Alabama football is just three practices into spring, but the buzz for the 2025 season is already building. The Crimson Tide will look to improve on offense in Kalen DeBoer’s second season, after struggling to find consistency in 2024.

UA lost plenty of talent, but has a healthy stock of newcomers and youngsters ready to replace the departing players. As the Tide pauses spring practice for a week, here are some offensive breakout candidates for 2025.

Jalen Hale

The wide receiver was a contributor on offense in 2023, but missed all of last season due to a leg injury. He’s back in action during spring football.

At 6-foot-1, Hale helps add some needed length to the receiver room. If he stays healthy, he could be a major weapon on offense for the Tide.

“I like Jalen Hale,” Alabama defensive back Bray Hubbard said. “Guy who got hurt last year, but dude is freaking balling right now. He’s doing a great job.”

Richard Young

With Justice Haynes off to Michigan, Alabama needs a running back to compliment Jam Miller. Young is the obvious choice, after he stood third on the depth chart last season.

Young, now a redshirt sophomore, played in seven games for the Tide last season. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound back rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns last season earning praise from then-Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.

“I think toughness,” Sheridan said in November of what Young brought to the table. “I think a physicality. He’s a decisive runner, he runs behind his pads. He’s a great kid, very well liked, not just by the other running backs but by the whole team.”

Isaiah Horton

Alabama lost a fair amount of receiver talent to the portal after the 2024 season, but swung back in a big way with Horton. The wideout joined the Crimson Tide after beginning his college career at Miami.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Horton could shine in an offense he’ll share with Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. He went for 616 yards and five touchdowns through the air last year for the Hurricanes.

“Just a lot of production,” DeBoer said of what Horton provides. “He’s been out there. The lights aren’t going to be too bright for him. You can see just his focus in the phase of workouts that we had. It’s important to him. He came here for a reason because he wanted to be pushed. He wanted to be challenged. He wanted to come around here. He wasn’t scared of competition— some guys that are in the program like Germ and Ryan that had a lot of production themselves. He added to the room, and we’re excited about his personality, his attitude he brings. It’s been nothing but positive.”

Josh Cuevas

Alabama has to replace much of its tight end production for 2025. CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts earned the lion’s share of snaps at that position for the past two seasons, but they’re both off to the NFL Draft.

Danny Lewis Jr. is a strong contender to take over some of the role, but he’s out for spring practice. With him gone temporarily, there’s more reps for Cuevas.

Cuevas, a redshirt senior, played well when given the opportunity in 2024. He could see his role expand in a major way for his second season at UA, after following DeBoer from Washington.

Ty Simpson

One of the quarterbacks is going to have a breakout year in 2025. It’s just a matter of which one.

From afar, Simpson seems to have an advantage in the competition to replace Jalen Milroe, with more experience than both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. The redshirt junior has been Alabama’s primary backup for the past two seasons, and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb sounded like he was a fan.

“I think he’s really improving,” Grubb said. “One thing I like and appreciate about Ty already that you can tell is he’s very serious about wanting to succeed. He’s had the mindset that he’s been ready, you know, and he’s been kind of waiting in the wings so to speak. I think for me it’s just, I know he’s committed to the process. I think that’s what makes great quarterbacks. As long as he understands it’s gonna take a little bit, he’s got to be committed to those steps, he’s gonna be great.”