Ja’Corey Brooks Comments on a Young Wide Receiver

Ja'Corey Brooks has been a staple of the Alabama offense for the past two years. From catching the game-tying touchdown pass against Auburn in the 2021 Iron Bowl to becoming Bryce Young's favorite target, Brooks is coming into the 2023 season as a veteran leader of a brand-new offense.

During Wednesday's press conference, the junior from Miami, Fla., gave some encouraging words about freshman wide receiver, Malik Benson.

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Benson, coming out of Lansing, Kan., was the No.1 JUCO wide receiver in the Class of 2023 and had offers from all over the country. In the end, Benson decided to choose the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and the Oregon Ducks.

According to On3 Sports, Benson is "A threat to score any time he touches the ball. Has the long speed to blow by defenders on vertical routes and pull away in the open field with an easy, long-striding gait".

At Hutchinson Community College, Benson was a nightmare for defenses. In two seasons for the Blue Dragons, Benson caught 102 passes for 2,206 total yards. On top of that, Benson had multiple 50+ yard receptions that mostly resulted in touchdowns.

The main difference in comparing the 2022 Alabama to any other team in the Nick Saban era was the fact that there was no speed threat. Players like Jameson Williams, Jaylen Waddle, and Henry Ruggs III made defense reconsider their strategies because of the fear of getting beat deep.

Last year, Alabama did not have that guy who could take the top of offenses and focused most of its efforts on covering Brooks. This year, Benson could be that speed threat who could make defenses respect the Alabama deep ball like in years past.