Five second-year players Alabama fans should watch this spring
As February ends, spring football approaches. In just a couple of weeks, Nick Saban and the Alabama football team will return to the practice field and begin on-field work for the 2023 season.
Alabama will have to replace significant pieces from last year’s squad, most notably quarterback Bryce Young and outside linebacker Will Anderson.
Each spring, Tide fans get a glimpse of what the future holds for the Alabama football team, and I expect some second-year players to step up and generate some buzz heading into the 2023 season.
Today we are look at five second-year players I believe could make some noise this spring.
To clarify, this is a list of players who did not have much of an impact as true freshmen in 2022. So players such as Tyler Booker, Isaiah Bond and Kobe Prentice will not be a part of this group.
Let’s dive right in!
Ty Simpson
AP Photo/Vasha Hunt
There is no better place to start than at the quarterback position with Ty Simpson. Simpson is a former five-star recruit and is expected to push Jalen Milroe for the starting spot as Alabama’s signal-caller. Simpson is a coach’s son and understands the game at a very high level. There may not be a second-year player who generates more buzz than him.
Elijah Pritchett
AP Photo/Vasha Hunt
One of the weakest position groups for Alabama over the past couple of seasons has been the offensive line. While 2022 did see improvements made from 2021, the Tide has work to do upfront. JC Latham returns as one of the tackles, and Elijah Pritchett has the best shot of playing opposite Latham, in my opinion. Prichett is a name Tide fans should get to know.
Jam Miller
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In his limited role last season, Jam Miller showed flashes of his playmaking ability as a running back. Despite Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams returning in 2023, Miller might be the best natural runner of the bunch. I expect Miller to be one of the standouts this spring.
Jeremiah Alexander
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Jeremiah Alexander is a former five-star recruit who impressed the coaching staff as a true freshman in 2022. Due to the exceptional depth at outside linebacker last year, Alexander took a redshirt and learned from Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner. With Anderson moving on to the NFL, Alexander could work his way into the outside linebacker rotation with Turner and Chris Braswell.
Earl Little Jr.
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Earl Little Jr. spent his freshman season dealing with a shoulder injury. Now that Little is healthy and there are some vacant spots in the Alabama secondary, you could see him take charge of one of those spots. Little is athletic enough to play corner or the star position. Look for Little to be in the mix this spring for a starting role in the Alabama secondary.
Honorable mentions: Jihaad Campbell | Shawn Murphy
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There will be a lot of competition at the inside linebacker position this spring in Tuscaloosa. Both Jihaad Campbell and Shawn Murphy will be in the mix to win a potential starting job.
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