Alabama football 2019 spring preview: Tua Tagovailoa leads charge for another title

The Alabama Crimson Tide were beaten down in the National Championship Game, but can Tua Tagovailoa and the offense lead the way to another title in 2019?

The Alabama Crimson Tide once again found themselves in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, up against a familiar foe in Clemson. However, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of Nick Saban’s team were handled convincingly to fall short of the title. With big departures on defense but the majority of their offense returning in 2019, the Crimson Tide will be looking to dethrone the Tigers.

• 2018 record: 14-1
• Spring game date: Saturday, April 13 – 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Biggest spring storyline

Yes, there will be plenty of talk about Alabama getting to the National Championship again, but that’s not the sole focus this spring. This team was completely embarrassed in last year’s title game and, with the Tigers not looking close to slowing down in 2019, the focus will be on how Bama plans to take a step forward from last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide were unstoppable at almost every stop in 2018, but were stifled on the biggest stages. With no Jalen Hurts to come in as a savior, Saban must find a way to find another gear for this unit.

By the same token, the defense not only must replace key contributors all over the field, but must be more consistent than they were a season ago as they showed cracks down the stretch, which turned into canyons in the title matchup.

Biggest reason for optimism

Though Alabama must bring in reinforcements on the offensive line after losing Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher and Lester Cotton to the NFL, and though this unit must find another gear after what happened in the title game loss to Clemson, there is no questioning the fact that the biggest cause for optimism is the Tide offense.

That, of course, starts at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa. The rising junior had his struggles in the SEC Championship Game and the National Championship Game, but he was a Heisman finalist for a reason. He’s dynamic and has all the tools to be a top-tier NFL-caliber quarterback. Moreover, Tagovailoa will have his weapons back as Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle all return for another year, as does running back Najee Harris, who steps into a much bigger role now. Put simply, this unit is going to carry them in 2019.

Biggest concern

The Alabama defense was praised for much of the 2018 season. However, when the title game rolled around, the highly talented unit was picked apart by Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson offense. Now they not only must recover from that, but must also replace key contributors at every level after critical departures to the NFL.

Raekwon Davis deciding to return to the Crimson Tide is massively important, but replacing Quinnen Williams and the disruptiveness he showed in every facet last season could be next to impossible. Yet, that’s what LaBryan Ray and Phidarian Mathis must do up front. Just as important, Mack Wilson leaving puts a heavy focus on rising junior Dylan Moses at linebacker as he’ll be expected to be the leader of the unit.

Sure, this is Alabama and they always reload with high-end talent, but seeing it take shape will be critical for this team in 2019.

Biggest offseason addition

Not at all shocking, but Alabama has the top-ranked recruiting class in the country for 2019, a class that includes three 5-star recruits. And while running back Trey Sanders and strongside defensive end Antonio Alfano are both higher-rated recruits overall, offensive tackle Evan Neal could play the biggest role for this team right away.

With the NFL pillaging the Crimson Tide offensive line, this unit is left with a lot of inexperience across their front. There is obvious talent because, well, this is Tuscaloosa we’re talking about. However, throwing a 5-star tackle at 6-foot-7.5 and 360 pounds into the mix like Neal will be massively important to pushing this group and, of course, ultimately putting the best unit out there in front of Tagovailoa.

Biggest game to look forward to in 2019

Though the LSU Tigers will likely be the highest-ranked team that Alabama plays in 2019, the Crimson Tide face them at Bryant-Denny Stadium. With that being the case, they have a mid-season date with the Texas A&M Aggies, potentially a top-10 team this season, at Kyle Field on Oct. 12. With Jimbo Fisher having a highly talented team and surely being motivated to notch a signature win, this is 100 percent the make-or-break game for Bama in 2019.