Alabama Football Spring Position Update: Wide Receivers

The Crimson Tide will have three new starters at the position, plus a variety of young players who all have one trait in common: Speed.

When it came to the receiving corps, Alabama was looking for two things in particular to add from the transfer portal for the 2022 season, experience and explosiveness. And, not to be greedy or anything, it hoped to find both traits in one person. 

Hey, it worked last year with the addition of Jameson Williams from Ohio State, and it looks like the Crimson Tide may have found gold again.

Jermaine Burton, who played against Alabama in both the SEC Championship Game, and National Championship Game, transferred from Georgia to play in the passing game that has led to the last two Heisman Trophy winners.

“Jermaine Burton was somebody that we recruited out of high school that we thought was a really, really good player," Nick Saban said at the beginning of spring practices. "He had a fairly productive year at Georgia. They have a lot of good players at his position, and he had some production this year. But probably might have seen a better opportunity because we're a little bit more wide open and throw the ball more with a good quarterback."

Moreover, he gives the Crimson Tide a badly-needed veteran presence at the position after Williams, John Metchie III and Slade Bolden all moved on to the NFL.

Ja'Corey Brooks was able to carve out a significant role in Alabama's rotation late last season, and obviously has the inside lane on securing a starting job this season. But he's still just a sophomore. 

Otherwise, Traeshon Holden is the elder statesman of the group as a junior, yet hasn't made a career start. 

"He's been a real positive addition to the receiver corp," Saban said about Burton during the first full week of spring practices. "He's got quickness, he's got speed, he's got really good hands, he runs good routes. And again, a little more experience, a little more maturity, really helps these guys learn and understand how to do things. And understand the importance of doing little things right because they've played in games and they've played against good competition.

 "So he's really done an outstanding job."

According to those who saw Alabama's second spring scrimmage, which was closed to the public and media, Burton's big-play ability was on display while scoring a pair of touchdowns. 

2022 Alabama Crimson Tide Wide Receivers

Photo | Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Kendrick Law, 2022, SIAA No. 33

Ja'Corey Brooks, 2021, SIAA No. 45

Christian Leary, 2021, No. 47

JoJo Earle, 2021 No. 75

Aaron Anderson, 2022

Jermaine Burton, 2020 (Georgia)

Thaiu Jones-Bell, 2020

Traeshon Holden, 2020

Kendrick Law

Alabama Athletics

No. 83, 5'11" 193 pounds, freshman 

The versatile early enrollee can contribute at multiple positions, but has spent the spring at wide receiver. A four-star signee by all major recruiting sites was the third-ranked athlete and No. 85 recruit nationally by 247Sports, which also listed him as the No. 5 player from Louisiana. He was No. 85 overall and the third-ranked athlete in the country on the 247Composite, the No. 92 player nationally according to the On300 list by On3, the No. 100 signee on the Rivals250, and No. 83 on the ESPN300. Also excelled in track. Chose Alabama over Florida State, LSU and Texas.

Ja'Corey Brooks

Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17, 6'2" 196 pounds, sophomore 

Earned spot in receiver rotation and also played on special teams. Played in all 15 games during his first season, recording 15 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Brooks also blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown against Texas A&M. 

All his receptions and yards came across the final six games of his rookie campaign, including the game-tying touchdown with just seconds remaining to send the Auburn game to overtime. Led all wideouts with 66 yards on his four catches against Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, including a 44-yard touchdown. Brooks was targeted a team-high tying nine times in the National Championship Game, finishing with six catches for 47 yards.

Christian Leary

TG Paschal/BamaCentral

No. 12, 5'10" 175 pounds, sophomore

Saw his first career minutes on special teams while also worked some at tailback to help with backfield depth late in the season. Had two receptions, one for a touchdown, and three carries for 22 rushing yards. 

JoJo Earle

Alabama Athletics

No. 10, 5'10" 177 pounds, sophomore 

Named to the Freshman All-SEC Team by league coaches as a return specialist. Finished his first season with 12 catches for 148 receiving yards, along with 15 punt returns for 88 combined yards. 

Made first career start against Southern Miss. 

Earle suffered a leg injury against New Mexico State that kept him out until the Cotton Bowl. 

