Alabama Football: Winners and Losers from Crimson Tide's 2016 Spring
Sure, Alabama's A-Day spring football game was unexciting for scoreboard watchers, as the final score read just 7-3 in favor of White.
But there were plenty of developments nonetheless for the Crimson Tide faithful to pay attention to as we head into college football's dark abyss that is the summer.
A freshman early enrollee shined perhaps the brightest of any signal-caller. Alabama's offensive line may need work, and Damien Harris may well be Derrick Henry 2.0.
With that, let's check out the winners and losers of Saturday's A-Day game and the entire spring season.
Loser: Adam Griffith
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Adam Griffith has never been advertised as the world's greatest place-kicker, but he seemed to take a noticeable step backward Saturday.
It took Griffith five tries to make a single field goal, as he missed his first four in the first half.
Griffith was just 23-of-32 on field-goal tries last year and 12-of-19 the year before. When you're the kicker for the nation's defending champs, consistency is a must.
Of course, his pooch kick that landed in Alabama's hands in the College Football Playoff Championship Game is perhaps his most memorable feat to date, so he mostly gets a pass for the spring game. But Griffith also has to put the day behind him.
Winner: Jalen Hurts
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While the rest of the gunslingers who are vying to be Alabama's starter this spring struggled to get into a rhythm in the A-Day game, freshman Jalen Hurts showed he has arguably the highest upside.
The dual-threat quarterback had the best passing numbers between himself, Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett and David Cornwell.
Hurts threw for 120 yards and the game's only touchdown on 11-of-15 passing.
John Talty of AL.com had reported that Bateman emerged as the leader in the 2016 quarterback, but Hurts may well have forced himself into the conversation.
Loser: Cooper Bateman
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Bateman came into Saturday's game having emerged as a leader for the quarterback job.
Head coach Nick Saban and Co. gave him a chance to solidify himself, allowing Bateman to throw 24 passes, eight more than any other quarterback on the staff.
Yet Bateman had the lowest quarterback rating of any of the four quarterbacks (59.3) and went just 9-of-24 for 86 yards. He also threw a game-sealing interception in the end zone.
Hurts was perhaps the only quarterback to have a decent day, so maybe Bateman didn't lose much ground, simply because not enough people tried to catch him.
Still, it looks like we'll leave the spring with unanswered questions under center in Tuscaloosa.
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Winner: Rashaan Evans
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Linebacker Rashaan Evans had a coming-out party in last winter's College Football Playoff title game, registering two sacks and three tackles, both career highs for the now-junior.
In Saturday's A-Day game, Evans led the way on both teams with 17 tackles (10 solo) and one sack.
Evans' sack in the A-Day game was on a scrambling Hurts, who is the fastest QB on staff and was actively running away from him.
Evans appears to be next in line to be one of the elite linebackers to come out of Alabama, and Saturday only solidified that narrative.
Winner: Damien Harris
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Alabama is hoping that Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough can provide a two-pronged approach to replacing running back Derrick Henry in the backfield.
On Saturday, though, Harris clearly had the better day of the two.
While Scarbrough finished with 20 yards on nine carries (2.2 yards per carry), Harris racked up 114 yards on 20 carries.
That's a big leap in production, but it's also essentially in just a scrimmage. Alabama will surely employ both backs as they progress into the fall.
Matthew Speakman of the Crimson White indicated that Saban was pleased with Harris' explosiveness and quickness.
Those are the types of characteristics that Henry turned into Saturday gospel last year, and Harris seemed to show he follows the same creed.
Loser: Offensive Line
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The Crimson Tide lost two key pieces in the offensive trenches in center Ryan Kelly and tackle Dominick Jackson.
But Saturday showed that Alabama may have a harder time rebuilding the O-line than in previous years.
Alabama gave up 14—count 'em, 14—sacks combined in the spring game, with the White offensive line giving up 11.
That much pressure being applied to a slew of developing quarterbacks who are looking to secure a starting job only hinders progress, and that has to be an area of concern as fall draws nearer.
The Tide traditionally have nothing but gold in the trenches, and the spring game is an unfair way to grade any unit as a whole. But allowing 14 sacks has to raise some alarms.
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