SEC Media Days have come and gone. The next step in my offseason journey will be navigating the sea of preseason award lists that follow. Before my inbox becomes flooded with watch lists, I’m handing out a few preseason accolades of my own.

In this week's column, I’ll provide a few Alabama superlatives before the Crimson Tide begins camp at the end of the month. With that said, pour yourself a drink, and let's dive in.

I’ve shared a few unsavory moments with Nick Saban, but there’s no denying he’s the greatest coach in college football history. Shoot, I’d go as far as to place him near the top of any coaching list, regardless of the sport.

Saban and I won’t be raising a glass together anytime soon, but I’m more than happy to celebrate him this week in honor of Alabama announcing the naming of Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Naturally, I’m toasting the GOAT with the greatest cocktail ever created — the Old Fashioned.

Like Saban, the Old Fashioned has undergone small alterations to fit in with the times, all while staying true to its core. Both have produced several spinoffs. While some of those variations have been successful, they don’t quite measure up to the original.

No one in town makes a better Old Fashioned than our friends at Session Cocktails. Here’s how they stir it up.

First, you need two ounces of Old Forester bourbon, a favorite of legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Next, add .25 ounces of Demerara Syrup and three dashes of Angostura Bitters. Pour the ingredients into a glass, add ice and stir. To finish it off, express an orange peel over the drink and rub it around the rim before placing it in the glass. Finally, express a lemon peel over the drink before placing it in the glass as well.

Cheers!

(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)

Offensive MVP — Jalen Milroe

No naysaying here. If Alabama’s offense is going to reach its full potential, Jalen Milroe will have to take things up a notch. We’ve seen what the dual-threat quarterback can do with his legs. That alone might be enough to return the Tide to the College Football Playoff. However, Alabama will need more balance if it’s going to prevail in big games come December and January.

Last week, DeBoer spoke highly of Milroe, commending him for his work ethic and improvements this offseason. Alabama’s emphasis at the moment is on the little things. DeBoer has continued to work with Milroe on his footwork and pocket presence as well as the quarterback’s ability to read defenses at the line of scrimmage. Once those skills are set in place, Milroe’s natural ability and athleticism can truly shine.

Milroe’s not as far off as some might think either. Over his final six games last season, he completed 88 of 131 passes (67.2%) for 1,217 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception while also adding 389 yards and seven more scores on 84 carries. Here’s what that stat line would look like if you doubled it over a 12-game regular season this fall.

Passing: 176 of 262 for 2,434 yards and 20 touchdowns with two interceptions

Rushing: 168 carries for 778 yards and 14 touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry.

That’s not too shabby on its own. And I’m betting on DeBoer to boost those passing yards closer to the 3,000-yard mark.

Defensive MVP — Deontae Lawson

This is a money year for Deontae Lawson. The redshirt junior linebacker could have tried his luck in the NFL draft this year after recording 67 stops, including 5.5 for a loss with three sacks over 11 games last season. However, he was wise to return for another year to boost his draft stock with an even better showing this fall. First-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 setup should allow him to do just that.

Last year, middle linebacker Khalil Jacobs broke out in Wommack’s South Alabama defense, recording 56 stops, including 8.5 for a loss with three sacks, to go with an interception and three forced fumbles. Lawson (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) has more size than Jacobs (6-foot-2, 218 pounds) but still has the necessary athleticism to fly around the field from sideline to sideline.

Lawson’s name hasn’t been mentioned in many early first-round mock drafts. I’m willing to bet that will change by the end of the year.

Freshman of the Year — Ryan Williams

The only pause I have in this selection is the amount of pressure that will be placed on Ryan Williams during his debut season. Of course, that was always going to be the case for the five-star receiver, who reclassified to enter college a year early after becoming Alabama’s first back-to-back Mr. Football recipient in high school.

Fortunately for Alabama, it sounds like the freshman is poised to live up to the hype.

"It's crazy to see how mature he is at such a young age,” safety Malachi Moore said at SEC Media Days last week. “You talk about a kid who skipped his senior year to come be a freshman in college. You don't see that every day and when I seen him at practice the first time I see why he did what he did, but he's an electrifying player and he's very smart and skilled at a very young age. He understands coverages, and it's just — like I said, going back to his age, just to see how mature he is is really wonderful.”

Top transfer — Germie Bernard

I’ve been too quick on the trigger when it comes to predicting success for Alabama’s recent transfer receivers. I thought Jermaine Burton would be a sure-fire 1,000-yard guy when he joined the Tide in 2022. Even worse, I predicted Malik Benson as Alabama’s fourth-most important player last year.

Those lapses in judgment aren’t going to stop me from tripling down with Germie Bernard this year.

