Alabama is taking it slow with its new fastest WR
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama might have to show some patience as it waits for its fastest player to shift into his top gear.
Since announcing his transfer from Louisville in April, Tyler Harrell has been one of the Crimson Tide’s most anticipated offseason arrivals. The redshirt junior receiver has been clocked with a sub-4.3 time in the 40-yard dash and is coming off a breakout season where he led the Cardinals with six receiving touchdowns while also averaging a team-high 29.06 yards per catch.
Those numbers came in an offense that ranked 64th nationally averaging just 235.5 yards per game through the air. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how Alabama fans might daydream about what Harrell can do in a Crimson Tide attack that averaged 338.2 yards per game last season and returns the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback.
However, while Harrell might indeed gas past opposing defenders this season, it might be time to hit the breaks when it comes to early expectations.
“Tyler has been sort of in and out a little bit to this point,” Nick Saban said when asked about the transfer receiver over the weekend. “He has been able to practice on a daily basis but not 100%. I do think that he has shown that he has a lot of ability. We just need to get it channeled in the right direction so that we can use him in a way that’s going to be most productive for him and for us.”
Saban didn’t elaborate on what is keeping Harrell from performing at full strength, but the transfer receiver is expected to be ready to go by Alabama’s season opener against Utah State on Sept. 3. The question is, how much of a role will he have this fall?
Despite his breakout season last year, Harrell is far from a finished product. While the 6-foot, 194-pound receiver has the ability to take the top off the defense with his speed, he’ll need to improve the other elements of his game if he wants to catch on in Alabama’s offense.
According to Pro Football Focus, 20 of Harrell’s 36 targets last year came on passes of 20 yards or more as Louisville looked to take advantage of his athleticism by having him run go routes and skinny posts. By comparison, Jameson Williams, who transferred to Alabama with similar track-star speed last year, was deployed far more evenly during his lone season with the Tide. According to PFF, Williams was targeted 32 times on passes of 20 yards or more as compared to 34 times on passes of 10-19 yards and 28 targets on passes of 0-9 yards.
If Harrell wants to follow in the first-rounder’s footsteps this season, he’ll need to fill out his route tree this fall. According to his teammates, the transfer is already off to a good start.
“What sticks out is a willingness to learn,” quarterback Bryce Young said when asked about Harrell on Tuesday. “We’re right next to each other in the locker room. He's been asking me questions, signals, things that I like, stuff that he likes, just bouncing stuff off. So his willingness to learn, how quickly he can pick up on things, I think what he can do on the field is special on top of that. That stuff has really stuck out with me a lot.”
Regardless of how much Harrell is able to add to his game this month, his calling card still figures to be his speed. According to PFF, he spent 355 snaps on the perimeter last season compared to just 18 in the slot. While Alabama likes its receivers to line up at multiple spots, it’s likely the majority of Harrell’s time on the field will also be spent on the outside where his big-play ability can best be utilized.
“Obviously throughout the offseason, we've seen a lot of speed,” Young said. “So down the field, he ran really well. He’s run a lot of stuff down the field, and being explosive is something that is definitely a premium for us.”
Along with Harrell, Alabama added Georgia transfer, Jermaine Burton, as it looks to reload its receiving corps after losing three starters in Williams, John Metchie III and Slade Bolden this offseason. The Crimson Tide also signed a five-man receiver class consisting of five-star talent Aaron Anderson as well as fellow speedsters Isaiah Bond, Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and Shazz Preston. Those arrivals will be mixed with a set of talented returners in Ja’Corey Brooks, JoJo Earle, Traeshon Holden, Christian Leary and Thaiu Jones-Bell to form what figures to be a promising unit.
"It’s a group that has – again, kind of like the offensive line – a mixture of veteran players, whether they came from other programs, and also this mixture of young guys that are in that group," offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien said over the weekend. "So working very hard, early in the training camp. We like the presence that Jermaine Burton has brought to that position. Tyler Harrell, the presence that those guys have brought to that position. ... We’re early in camp, like I said, and we’ll see how it all shakes out over the next few weeks.”
Alabama will practice three more times this week before holding its first preseason scrimmage on Saturday inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.