On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will begin the 2024 college football season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, ending the Nick Saban era and beginning the Kalen DeBoer era.
While the opponent will be undermanned, both Alabama fans and critics will have a chance to form an opinion on the new coach and the direction of the football team.
Here are a few things to watch for Saturday night as the Tide play host to Western Kentucky.
Wide Receiver Rotation
Alabama is blessed with a deep wide receiver room, making DeBoer's life tough keeping everyone happy, but that’s not a bad thing. DeBoer said earlier in the week that he has confidence in five to seven guys with others pushing pretty hard behind them. Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law are two returning juniors who should be locks to make the starting rotation alongside Washington transfer Germie Bernard. Five-star freshman Ryan Williams, who should still be in high school, has been impressive this offseason and should see his fair share of routes, too. Emanuel Henderson and Cole Adams are most likely next in line, while a pair of talented freshmen, Caleb Odom and Rico Scott, have shown flashes this offseason that could land them some playing time as well.
Battle at Right Tackle
With the departure of JC Latham to the NFL Draft, Alabama will have to replace a big hole at right tackle. The Crimson Tide is set to have one of the best offensive lines in the country, regardless of who wins the starting job. There has not been a depth chart released, but it appears that the battle will be between redshirt sophomore Elijah Pritchett and redshirt freshman Wilkin Formby. Most likely the two will split time on Saturday, but it will be something to monitor throughout the game.
Special Teams, Special Players, Special Plays
College football’s all-time scoring leading scorer, kicker Will Reichard, is off to the NFL, but Alabama dipped into the transfer portal and picked up Miami (OH) kicker Graham Nicholson. Nicholson won the Lou Groza Award last season, which is awarded to the nation’s top kicker, so he should be a solid replacement as long as he can handle the jump to the SEC.
To go along with the Lou Groza Award winner and preseason SEC All-American, the Crimson Tide also have two other preseason SEC All-Americans on special teams. Punter James Burnip and long-snapper Kneeland Hibbett join Nicholson on the SEC All-American list.
Third Time’s the Charm
Saturday, TJ Finley will get a third chance with his third different team (his fourth different school) to get a win against the Crimson Tide. Finley is 0-2 against the Crimson Tide so far in his career. Finley first faced Alabama as the LSU quarterback in 2020, passing for just 144 yards in the loss. His second attempt was with the Auburn Tigers in 2021 where he produced similar stats in the loss, passing for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Anything could happen, but Alabama could probably expect a similar result on Saturday.
Questions in the Secondary
The Alabama secondary took the biggest hit of any position group after Nick Saban’s retirement. Alabama’s only returning starter in the secondary is Malachi Moore, who will be looked upon to be the leader and quarterback of an inexperienced secondary. USC transfer Domani Jackson provides some stability at one of the cornerback positions, with the other cornerback spot up for the taking. Wake Forest transfer DaShawn Jones and freshman Zabien Brown are the lead contenders for the other spot with freshman Jaylen Mbakwe right on their heels. The Crimson Tide could run a heavy rotation to match up against the Hilltoppers' heavy passing attack.
No. 5 Alabama will open its season against Western Kentucky on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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