As the Alabama Crimson Tide gears up for Kentucky Saturday evening, a pair of off the field issues rocked the football team since Wednesday evening.

Reserve quarterback Blake Barnett left the program while linebacker Tim Williams was arrested early Thursday morning.

During his weekly conversation on The Gary Harris Show, former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson addressed the Barnett and Williams situations and how they could affect Alabama’s preparation for Saturday’s game.

The former Alabama signal caller discussed the timing of the decision, its impact on team morale and the investment that the coaching staff made in developing Barnett into a potential starter.

In leaving the Alabama program, Wilson highlighted how Barnett could miss a valuable opportunity to develop and improve his skills against one of college football’s top defenses during practice.

“You’re not going to get any better practice as a backup than going against the first team defense for Alabama. It’s the toughest defense in the country and here you are going day in and day out playing against these guys. If you can complete a ball against that defense, you can complete a ball against any defense in the country.” Wilson said.

He further elaborated on how Alabama’s talent on defense prepares the quarterback to compete at a high level on game day and develop as a quarterback.

“One of the things that we heard on the broadcast last week was we’re getting a lot of four and five star guys, but when you can practice against those guys, it’s so valuable. Because you know that going out there on Saturdays that you’re ultimately prepared to go out there and be successful. Going against that defense is big. It’s really big in your development as a quarterback.” Wilson said.

Alabama’s starting quarterback from 2006-2008 later analyzed the potential roles of Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell as backups behind starter Jalen Hurts.

Catch the Gary Harris Show every weekday from 9-11 AM on Tide 102.9 and the radioPup app.

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