The nation watched as the No. 4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide bullied the No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs for two and a half quarters. Then, they watched as this same Alabama team needed some fireworks to re-take the lead and ultimately hold on in arguably the best game of the young 2024 college football season.
It’s not just that they won this game against rival Georgia; it’s how they won and who they won it with that indicate this ‘Bama team is built to last under head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Alabama’s Youth Stands Tall vs. Georgia
The Crimson Tide utilized big-time performances from big-time players in their victory over Georgia. First off, star quarterback Jalen Milroe firmly supplanted everyone above him in the Heisman Trophy race with his performance against the Bulldogs.
With four total touchdowns and 491 total yards of offense, Milroe’s performance was integral in Alabama’s success. The junior will likely have a ton of hardware to accompany his second season as the starter in Tuscaloosa and ultimately have a tough decision ahead of him in January as to enter the 2025 NFL Draft or not.
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Milroe continues to blossom in front of our eyes. After a sluggish performance against USF in Week 2, he’s bounced back and throw for five touchdowns against one interception in his last two outings. He’s also run for two touchdowns in every game this season, a rare feat even for someone as gifted as he is.
But it’s his downfield accuracy, short-area touch, and intermediate layering that has drastically improved since a season ago that has put him on the map as not only the top quarterback in the country, but also perhaps the top option for next year’s draft class.
It should be stated that yes, Milroe is likely done in Tuscaloosa after the end of this season, but we’re watching the fruits of DeBoer’s labors come to fruition with Milroe’s continued development this season. You can bet that Milroe’s successor will have the biggest advantage among the nation’s quarterbacks: DeBoer as his head coach.
But it wasn’t just Milroe and his dominance. And while it’s essentially everyone else on the team that really makes this Alabama roster different, it’s two true freshman stars that showed up on the biggest stage that give Tide fans hope for now and the future.
Ryan Williams stole the show on offense and Zabien Brown locked down on the outside. Williams caught the game-winning touchdown and Brown nabbed the game-sealing interception on successive possessions.
These two true freshman are next in line at the Alabama WR and Alabama DB Factories in terms of NFL potential, but Tide fans get the luxury of having them wear Crimson for at least two and a half more seasons.
And that should scare SEC fans everywhere.
Williams doesn’t play like a 17-year-old true freshman, and he showed up on the biggest stage of his life against Georgia, pulling in a ridiculous 75-yard touchdown. Williams flashed late hands and incredible ball-tracking skills on his touchdown.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!
RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024
But it was his after-the-catch ability that stole the show. His ability to throttle up and throttle down was on display as was his elusiveness and top speed. It’s hard to believe that Williams is 17 and won’t be 18 until after the season.
It’s even harder to believe that he’s now hauled in a touchdown in every single game of his career to date and has 463 yards on 16 receptions with five total touchdowns in just four games of what should be one of the greatest collegiate football careers of all-time if this keeps up.
And then there’s Brown, who picked off Carson Beck once — a game-sealing interception to boot — and made multiple plays on the ball in this one. Brown, who got his first start just two weeks ago against Wisconsin, was tested early and often by the Bulldogs, and he answered the call time and time again.
When he was tested with the game on the line, Brown answered that call on the biggest stage of his career as well.
A GAME-SEALING INTERCEPTION AT THE GOAL LINE FOR BAMA 🥶 pic.twitter.com/66KprVHVEk
— ESPN (@espn) September 29, 2024
Brown played the ball better than the experienced Colbie Young did for Georgia. His ability to play in space and play to the ball are uncanny for a player his age.
He plays just as well with his back to the ball, but it should be noted that this staff trusts him against opposing team’s No. 1 receiver already. If that isn’t a glowing recommendation, then nothing is.
Recruits Watched In Awe As Alabama Beat Georgia
A junior quarterback, two true freshmen wearing No. 2, and a roster staffed with talented underclassmen would be enough to warrant such a claim that ‘this Alabama team is the team to beat in the SEC.’ But we’re not done there.
Just take a look at the visit tracker for who was scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa for the Georgia game.
This is a list that includes five 5-star players for the Class of 2025 and the state of Alabama’s top player for the Class of 2026 were all in attendance. It is a list that also included 16 other three-star recruits and multiple flip candidates.
With the game finishing as arguably the ‘game of the year,’ it’s going to be incredibly difficult for any other program to match what Alabama was undoubtedly able to showcase for these young recruits.
It’s a long way until National Signing Day, but you better believe at an atmosphere like that of Bryant-Denny Stadium at night, against the No. 2 team in the country, these kids will remember this night for a long, long time. It might even be a strong enough of an impression-grabber that it secures some commitments itself.
‘Bama Is Built to Last
With the youth movement taking over the Crimson Tide roster and the potential for even more talented true freshmen to join the fray next season, fans of Alabama can thank one man, and one man only: Kalen DeBoer.
The staff DeBoer has amassed is unmatched. The talent he’s building on his roster is exceeding even the loftiest of expectations. And the fact that DeBoer has never lost a game in front of fans at home still rings true.
A winner is a winner, and that’s what Alabama got in their hire of DeBoer as Nick Saban’s successor. And if history tells us anything, the Crimson Tide are here to stay.
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