Nick Saban discusses the hope for more balance on Alabama’s offense under Tommy Rees

In 2022, while Alabama returned Heisman winning quarterback Bryce Young, their offense wasn’t quite as strong or versatile. More times than Nick Saban would have liked, plays ended in Young scrambling around trying to make something out of nothing. Since he’s such an extraordinary talent, Young was often able to make a play, but there was such a burden on him and on running back and frequent passing outlet Jahmyr Gibbs.

When speaking at spring practice this week, Coach Saban admitted the Crimson Tide were a flawed unit on the offensive side of the ball last year and very one-trick, but he says that’s how they needed to play in order to win.

“I think what we did last year is what we needed to do to try to win, so I’m not being critical of what we did last year,” said Saban. “We didn’t run the ball well enough last year, but we featured the players that we had. Bryce was an outstanding player, and we wanted to have him do what he could do.”

Without a star of Young’s pedigree starting under center, Saban believes, for better or worse, the Tide will have to become more balanced offensively.

“But I think if we have better balance, I think it’ll take a little pressure off the quarterback. I think the offensive line has done a good job so far. I like where we’re heading and what we’re doing. I think the scheme that we have to run the ball is well tied together. Hopefully, between that and play-action passes, we can make a few more explosive plays and not just rely on dropping back all the time. I think that would be very helpful.”

Nick Saban is hoping they can install more designed passes. Rather than just leaving the QB on an island to run around and make his own decisions in the pocket, Alabama may try and install more play-action’s and predetermined passes to ease the new quarterback into the system.

Where Alabama really struggled compared to recent years was at wide receiver. Of course, ‘Bama struck oil on wideouts for about four straight years back in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith and guys like that; Alabama just churned them out for a few years there. But last fall, the Crimson Tide just didn’t have stars on the outside. They’ll need to develop some this offseason.

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