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While everyone was wondering who would start at quarterback for Alabama heading into the season opener against Wisconsin last week, the position battle that flew under the radar, at least nationally, was at wide receiver.
The quarterback job now apparently belongs to Jake Coker (though Cooper Bateman was impressive in his backup role), but questions remain about which wideouts will be on the field the most for the No. 2 Crimson Tide, which takes on Middle Tennessee State in Tuscaloosa.
Sophomores Robert Foster and ArDarius Stewart were the official starters against Wisconsin, on the field in a two-receiver set when the Tide offense took the field. But true freshman Calvin Ridley was among the first Alabama substitutions, while junior Chris Black and graduate transfer Richard Mullaney also got some playing time.
Coker and Bateman were successful in spreading the ball around to a variety of pass catchers, which can make it even more difficult to gauge who is really ahead in the position battle that could evolve as the season moves along. Running backs Kenyan Drake, Derrick Henry and Damien Harris were also involved in the passing game, combining to make five catches for 56 yards, along with tight ends O.J. Howard (three catches for 37 yards) and Ty Flournoy-Smith (one catch for 17 yards).
But among the wide receivers Robert Foster was the closest thing to a standout, catching four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Overall it was a balanced effort. Stewart had four catches for 44 yards while Ridley made three catches for 22 yards and Mullaney had two grabs for 38 yards in their Crimson Tide debuts. Black played and was involved in the kickoff return team, but didn’t have a catch.
“I think (Foster) and ArDarius Stewart both did a really good job in the game,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban told reporters. “We have a lot of confidence in those guys. They’re very good players. I know they don’t have a lot of experience, but they are both very talented guys. And I think for those guys to catch some balls tonight and make some plays is going to help their confidence tremendously.”
So while Foster and Stewart may have done enough to hang on to the top two spots on the depth chart, there’s also a wild card in the race for playing time.
Cam Sims return from offseason ACL and LCL tears has gone much quicker than expected. He played against Wisconsin and this week Saban told reporters this week Sims might not be 100 percent, but he was “healthy.” Saban also said he didn’t want to overwork the sophomore, which could lead to setbacks, but Sims could fit into the Tide’s plans more and more as the season goes along.
It will be interesting to see if anybody among the group develops into a go-to guy the way Amari Cooper was for the Tide last season, but it does look like Alabama has several receivers who can contribute.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
