Rece Davis says Texas’ opponent in Week 2 might be “a year away”

Rece Davis sees Alabama as potentially a year away from returning to title contention.

Media are stirring the pot ahead of the epic clash between Texas and Alabama in 17 days. As several outlets and analysts predict the Longhorns to the playoff, one analyst questions if Alabama will play at their usual title-contending level this season.

Rece Davis of ESPN shared his thoughts on the Crimson Tide heading into the upcoming season.

“They’ve got a ton of young talent. I think they might be a year away, because they have a deep roster, but they have a lot of guys that haven’t played a lot who are going to be in key spots.”

It’s rumored that Alabama freshman defensive back Caleb Downs could be set to start in 2023. That certainly presents Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian with the opportunity to test his ability to cover a myriad of route combinations. The biggest test for Alabama will be winning with an unproven quarterback.

Ty Simpson is perhaps the likely starter for the Crimson Tide. There isn’t much in the way of meaningful playing time to be confident in Simpson. Add in some of the struggles the Tide had against Texas with the No. 1 overall pick at quarterback and the questions get magnified.

Alabama is going to be a tough test for Texas. We will have a greater idea of what team it has when the Tide offense takes the field against the Longhorns on Sept. 9.