Alabama held its spring game on Saturday, ushering in the Kalen DeBoer era and presenting more than a dozen awards afterward.
For as much that can be taken from any spring game, the White team offense beat the Crimson team defense 34-28. More than 72,000 fans were in attendance.
READ: UNLV’s Barry Odom agrees to extended contract through 2028
DeBoer said it was a “great day, fun day just altogether” as the spring capped off with the exhibition. He said former head coach Nick Saban had a chance to get in front of the team which DeBoer said “was pretty cool.”
“Scrimmage-wise, shoot, if it was a half, right, it had been a tale of two halves,” DeBoer said. “But that’s why you keep playing. So many things that we’re going to get to learn from, from this scrimmage depending on what side of the ball you’re on.”
READ: Report: Hines Ward to become WR coach at Arizona State
Alabama’s offense produced 508 yards and eclipsed 200 on the ground and through the air.
Starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, who returned for a fourth season, went 3-for-9 with 100 passing yards. He had the longest play of the day on a 52-yard pass to Washington transfer Germie Bernard.
DeBoer didn’t dive too deep into Milroe’s individual performance, rather, emphasizing the progression of all Crimson Tide quarterbacks this spring. He did say he noticed quarterback play continues to “take that next step” and “have that progression.”
“I thought the protection, especially the first half to three quarters, the protection was as good as we’ve had,” DeBoer said. “Now, some of that’s attributed to, early on, just kind of being a little bit more maybe vanilla defensively, things like that. But the offense stayed ahead of the chains, stayed in positions where they could be dual threat, run-pass options, take your shots when they were there.”
READ: Report: Boston College WR Joseph Griffin Jr. enters transfer portal
Redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson led the quarterbacks with 102 yards on 7-of-12 completion. Redshirt freshmen Dylan Lonergan went 8-for-12 with 67 yards and Austin Mack also had a 66% completion for 33 pass yards.
Bernard led the receivers with 122 yards on three catches. He’ll be an interesting factor into the Alabama offense next fall after recording 419 receiving yards and four total touchdowns in 2023.
On the ground, junior Jam Miller carried the ball eight times for 83 yards scoring two touchdowns and breaking off a 48-yard run. Richard Young, who was rated among the top running backs in the class of 2023, had 29 rushing yards on seven carries including a touchdown.
READ: O.J. Simpson passes away
Defensively, freshman linebacker Justin Okoronkwo had 11 tackles, five solo, and a tackle for loss. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Alexander had seven tackles and freshman defensive back Red Morgan had two quarterback pressures.
Miller received the Dixie Howell Memorial Award as the game’s most valuable player. Morgan, Okoronkwo and freshmen defensive lineman Isaia Faga and linebacker Jayshawn Ross earned the Derrick Thomas Community Service Award, and 10 players received the Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award including Simpson.
DeBoer said the Walk of Champions and “seeing that and feeling the energy and the excitement” from some of his first Alabama traditions in person “was a lot of fun.” The Crimson Tide will now enter the summer months of the offseason, among the important dates being the transfer portal opening Tuesday through April 30 and the first game of 2024 on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky.
“I thought the guys, as hard as they were playing, I mean, there was times where when they were out there just looking out for each other too,” DeBoer said. “I don’t care if it was offense to offense, defense to defense, but most importantly offense and defense playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. And the energy wanting to go out there and make the plays but also not putting the team at risk just to go out then make that one potential play that could put someone at risk. But the energy, the excitement kind of leading up to the spring game was something I think kind of hit me today.”
