Over the past few years, there has been a major shift in football at the professional and collegiate levels. Football has always leaned defensively dominant, yet now it is nearly impossible to win without a game-changer at wide receiver. Fortunately for Crimson Tide fans, Coach Saban has had a lot of recent success with his receivers.
During his tenure in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban has sent eight former Alabama wide receivers to the NFL via the first round of the draft. Including former Heisman Trophy winner (2020) DeVonta Smith and Biletnikoff winner (2018) Jerry Jeudy. Saban is often credited for his work with defenses and quarterbacks, but he may also be a receiving guru.
The Crimson Tide doesn’t return much experience at the receiving group, and as a result, Saban landed Georgia transfer [autotag]Jermaine Burton[/autotag] in the transfer portal. College football analyst, Patrick Conn, has Burton listed as the tenth best receiver in the nation, so this was a massive land for Saban and company.
With the Bulldogs in 2021, Burton posted a stat line of 26 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns. Burton’s numbers will drastically increase as he is the No. 1 option in the most high-powered offense in the country. It will be a lot of fun to see all of the unique ways the Alabama coaching staff utilizes Burton’s talents.
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