TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There will be plenty of red on the field for Alabama this season, and that’s not a reference to the team’s crimson jerseys.
Nick Saban wanted to make his terminology clear Saturday when asked about different packages his offense could line up in this year. The aforementioned “red” package relates to a four-receiver set with a running back and no tight ends on the field.
In the NFL such a formation is generally referred to as a 10 formation — the one referring to the number of running backs on the field and the zero referring to the number of tight ends. For example, an 11 formation would have one running back and one tight end, while a 12 formation would have a running back and two tight ends and so on. However, at Alabama things are color-coded.
So when Saban was asked about using a 10 formation Saturday, he took exception to the lingo.
“What is 10 personnel? Where did you get that,” Saban answered mockingly. “Does that mean one back, no tight ends, kind of an NFL term? You’re really knowledgable.”
The head coach then went on to explain the terminology in layman's terms while stating Alabama called that formation “red.” Whatever Saban wants to call it, the Crimson Tide is going to find a way to get its four best receivers on the field as much as possible.
Alabama returns the nation’s top receiving corps featuring a fearsome foursome in Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. Last season, that quartet combined for 3,597 yards and 38 touchdowns through the air — the most among any four wide receivers from a Power 5 team.
A shift to more four-wide sets makes even more sense when considering Alabama’s tight end unit which has been decimated by the departure of last year's starters as well as minor injuries to key players this year. This offseason, the Crimson Tide lost Irv Smith Jr. and Hale Hentges, the only two tight ends to record a reception last year. Currently, Alabama is without its projected starter at the position as Miller Forristall will miss the next few days with a foot injury.
“You know the red personnel for us, obviously the four wide receivers and a running back, is something we’ll definitely incorporate into what we’re doing,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. “I’d be remiss to keep those four wide receivers not on the field when it presents itself to be an advantageous situation. Too many times, if they’re standing next to us on the sidelines, something’s wrong or we feel good about something else that’s happening.
“But they’re four very dynamic playmakers, they’re competitive, they work hard. They do everything they can that we think is right in the program and ultimately it shows in the way they play on the field. So we’ve got to continue to try and develop that package to make sure when we use it we’re not just throwing four wide receivers on the field, but there’s a rhyme and a reason why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Saban praised his receiving group Saturday, crediting them for being “great competitors.” The head coach’s M.O. has always been to get his best players on the field in positions to make plays. However, he expressed some caution when talking about the switch to four-wide sets.
“I think when you get in that situation you are very limited to some degree,” Saban said. “When you have a tight end in the game, the multiples of what you can do — you can do two-back runs, you can do four-open, which is the same as having 10 personnel in the game — and you can do a lot more things from a protection standpoint.”
More receivers on the field likely means less players to block for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The junior spent a good portion of last season on the ground following big hits and suffered the side effects of some of those blows late in the year. Although, while keeping Tagovailoa upright will be one of Alabama’s chief concerns, the Heisman finalist isn’t worried about the lack of protection the “red” formation might present.
“I don’t think it’d be any different than if we were in a blue personnel, silver personnel,” Tagovailoa said, referring to 11 and 12 personnels. “It’s still going to be a six-man protection or even a five-man protection because we might need the back to go out. I mean, it’s a lot different. It’s just how we game plan for whatever team we’re playing.”
In fact, Tagovailoa is intrigued by the possibilities the formation might bring.
“I think it could open up a lot of things," he said. "Sometimes they can’t change their personnel in the game, and if we’re going fast it can open up the run game. If they’re in nickel, I mean it could definitely open up the run game. It all depends on how we game plan for the team.”
Sarkisian’s style has shifted from when he first started orchestrating offenses as an offensive coordinator for Southern California in 2007. He went from strict West Coast attacks with two running backs to transitioning to three- and four-receiver spread sets as a head coach at Washington. Later, he began to integrate run-pass option principles into his attack during his time as a head coach at USC and as an offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons.
While his approach will be forever evolving, Sarkisian said the core elements of football — “being physical up front, being able to run the football, taking care of the football, and scoring when you have opportunities to score” — will never change.
“I think what it is is you come in and you try to evaluate the whole thing,” Sarkisian said. “We say, ‘Okay, how can I help this team continue to get better? How can I help these players improve and put them in the best position to have success, not only short term but long term?’ That’s our job as coaches. And then buying into the entire organization, and the program, and the values of the organization. That’s kind of my mindset – what I can do to help, do my part to put us in the best position to be successful?”
Perhaps that’s putting more receivers on the field. If it is, expect Sarkisian and Alabama to be seeing “red” often this season.
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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
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