The Alabama Crimson Tide bring in a ton of a talent with their 2017 recruiting class. They have the No. 2 running back in the nation in Najee Harris, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 2 outside linebacker in Dylan Moses and the list goes on and on.
While those three recruits all had outstanding springs, the freshman who may make the most noise and contribute to a Crimson Tide National Championship run is wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
When asked to name some recent great Alabama receivers, names like Amari Cooper, Julio Jones and maybe Calvin Ridley come to mind. And if one takes a look a Jeudy’s physical tools and skillset, it appears he should be able to produce like those three receivers.
The incoming freshman has been on campus for less than five months and he has already been compared to Ridley by his teammates (Once Ridley arrived in Tuscaloosa, he was compared to Cooper). Looking at Jeudy, it is not hard to see why he has been compared to Ridley, Cooper and Jones already.
The young wide out stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds. Ridley and Cooper both stand at 6-foot-1, while Jones is 6-foot-3. So Jeudy certainly compares favorably when it comes to the height department with those three great ‘Bama receivers. However, in terms of muscle mass, he is lacking a bit. Ridley is at 190 pounds, Cooper at 205 and Jones currently sits at 220. So Jeudy will definitely need to add some muscle onto his frame.
However, being at Alabama, that shouldn’t be a concern.
While his physical traits certainly tell a story of Jeudy possibly having the ability to become the Crimson Tide’s next great pass catcher, his performance during Alabama’s A-Day game fully shows that he has what it takes to become a fierce target in 2017 and beyond.
Jeudy finished with five catches, totaling 134 yards and two touchdowns during the A-Day game. That performance helped the freshman be named the MVP. But it was the way thathe tallied those numbers that has people thinking he could be a threat in his first year at Alabama.
On Jeudy’s second touchdown reception, he caught a deep ball from Tagovailoa by jumping over defensive back Aaron Robinson.
Seeing a young receiver make that type of catch, is certainly a promising sign for whats to come.
While Jeudy has displayed such talents that would earn any receiver in country playing time, Alabama’s receiving corp is so deep that he may not even see the field in 2017.
In front of Jeudy stands Ridley, Cam Sims, Robert Foster and Trevon Diggs, all of whom were top recruits coming out of high school. While all four receivers are talented, given the Tide’s move from a traditional offense to spread system, it is not unlikely for Jeudy to see meaningful playing time in big-time situations come this season.
The reason for that is because Sims and Foster, both whom possess tremendous upside, have produced very little during their three years in Tuscaloosa and Diggs has been experimenting on defense this spring.
If Jeudy is able to become the No. 2 receiver for Alabama, he could produce big time statistics. Ridley will receive more than a handful of double teams this year. That would open the door for more passes than expected to be thrown Jeudy’s way in 2017. If that does in fact happen, Ridley believes and hopes that Jeudy can break his record of most receiving yards as freshman during a season (1,045 yards).
However, if Jeudy can’t replicate the success that Ridley enjoyed his freshman year, he can easily have an O.J. Howard-type impact on a possible Alabama National Championship run—an underused pass catcher who has the ability to burn any defense.
Jeudy has the physical tools and skillset to become an elite pass catcher immediately. With Alabama utilizing the spread offense, remember Jeudy’s name come January. He may just be the reason why the Tide win its fourth national title since 2010.
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