Alabama coach shares blunt thoughts on WR quality: "I’m sick of this sh*t"
Alabama wide receiver coach Jamarcus Shephard was not happy with his crew's production in the 2024 season. In the first episode of the new six-part series from FOX Nation, “The Tides That Bind: Inside Alabama Football,” Shephard was seen lighting up the wide receiver room for their poor performance.
In an offense that predominantly relied on quarterback Jalen Milroe's rushing ability, no Crimson Tide receiver had more than 50 catches all season. The team was led by freshman receiver Ryan Williams, who caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Only senior transfer Germie Bernard had more catches, with 50 for 794 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’m tired of sugarcoating s— for people in this room anymore,” Shephard said. “I’m not sugarcoating. It’s a tell-tale sign our two receivers who have the most production in the room are the two taking notes right now. It’s a tell-tale sign that’s how it is. I’m sick of this s—. The ball goes in the air, we’ve got to want it."
The two taking notes that Shephard was referring to were, in fact, Williams and Bernard. Shephard proceeded to take shots at the receiver room.
“Everybody wanna be cute. All these weak-a– haircuts y’all got. S— all pristine and s—. Ain’t nobody got no dog in them.”
It appears Shephard's message wasn't received too well by the Crimson Tide receivers. Five of them decided to enter the transfer portal after the 2024 season: Caleb Odom, Amari Jefferson, Emmanuel Henderson, Kendrick Law and Jaren Hamilton. When Alabama does take the field to kick off the 2025 season, the offense will look very different.
Alabama offense loses focal point following 2024 season
The Alabama offense ran predominantly through junior quarterback Jalen Milroe. Not only was Milroe the team's leading passer, but he was their leading rusher by a significant margin. Milroe rushed for 726 yards on 168 carries, scoring 20 touchdowns on the ground.
For comparison, Milroe passed for only 16 touchdowns last season, throwing for 2,844 yards and 11 interceptions. He'll now declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving a huge void in the offense next season. It will be interesting to see how the program moves forward on offense with a revamped receiver room and a new quarterback after Milroe's departure.