Kool-Aid McKinstry saw the talent early. When Alabama football wide receiver Kobe Prentice, along with Isaiah Bond got to campus as true freshmen in 2022, the cornerback started working on them.

McKinstry wanted them to improve. Soon, they started using him as a resource.

“Guys like Kobe I feel like work very hard,” McKinstry said when asked about the now-sophomore wideout on Tuesday. “Ask me questions about like ‘How were you able to guard that route? What could I have done better?’ So guys who even care enough to know or care enough to ask a question about what he did wrong in his route, asking a DB, that’s just very ahead.”

Prentice has taken a large role in the Alabama offense this season. On Saturday against Texas, he had five catches for 68 yards with the longest going 28.

That was good for the team lead in the defeat. He caught 83% of the passes thrown his way, the highest percentage of any Tide receiver with 3 or more targets.

On Tuesday, Prentice said his performance was business as usual.

“It’s what Nick Saban preaches to us all week,” Prentice said. “Just playing with mental toughness and effort to be able to go out there and perform at a high level.”

Prentice got on the field last season for Alabama, playing in 10 games, starting three and finishing with 337 yards and two touchdowns. During the offseason he changed his number from No. 80 to No. 6 as a tribute to former Crimson Tide receiver DeVonta Smith.

He said his major improvement throughout the offseason was getting more comfortable on the field. He said the same about his fellow young wideouts, Bond and Kendrick Law.

“Those are my guys,” Prentice said. “We bond in the locker room as well as on the field and off the field. I think coming into this season they’re a lot more comfortable on the field, as you can see (against Texas) they both played well.”

Bond is another sophomore making a big contribution to the Tide. He led the team in receiving yards in the opener against Middle Tennessee State, making five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Law has been returning kicks, earning a player of the week spot from Alabama coaches after returning one for 18 yards against Texas.

“I’m really proud of how we all played as a group, as a team as well,” Prentice said of his receiver teammates. “I feel like we can all improve in different areas.”

Alabama will be back in action on Saturday against South Florida. That game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. and will be aired on ABC.

More: Finding the positives from Alabama football’s ugly loss to Texas