Does Alabama, Bryce Young Have a Go-To Receiver? All Things CW

All during the bye week, All Things CW will be looking at key statistical areas for the 2022 Crimson Tide football team. Take 1 is on third-down offense.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Oct 24, 2022 5:00 PM EDT

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh will appear in five parts this week, one each day as the Alabama Crimson Tide enjoys a bye week.

This is ...

Take 1

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — We've been saying all season that one of the key statistics for the Alabama Crimson Tide this season would be third-down conversions, as it's not only telling about the offense's ability to sustain drives but gives a clear indication about who quarterback Bryce Young looks to in clutch situations.

That's usually. Not so much this season.

With so many new faces and so many possibilities in the passing game, the Crimson Tide has been pretty diverse, with 19 different players having a reception so far.

Yet things are still pretty unsettled. Not only is that partly due to injuries and the lack of experience with the quarterback, but Young has also been hurt, suffering a shoulder injury against Arkansas.

This week won't help as he'll will be shut down to help rest the injury. Young started against Tennessee and Mississippi State, but you probably noticed that he wasn't throwing downfield much against the Bulldogs — in part to minimize the risk of a setback.

He's going to need to down the stretch, especially against LSU on Nov. 5.

So which player will step in that regard on the other end?

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has the most receptions (31). Ja’Corey Brooks has the most yards (376). Sophomore JoJo Earle has the best average gain per catch (20.4). Junior Traeshon Holden tops the team in touchdowns (five).

Plus, freshman Isaiah Bond has the longest gain at 53 yards.

Alabama has passed for 2,195 yards, however last week everyone saw what happens when it's not clicking, especially in the second half. Where it really showed statistically was in the running game, which was pretty stagnant as Mississippi State could zero in on keeping everything in front of the secondary.

Overall, Alabama is fifth in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 43.1 points per game despite its lack of cohesion in the passing game.

That's the good news. It's 15th in total offense and 17th in rushing, but then 28th in passing efficiency.

It's also 28th in third-down conversions.

As noted here before, one of the really impressive things about Young during his Heisman Trophy season was that his completion percentage actually went up on third down. He completed 68.4 percent of his attempts on first down, 65.8 on second, but was 86-for-122, 70.5 percent, for 1,263 yards on third down.

He also had his best average for passing yards on third down, 10.4 per attempt. His passer rating was 176.3.

So far this season, Young has been 25-for-46 (54.3 percent) for 379 yards, with five touchdowns on third down.

He hasn't been picked off, and also hasn't been sacked nearly as much.

Yet his passer rating is just 159.4 on third down.

That’s actually pretty normal, although Young isn't known for being a normal quarterback.

He's been at his best this season on second down, when defenses often don’t know if Alabama is looking to run or pass. It's translated to a passer rating of 174.5.

Going back to our original premise, what Young hasn't had so far is a go-to receiver he can count on like he had with John Metchie III last season until he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the SEC Championship Game.

Against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Metchie had six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown all before halftime. However, with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter he tore his ACL on a non-contact play.

Jameson Williams stepped up in that role, but then he too suffered a knee injury during the CFP National Championship Game, also against Georgia. The Bulldogs went on to win, 33-18.

Metchie had 25 third-down receptions in 13 games last season, averaging almost two per outing. Williams had 18 third-down catches, and the two combined for 878 yards and seven touchdowns in the key situation.

Through eight games this season, Brooks is the only player close to averaging a third-down catch per game despite only being a sophomore. That speaks volumes to his potential and future, but going from making the occasional big catch (like he did in the Iron Bowl last year) to consistently being the guy the offense looks to and counts on is the next step in his development.

Could it happen in November? Alabama needs someone to step up in that capacity, and for the overall chemistry to improve in the passing game if it's going to be a legitimate contender.

2022 Alabama Third-Down Receiving Leaders

Name, Catches-Yards (Avg.) TDS

Ja’Corey Brooks 7-125 (17.9) 1
Kobe Prentice 5-86 (17.2) 1
Jahmyr Gibbs 5-9 (1.8) 0
Jermaine Burton 4-51 (12.8) 1
Traeshon Holden 2-20 (10.0) 2
Cameron Latu 3-29 (9.7) 1