of talent around him. His offensive tackle Evan Neal will be a top-five pick. Brian Robinson Jr. leads a steep stable of running backs. Plus, Young has plenty of stars to throw the ball to in wide receivers John Metchie III and Slade Bolden, among many others.
Even if Young can play at an All-SEC level in his first year as a starter, he will need help on defense.