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The state of Texas trails only California in this regard. Here are the 16 starting QB’s this season from the Lone Star state:
The state of Texas is a hot bed for high school football talent. Continue reading “College Football: 16 starting quarterbacks are from the state of Texas this season”
Areas of concern for Alabama heading into the Miami matchup
Alabama is the overwhelming favorite against the Miami Hurricanes as they face off in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game this Saturday in Atlanta. Alabama returns plenty of star power on the defensive side of the ball and also has plethra of young and explosive playmakers offensively.
With that being said, there are a couple of areas that should cause some concern for the fans of the Tide.
QB D’Eriq King
King returns as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the entire country. The Manvel, TX native is entering his sixth season at the collegiate level. Over the course of his career, King has amassed over 7,600 passing yards and nearly 2,000 rushing yards.
King’s ability to create both inside and outside of the pocket with his feet could cause problems for this Alabama defense. King is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback and he wouldn’t be the first player with that type of skill set to provide trouble for Tide defense.
Alabama’s “work in progress” offensive line
Alabama is replacing a great deal of talent and experience along the offensive line this season. Alex Leatherwood, Deonte Brown, and Landon Dickerson have all moved on to the NFL. With that being said, there is also a handful of players returning that have some experience. Evan Neal is entering his third season as a starter as he moves from right tackle to left tackle. Right guard Emil Ekiyor is also returning, and Chris Owens who is expected to get the start at center has also played a ton of football.
Alabama will also be starting a couple of players that are not that experienced in left guard Javion Cohen and right tackle Kendall Randolph. Randolph has played a lot of football at Alabama in a backup role, but now he is in the starting lineup and that is an entirely different challenge.
This is not to say that Alabama doesn’t have plenty of talent to get the job done, but this is the first game of the season and Miami returns a lot of experience in their front seven.
Maybe the most important ingredient for a good offensive line is continuity. If Alabama does not have that in this game, with Miami’s experience on defense, it could cause some problems for Bryce Young and the Alabama offense.
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Alabama vs. Miami Preview and Prediction
The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes are two of the most storied programs in all of college football. Since 1980 Alabama has won seven national championships and Miami has won five.
Now, they are set to face off in Atlanta this Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Alabama is currently an overwhelming favorite to beat the Hurricanes.
Miami Preview:
Miami returns 19 of 22 starters from a team that went 8-3 last season. Most notably they return star quarterback D’Eriq King. King is entering his sixth season at the collegiate level and has been one of the most dynamic playmakers at the position over the last few seasons. However, King is coming off an ACL injury that he sustained on December 29, 2020, in the bowl game against Oklahoma State. All indications are that King is healthy and ready to go, but until the lights come on and the bullets fly, it is hard to tell if someone is ready after coming back from such a serious injury.
Defensively, the Hurricanes return a good amount of production as well. Safety Bubba Bolden and defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera return to lead the defensive group for Manny Diaz.
King and the Miami defense will have to be at the top of their game to challenge Alabama.
Alabama Preview
It is no secret that Alabama is replacing a lot of star power on the offensive side of the ball. Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Alex Leatherwood were all selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Sophomore Bryce Young is set to take the reigns of the Crimson Tide offense from Mac Jones at QB.
Alabama will most likely feature a stable of running backs to replace Najee Harris. Brian Robinson, Jase McClellan, and Trey Sanders seem to be players most primed to do so.
The receiver group added a talented transfer in Jameson Williams from Ohio State to pair with returning star John Metchie out wide. Alabama also brought in the best wide receiver class in the country this past spring lead by JoJo Earle and Agiye Hall.
The offensive line is also being re-worked with a couple of returning starters and other players who have some experience. Junior Evan Neal is back and will anchor the left side of the offensive line and is one of the top linemen in the entire country.
Defensively, Alabama is absolutely loaded with talent and experience at all three levels.
Along the defensive line, Alabama has anywhere between seven to nine players that could rotate in.
At linebacker, Alabama returns possibly the best outside linebacker duo in the entire country in Christopher Allen and Will Anderson. Then you look towards the middle of the defense and see Christian Harris paired with Tennessee transfer Henry To’o To’o, to make up a formidable pairing at inside linebacker.
In the back end of the Alabama defense, everyone is back with the exception of Patrick Surtain. Josh Jobe, Malachi Moore, Jordan Battle, and Brian Branch all return to make up a dynamic secondary for the Tide.
Overall Thoughts & Score Prediction
Alabama is the much more talented team on both sides of the ball. I expect Alabama to be able to run the ball with great consistency and in turn be able to connect on some deep play-action passes.
Score Prediction: Alabama 38 Miami 17
