Young Receivers Stepped Up in Alabama's Loss to Tennessee

For the first time since 2006, Tennessee defeated Alabama, but one of the Crimson Tide's significant positives was the play of the promising freshmen receivers Kobe Prentice and Isaiah Bond. Bond only had two catches for 39 yards while Prentice finished the game with nine catches for 66 yards. The young guns stepping up and making plays when necessary allowed Bryce Young to throw for 455 yards in the air.

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Prentice was named the starting slot receiver at the start of the season and has looked solid thus far. Prentice had a few drops in the Texas game that stopped a few drives. Since then, the freshman from Calera, Ala., has continued to improve game after game. Prentice was instrumental in making critical first-down catches on third-down situations and showed a ton of skill with a few screenplays against the Volunteers.

Isaiah Bond has seen a lot of action in the last few games. Since the game against Texas where he had a couple of drops, he has improved slightly. The freshman from Buford, Ga., has made significant strides in his route running and is gaining confidence in catching the ball. Plus, Bryce Young has shown increased trust in him.

The outcome of the game did not go as planned for Alabama, but two of the Tide's bright spots were the young freshmen receivers, who stepped up tremendously and continue to progress, which will be essential if Alabama is to rebound and compete for a championship.