Germie Bernard wasn’t a leader in Washington’s 2023 wide receivers room that featured multiple future NFL players, inclduing Rome Odunze. That’s changed for 2024 with Alabama football.

The junior from Las Vegas was one of a few players who followed Kalen DeBoer from Seattle to Tuscaloosa this offseason. So far this offseason, he’s impressed receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, who held the same job with the Huskies.

“Germie has been exceptional,” Shephard said on Wednesday. “His leadership with this group, shoot, with the entire team has been exceptional. He’s really put himself out there in a lot of ways, in a way that he normally hadn’t done when we were at the prior place.”

The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Bernard started seven games for Washington last season, and played in all 14. He caught 34 passes for 419 yards, also scoring two touchdowns on 13 rushing attempts.

When the Crimson Tide begins the 2024 season on Saturday against Western Kentucky, he’s expected to fill one of the starting receiver roles. According to Shephard, he’s been instrumental in helping his Alabama teammates learn DeBoer’s system as the season approaches.

“This has been a moment for him to really push the envelope with his leadership amongst everyone that’s involved on this entire football team,” Shephard said. “Ultimately I think his knowledge and understanding of what it looks like, what it’s supposed to look like is extremely valuable for everybody involved.

The formation, exactly where the alignment should be. The ability to run the route slightly different than maybe how it’s drawn on the paper. It’s one thing to get the paper and see, ‘Hey this is what it is,’ and yes, if there’s nobody out there, that’s what it should look like. But ultimately, when somebody’s out there, there has to be some slight nuances.”

Besides Shephard, Bernard has earned praise from across the Alabama organization, from DeBoer to quarterback Jalen Milroe. DeBoer also mentioned the wideout as a possibility in the punt return game, but that’s yet to be seen.

In a receiver room that skews young, featuring freshmen the likes of Ryan Williams, Caleb Odom, Cole Adams and more, Bernard has made himself invaluable.

“He fights every single day,” Shepard said. “He gives every things’s got. He takes every rep that he possibly can, but at the same time he’s standing right behind guys coaching them up. I can see coaching in his future.”

Alabama and WKU are scheduled to kick off at 6:05 p.m. Saturday. The game will be aired on ESPN.