Alabama 2021 Spring Game: The Players Who Starred

Spring is a beautiful time of year, the weather is warming up, the days get longer and college football teams hold fifteen practices usually culminating with some form of spring game. That spring game is often the first chance fans have to see their team in action. Sure, the rules vary depending on the team, players rotate in and out, and some of the big stars don’t play much, but it’s still the first look at the team. It’s dangerous to read too much into spring game performances, but that won’t stop us from highlighting a few players who impressed in Alabama‘s spring game.

Agiye Hall

Hall is a member of Alabama’s 2021 recruiting class and enrolled early and capped off his spring with a big performance. Hall made several big plays that counted and a few that did not, but still showed how good he is. He was able to get downfield and win in jump ball situations, showing good ball skills and concentration. He also made difficult catches on the sideline with good body control to get his feet down on the sideline. Hall later got open underneath and showed a good stiff arm to get free and pick up nice yardage after the catch. Hall was clearly a dominant player during the spring game and has the talent to make a big impact during his career at Alabama.

Bryce Young

Young will replace Mac Jones after his incredible season and has big shoes to fill piloting the Alabama offense. Young was certainly not flawless, but he showed the talents that made him a five star recruit in the 2020 class. He showed his elite agility, repeatedly dodging defenders in the backfield and buying time for receivers to get open. The quarterbacks were not live in the spring game, but Young was a threat to run the ball several times and will be a threat to turn broken plays into big gains. Young was also very accurate, particularly in the short to intermediate passing game and generally made good decisions with the football that kept the offense moving. Young’s performance should have Alabama fans excited about his potential in the 2021 season.

Deontae Lawson

Lawson is another member of Alabama’s excellent 2021 recruiting class that flashed during the spring game. He displayed his good athleticism and was always around the football. He made four tackles, including a tackle for loss and also recovered a fumble. Lawson’s athleticism was on display in coverage as well, he recorded two pass breakups during the game. The first came on a play where he trailed the running back out of the backfield and nearly intercepted the pass for a pick six. The second came near the end of the first half and helped keep the offense from scoring, Lawson dropped into coverage and made a leaping deflection on a Bryce Young pass. Lawson played well in the spring game and showed he is ready to make an impact early in his career.

Timothy Smith

The big defensive tackle is now in his second year with the program and is one of the players who could help fill the void left by Christian Barmore. Smith was strong against the run and also showed the quickness and acumen to rush the passer. He was able to beat blockers with his get off and a couple of good pass rush moves that helped him to collapse the pocket and flush the quarterback out. Smith showed he can be disruptive on the defensive interior against both the run and the pass.

Ga’Quincy McKinstry

Alabama’s 2021 recruiting class was a historic haul and McKinstry was another member that made his presence felt during the spring game. McKinstry has a knack for finding the football and was part of several big plays for the defense. He intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and recorded a pass breakup during the game. He played a well rounded game, also making three tackles including a tackle for loss. McKinstry was in good coverage most of the game and had the look of a future star in the secondary.

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Coach Nick Saban Statue — University of Alabama Football Stadium (Gate 1) Tuscaloosa (AL) February 2019 image taken by Ron Cogswell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.