Alabama's 5 biggest strengths heading into the summer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban left A-Day calling his team “adequate” rather than “elite.” While the Crimson Tide has plenty to work on this offseason, it also saw plenty of positives in the scrimmage.

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Here are the five strengths Alabama has heading into the summer:

For the first time in four years, Alabama returned its starter at quarterback. It definitely showed in the Tide’s passing performance on A-Day. Returning starter Jalen Hurts completed 16 of 25 passes (64 percent) for 301 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.

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Hurts showed maturity in the pocket and improved his downfield passing, completing six of his passes for more than 15 yards. He did that against a first team defense which returned all but two defensive backs from a secondary that finished No. 24 in the nation in pass defense last season.

Backup Tua Tagovailoa also had a nice showing, completing 17 of 29 passed (59 percent) for 313 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. While the early enrollee won't be Alabama’s starter next season, he proved he can be a capable replacement if Hurts goes down.

Speaking of Tagovailoa, he is just one of many young players who shined during A-Day. The quarterback wasn’t even the most impressive freshman the Tide had on the afternoon. That title goes to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who earned MVP honors after recording five receptions for a team-high 134 yards and two touchdowns.

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A former five-star recruit, Jeudy showed why he was rated as the No. 3 receiver and No. 19 player overall in this year’s class, proving to be a nightmare for the Tide’s second-team defense on the afternoon. He was joined by sophomore receiver T.J. Simmons who recorded a team-high six receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile at running back, Najee Harris led the team with 70 yards on 17 carries.

Other impressive performances came from sophomore defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (seven tackles, one sack), sophomore linebacker Mack Wilson (five tackles, one tackle for a loss, one pass breakup) and redshirt freshman Quinnen Williams (four tackles, one sack).

Davis, Wilson and Williams represent some of the massive depth Alabama has in its front seven. The Tide lost five members of last season’s front seven in defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson as well as linebackers Reuben Foster, Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams. Saturday, Alabama once again demonstrated its ability to reload as the Tide’s replacements provided no drop-off up front.

Keith Holcombe led the team with a team-high 10 tackles and two sacks, replacing injured Shaun Dion Hamilton at inside linebacker. Fellow linebackers Rashaan Evans and Christian Miller also had two sacks apiece as the Tide got to the quarterback 12 times on the afternoon.

While the young players on Alabama’s roster stood out, the Tide still has a wealth of leadership returning next year. On offense, senior center Bradley Bozeman has followed after former Alabama center Ryan Kelly and taken over as the voice of the offensive lineman. Ridley also appears more mature heading into his junior year and should be a positive influence on a young receiving unit.

Junior safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and Evans, a senior, also appear to be stepping into their leadership roles on defense

“All of the young guys and even some of the older guys ask me questions every day,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just small stuff, technique stuff because they know that I know. They know that I study the game every single day, and I'm a student of the game. They ask me questions and they're learning from me.”

Following the scrimmage, Fitzpatrick also revealed a sense of hunger on the Tide’s roster. Coming up on the losing side of a 27-24 victory for the Crimson team, the defensive back seemed irritated at the first-team defense’s performance late in the game as it allowed the offense to drive down the field for a game-winning field goal.

“I was real disappointed in the team because we didn’t finish at the end,” Fitzpatrick said. “We kind of let the offense go down the field and finish, so basically it was like how we lost the championship game.”

It’s obvious the Tide still hasn’t fully moved on from its last-second defeat to Clemson in last season’s national championship game. That should motivate players to work even harder this offseason in order to reach that pinnacle again next year.