Going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl are great seasons for a lot of teams — but for the Alabama Crimson Tide, it is below expectations. Those expectations include an SEC championship, College Football Playoff appearance and national title. But despite missing those expectations, the Crimson Tide were not far off from their goal. Their two losses were by a combined 4 points — on a game-winning field goal as time expired against Tennessee and a two-point conversion in overtime to LSU. So, expectations for 2023 are still the same.
And so, while heading into Saturday's A-Day, Alabama's annual spring game, Crimson Tide fans were ready to watch their team prepare to push for another national title. But what they got was an ugly showing that saw Team Crimson beat Team White 30-21. Coach Nick Saban was quoted saying, "All in all, I think we had a good spring. ... I really like the spirit and energy of this team. I think that everybody in spring practice probably gets tired of competing against each other at some point in time, but it was good to go out and play in front of a crowd today. I think that energized players to some degree."
So, with differing opinions on how Alabama's spring game went, here are some things to take away from A-Day.
Quarterbacks Struggle
Left: Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Center: Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images, Right: Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Leaving some pretty big shoes to fill, Bryce Young is off to the NFL, and the battle for the new QB1 for Alabama football is neck and neck between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. However, neither player impressed on Saturday, meaning neither player gained any separation from the other. Three interceptions and less than 50% of their passes were completed — not great. Saban and the coaching staff have a lot of work to do before Week 1 rolls around.
The Secondary is Deep
Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images
Alabama produces NFL players left and right, and it always has a next-man-up mentality. And with its secondary, it will have plenty to choose from during the 2023 season. Four players had an interception in the spring game and were involved in a handful of pass breakups. So maybe the quarterback play was more due to the talent in the secondary, which is the best defense to go up against in practice.
Kadyn Proctor's Instant Impact
The Alabama offensive line will be one of the best — if not the best — in all of college football in 2023. With Tyler Booker and JC Latham, the offensive line is about as good as it can get. But add in freshman Kadyn Proctor, who is 6-foot-7 and 345 pounds, and you've got an offensive line that will dominate in both the run and passing games.
