Kobe Prentice takes advantage of opportunities against Utah State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban makes one thing clear if a player wants to climb the depth chart, they need to take advantage of their opportunities.

Freshman Kobe Prentice had an opportunity at fall camp when JoJo Earle broke his ankle in early August. Since then, the true freshman continued to shine which resulted in more time with the first-team offense.

According to sources, Prentice tallied a handful of catches which has created a buzz around his play and where he'd fit into the receiving corps. On Saturday, Prentice backed up those reports tallying five catches for 60 yards in his first start.

"Kobe has done a really good job," Saban said. "He did a great job in the game. He's practicing really well. He's got an opportunity because JoJo got hurt three weeks ago and he took advantage of it. He's a bright guy. He's got really good speed, got really good hands. He's exactly what we look forward to playing the slot and he's done a really, really good job."

Prentice, who clocked a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash during a camp at Alabama in June 2021, showed off his speed and elusiveness by running a bevy of routes. Last season's slot receiver Slade Bolden caught 34 of his 42 catches in between the numbers and did not record a catch for longer than 20 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

In his debut against the Aggies, Prentice just two short passes over the middle of the field. His other three snags, all resulted in gains of 15 yards or more, including one catch for 27 yards.

"He's been someone who's extremely dynamic and very versatile," Bryce Young said. "We move him around a lot. He shows up to work every single day with all the energy in the world and he's super eager to learn and takes coaching very well. I was happy for him."

The former Rivals100 receiver, was a bit of a late bloomer in high school as he recorded more than 1,200 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. After committing to Maryland, Alabama was able to keep the in-state product, a key piece in the team's 2022 class recruiting class which featured five Rivals-100 receivers.

Prentice's trainer, Mike McCoy, told Tide Illustrated that despite the slow recognition the wide out still has plenty to improve upon during his time in Tuscaloosa.

After the victory against Utah State, fellow wide receiver Jermaine Burton hinted that this may just be the beginning for the Calera, Alabama native.

"I think Kobe is a great player," Burton said. "He's a young guy and so at the end of the day, everybody has to get better and get better at the little stuff you have to do because nobody's a perfect player. At the end of the day, he works hard. I feel like he has a bright future ahead of him."