Aaron Anderson

Alabama Athletics

No. 82, 5'9" 184 pounds, freshman 

Although receiver who also stood out in track, Anderson was a four-star prospect by all major recruiting sites. He was No. 55 on the Rivals250 and the No. 88 prospect on the ESPN300. The 247Composite listed him as the No. 96 player and No. 14 wide receiver nationally. Set numerous track records at Edna Karr High School where he also helped the Cougars win multiple state titles. He signed with the Crimson Tide after de-committing from in-state LSU.

Jermaine Burton

Alabama Athletics

No. 3, 6'0" 200 pounds, junior 

Played in 24 games during his two-year stint at Georgia before transferring to Alabama. Burton totaled 26 catches for a team-high 497 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. He averaged 19.1 yards per catch.

2020: Played in all 10 games during his freshman season and caught 27 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns.

Burton originally hails from Calabasas, Calif., where he was rated a four-star prospect by all major outlets. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 58 player nationally and the eighth-ranked player from California, and he was tabbed as the No. 99 overall prospect in the ESPN300.

Thaiu Jones-Bell

Alabama Athletics

No. 14, 6'0" 190 pounds, junior 

Played in five games as a sophomore and had two receptions for 16 yards against New Mexico State. 

2020: Played in five games to help try and offset the injury loss of Jaylen Waddle, and made one catch as a freshman. 

Traeshon Holden

Alabama Athletics

No. 11, 6'3" 214 pounds, junior 

Played in all 15 games as a sophomore and totaled 21 receptions for 239 yards. Holden made his first career catch against Miami, scored his first touchdown against Mississippi State, and had a career-high six receptions in the National Championship Game,  

2020: Played in five games, but did not have a reception. 

Incoming ...

Photo | Isaiah Bond's Instagram account, isaiahbond_

SIAA No. 56: Shazz Preston WR, 6-0, 190, Saint James, La./Saint James

Preston was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the nation and should give the Crimson Tide another explosive playmaker on the outside. He was a consensus four-star prospect, the No. 5 receiver in the nation, No. 41 player on the Rivals100 and the No. 6 recruit in Louisiana according to Rivals.com. He was the No. 43 on the 247Composite, the No. 3 receiver and the No. 4 player in the state of Louisiana, 108th in the Top247, the No. 17 wideout and No. 7 player in the state by 247Sports. Preston was also listed at No. 90 on the ESPN300 while the site ranked him as the No. 3 receiver, No. 9 player in the Southwest Region and the top player in Louisiana. He chose Alabama over Georgia, LSU and Texas.

Isaiah Bond, WR, 5-11, 175, Buford, Ga./Buford

The explosive playmaker out of Georgia was a unanimous four-star prospect, ranked No. 86 on the 247Composite, the site’s No. 2 athlete and No. 8 player in the state of Georgia. He was also No. 89 on the Top247 list and rated as 247Sports’ No. 3 athlete and No. 8 player in the state, the No. 88 prospect on the Rivals250, the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 7 player in Georgia, and No. 108 on the ESPN300, the No. 9 receiver, and No. 9 player in the state. Also excelled in track as a sprinter. Chose Alabama over Florida and Georgia.

Kobe Prentice, WR, 5-10, 171, Calera, Ala./Calera

The unanimous four-star prospect was the 247Composite’s 147th player nationally, the No. 24 wide receiver and the No. 8 player in Alabama, and listed as the No. 76 player on the Top247 list by 247Sports. He was also the site’s No. 9 receiver and the No. 4 player in Alabama. Prentice was the No. 84 on the Rivals250 while also being listed as the No. 15 wideout and the fourth-ranked player in the state, and rated as the No. 35 wide receiver by ESPN.com and the No. 19 player in Alabama. He too was a track standout. Chose Alabama over Mississippi State and Maryland.

Overall, Alabama has a ton of talent at the wide receiver spots, but a lot of it is unproven. Promising sophomore Agiye Hall was recently suspended from the team and has placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

His departure leaves the Crimson Tide with eight wide receivers this spring, including two early enrollees. It'll add three more freshmen over the summer. 

This is the sixth story in a position-by-position series on the Crimson Tide this spring.

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Tight Ends

Defensive Linemen 

Linebackers