Bernard knows DeBoer’s offense and already looked to have developed nice chemistry with Milroe during this year’s A-Day scrimmage. I expect the Washington transfer to be the Tide’s leading receiver by the end of the year.

Trust me on this one. The third time’s a charm.

Offensive breakout star — Kendrick Law

Last month, I had the opportunity to chat one-on-one with DeBoer. When discussing the depth chart toward the end of our conversation, he mentioned Kendrick Law’s exceptional agility and how much of a weapon the junior receiver could be in his offense. By that time, my recorder was turned off, so I just stashed the comment in the back of my mind.

Last week, DeBoer dropped another hint of Law’s potential impact when he revealed to ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic that the receiver was clocked at 23.6 miles per hour during workouts and also lifts a whopping 450 pounds on the bench.

Along with his speed, Law led all Alabama receivers with a 77.2 run-blocking grade last season, according to Pro Football Focus. While the 5-foot-11, 201-pound receiver can line up anywhere on the field, I see him as a nice fit for the Tide’s X-receiver role this fall.

Defensive breakout star — Tim Smith

Perhaps I’m guilty of an Alabama preseason snub. I made no mention of Tim Smith when I revealed my preseason All-SEC picks last week. Then my peers voted the Tide defensive tackle to the All-SEC second team in Dallas.

After joining Alabama as a top-50 player in the 2020 class, Smith has tallied just 4.5 sacks in his four seasons with the Tide. Still, I see why he received some SEC Media Days respect.

Nothing disrupts a passer more than inside pressure, and Smith has the size and athleticism to provide that threat up the middle. The 6-foot-4, 302-pound defensive tackle should also benefit from Wommack’s 4-2-5 scheme where he’ll likely get more help across the line.

Media MVP — Tyler Booker

During my first few years on the Alabama beat, reporters would vote for a Media Good Guy Award. The honor was presented to a player who was not only willing to come up for interviews but also provided thoughtful and insightful answers. I’m not sure if we’re handing out the award this year, but if we do, Tyler Booker is the early frontrunner.

Booker is one of the rare Alabama players who will come up to you on the street and greet you with a hug or a handshake. He’s always willing to talk to reporters and often provides a memorable quote or soundbite when he does. Take this response on Nick Saban not picking Alabama to win the SEC title for example.

“Coach Saban always taught me not to pay attention to external voices,” Booker said during SEC Media Days last week. “He always used to say, ‘Don’t let some guy that lives in their mom’s basement determine how you feel.’ So I’m not gonna let some guy who plays golf all day determine how I feel. I’m not too worried about it because he’s an external factor now. He works at the stadium, not the facility.”

Most improved — Kadyn Proctor

Last year’s numbers were pretty jarring. According to PFF, Kadyn Proctor tied for the most allowed sacks among all Division I offensive linemen with 12. He also gave up the 12th most pressures with 36. That’s far from what was expected when the five-star prospect became the first freshman to start at left tackle for Alabama since Cam Robinson in 2014.

Still, Proctor showed some promise late in the year, including a standout performance during Alabama’s SEC Championship Game win over Georgia. According to DeBoer, the massive tackle has trimmed down this offseason and should be better poised to keep up with speedy defensive ends this fall.

Unsung hero — James Burnip

There’s been plenty of hype around the high-flying offense DeBoer is bringing to Alabama. However, no one wants to talk about what will happen when the Tide is forced to give the ball back to its opponent. No one until now.

While Alabama fans aren’t dreaming about James Burnip booting the football to the other team, they can rest easy knowing they have one of the nation’s best handling their punting duties.

Despite not playing an organized game of American football until three years ago, Burnip has risen to an elite level. The former Australian rules football player averaged just 39.13 yards per punt during his first season in 2021. He saw that average improve to 42.30 yards in 2022 before rising it to 47.56 yards last season.

Burnip earned first-team recognition on the media’s preseason All-SEC team last week. While his role isn’t flashy, the senior’s right leg should be a serious weapon for Alabama.

Mr. Reliable — Graham Nicholson

The SEC Media Days poll is a terrible way to predict the season. The media has successfully predicted the SEC champion just nine times since 1992 and saw two people (hopefully mockingly) pick Vanderbilt this year. Somehow, we’re asked to vote on long snappers despite not knowing anyone at the position outside the team we cover.

My expectations grow lower each summer, but even I’m surprised that Alabama’s Graham Nicholson was snubbed as a first-team selection in favor of Texas’ Bert Auburn. Nicholson joined Alabama this offseason as the reigning Lou Groza Award winner. Last season at Miami-Ohio, he converted on 27 of 28 field-goal attempts, setting an NCAA record by making 25 straight field goals in a single season.

While that reliability wasn’t recognized last week, Alabama will certainly appreciate it this fall.

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