Alabama Practice Observations: Crimson Tide get fall camp underway with players standing out physically

Alabama was finally back on the practice field on Wednesday morning for the first practice of fall camp. The season opener is now just one month away with the Crimson Tide traveling to Tallahassee to take on Florida State, but there’s a lot of work to be done before then.

The media got to view a couple of periods at the start of practice, and here are some of the things that we observed:

-Freshman tight end Marshall Pritchett looks fantastic physically. Yes, he was seen sporting a heavy knee brace on his left leg after missing most of the spring due to injury, but his physical transformation has been remarkable. He played his senior season between 215-220 pounds, but he’s now up to 248 after spending the spring at around 235. The Charleston (SC) native has always had tremendous upside as a pass-catcher, but he may be more physically ready to handle the grind of being an SEC tight end than I originally thought he’d be.

-Bandit Kelby Collins looked equally as impressive, but for the opposite reason (lost weight). The Florida transfer did look a little heavy during the spring when he was carrying 285 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame, but he now looks a lot leaner after dropping 10 pounds over the summer. I still think this guy is going to have a versatile inside-out role as a rotational piece in Year 1 at Alabama, but his primary role will likely be as a Bandit. He seems much further along than he did in the spring.

-Steve Mboumoua continues to get coached pretty hard as he transitions from JUCO to the SEC. He looks great, especially now that he’s topping 300 pounds, but the sled drills are still causing him some issues. We saw that back in the spring too. It’s not from a lack of power and physical talent though. The physical gifts are apparent. He’s got to continue to work on conditioning and technique, which I have no doubt will come in due time. Just something to keep in mind.

-It was also nice to see fellow JUCO product Fatutoa Henry out there without being limited. He’s another guy who has put on substantial weight, going from 220 last year to 268 now. Certainly looks like a guy who can handle playing a heavy end in Alabama’s defense. He also has the ability to occasionally be a B-gap player, even at his size. I’m excited to see how he continues to develop. Bandit seems loaded up with Henry playing behind LT Overton, Jordan Renaud, Collins and Keon Keeley. Speaking of Keeley, he continues to show improvement in individual drills. I think things are finally starting to click for him.

-QB Reese isn’t Alabama’s most physically gifted linebacker, but he’s such a smooth mover. He’s way more physically put together than he was even back in the spring too. I’m blown away by his progress. We’re not expecting him to earn significant playing time in 2025 with Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green all on the roster, but he’s a guy to keep an eye on for 2026. Don't forget about him.

-By the way, Lawson was on the practice field in a white jersey, but as expected, he was sporting a large knee brace. He could be eased back into things, but I thought he was moving well, whether it be forwards, backwards or laterally. Watching him in person, I’m not nearly as concerned about the weight loss (239 to 228) now. Yes, he looks leaner, but I actually think that could help him as far as movement and explosiveness. He’s a good athlete, but he’s not elite in that area. Coming off the knee injury, it’s probably a good thing that he’s a little lighter. Lawson led the linebackers through individual drills with Jefferson and Hill-Green as the next two up.

-I am so impressed with freshman Wolf Justin Hill. He’s another guy who’s added substantial weight to his frame, already weighing 242 pounds with a 6-3 frame. Great mover too. Qua Russaw looks a lot more explosive after going from 251 to 243 this offseason. He looks ready to take that next step, which will be much-needed after inconsistent play at the position a year ago.