BamaCentral 22 for ‘22: Which Alabama Transfer Will Have the Best Season?

Joey Blackwell, Tony Tsoukalas and Katie Windam are breaking down 22 topics and questions concerning the Crimson Tide's 2022 season.

After falling one win short of adding a 19th national title last season, Alabama will look to rebound and take the next step this year. The Crimson Tide returns a loaded roster, including reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young and a rebuilt offense as well as one of the most talented defenses in the Nick Saban era.

Alabama will open its season on Sept. 3 when it hosts Utah State inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. To help pass the time, BamaCentral’s Joey Blackwell, Tony Tsoukalas and Katie Windham will discuss 22 topics and questions concerning the 2022 season.

Today we begin our series by asking which one of the Crimson Tide’s incoming transfers will have the most success this season.

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Blackwell’s Take

Alabama certainly made headlines in the offseason for its work in the transfer portal, and with good reason. While all five of the Crimson Tide’s transfers will certainly have an immediate impact, one transfer stands above the rest. At least, in this humble writer’s opinion.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of Georgia Tech is slated to make waves for the Crimson Tide this season. At the conclusion of 2021, Alabama saw the departure of primary workhorse Brian Robinson Jr., leaving the position up for grabs among a loaded running back room. However, the Alabama stable lacked experience, an intangible that Gibbs brings with him to Tuscaloosa.

In his two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Gibbs totaled 1,206 rushing yards off 232 carries along with 60 receptions for 773 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Along with experience, Gibbs brings versatility to the position with his ability to be used as both a ground-and-pound style back as well as a pass-catcher, both of which he performs exceptionally well.

At A-Day, Gibbs was quite impressive, carrying the ball nine times for 100 yards and a touchdown. The highlight play of the game also came courtesy of Gibbs with a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. His performance earned him the Dixie Howell Memorial Award (A-Day Game MVP), and if his spring game is anything to go by for the upcoming year, Gibbs certainly looks to be a heavy contributor.

Alabama Athletics

Tsoukalas’ Take

Alabama returns the reigning Heisman winner in Young. Regardless of the talent the Crimson Tide has stockpiled around him, this year’s offense is going to run through the five-star quarterback. With that being said, it’s safe to assume his favorite target is in store for a productive season as well. Given what we saw in the spring, Jermaine Burton figures to be that guy.

Burton and Young hooked up several times throughout spring camp, including the A-Day game where the Georgia transfer reeled in three receptions for 36 yards. Those catches came on a team-high eight targets as Burton was often Young’s first read. The two also have plenty of chemistry dating back to when Burton spent his final two seasons of high school in Calabasas, Calif.

“We’ve been to the same camps, been in the same circles, so he was someone that I knew before college,” Young said this spring. “He’s someone who came in and really has a really professional mindset as far as early, right when he transferred in, he wanted to know the plays, wanted to know the system, meeting with Wiggs [ receivers coach Holmon Wiggins], meeting with and talking with me and asking me questions about how we did stuff, how our operation worked, certain routes, the specifics. He’s someone who has worked hard to catch up as quickly as possible and kind of bridge that gap.”

Burton doesn’t offer the same elite speed as incoming Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell. However, he’s still a big-play threat. Last season, he averaged 19.12 yards per reception while leading all Georgia wide receivers with 497 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

Last season, John Metchie III was Bryce Young’s favorite target as he hauled in a team-high 96 receptions while recording 1,142 yards and eight scores through the air. That averaged out to 11.9 yards per reception. For perspective, if Burton is able to match Metchie’s reception total while maintaining his yards-per-catch average from Georgia, he’ll end up with 1,835 receiving yards next season — a similar total to DeVonta Smith during his Heisman Trophy campaign in 2020. While it’s a bit unreasonable to predict that kind of production, it’s easy to see why Alabama is excited about Burton moving forward. 

Photo | Eli Ricks' Twitter account, @eliasricks

Windham's Take

The Crimson Tide returns much more experience on the defensive side of the ball than the offensive side. The defensive backfield received a huge boost when Jordan Battle decided to return for his senior season, and another big boost when Alabama landed LSU defensive back Eli Ricks from the transfer portal back in December.

Even though there is a lot of depth returning on defense, the value of an addition like Ricks cannot be overstated. Coming out of high school, he was widely considered one of the best defensive backs in the class of 2020. And he proved it in his freshman season with the Tigers, earning Freshman All-America and Third Team All-America honors with 20 tackles, four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and five pass breakups. Ricks suffered a setback in his sophomore season with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss half the season.

During the spring, Saban said Ricks was continuing to work his way back from the injury and getting stronger as he learns the Alabama playbook.

"Every day he’s getting better and better," Battle said back in March. "He’s learning and getting more comfortable out there, and he's playing faster as he gets more comfortable. So we’re seeing a lot of progress from him."

With Battle and DeMarcco Hellams returning at the safety sports, a combination of Ricks, Khyree Jackson and Kool-Aid McKinstry (who had a breakout freshman season in his own right) will man the corner spots. And if Ricks is able to get back to full health and surpass or even match the production from his freshman season at LSU, he will be a major problem for opposing quarterbacks all season long.