Alabama football relied on hero ball from Bryce Young and Will Anderson too much in 2022, according to former quarterback Greg McElroy.
By Alabama football standards, the 2022 season was a giant disappointment. Returning Heisman winning quarterback Bryce Young and All-American Will Anderson, the Tide expected to compete for the national title. Instead, they failed to win the SEC West.
So what happened to Nick Saban's squad? Former quarterback Greg McElroy has an idea: Having elite stars like Young and Anderson was ultimately a detriment.
"They were a star-driven entity last year," McElroy said on the "Always College Football Podcast, H/T AL.com. "A team that relied on a star offensively in Bryce Young and a star defensively in Will Anderson. And the other 10 guys that were on offense and defense looked at their star and said 'That guy is going to bail us out, I don't necessarily have to completely go over the top with my responsibility because I know that guy is going to play hero ball and he's going to make it happen for us.'"
Greg McElroy: Alabama will be elevated by collective approach in 2023
So despite losing Young and Anderson to the NFL, McElroy thinks that the Tide will be better without them.
"When you have hero ball and you put so much stock into that one player, it can have a negative impact on everyone else on the team. Now those two guys are gone, and I think there's going to be a more collective approach on the roster to elevate their play," McElroy said.
That's certainly a hopeful approach. It all starts, of course, with Alabama replacing Young at quarterback with a stable presence. Jalen Milroe, Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson are competing for the starting job. Whichever of those wins it will have giant shoes to fill and there's no certainty they'll be able to handle the pressure that comes with commanding one of the premiere programs in the country.
It's generally safe to bet on Saban, so it does feel likely Alabama will be just fine. They'd probably still prefer to have Young around to settle the anxiety around the QB job.
