BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Calvin Ridley was the No. 1 receiver coming out of high school and will be a major part of the Crimson Tide offense in 2015 According to offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, "Ridley has the talent to be one of the best wide receivers in the country."
If Calvin Ridley does what he's supposed to do, he has the talent to be one of the best wide receivers in the country.
That's the strong praise offensive coordinatorLane Kiffin offered the freshman receiver on Sunday during a rare media appearance.
"Calvin has really kind of showed some elite talent of guys over the years we've been able to be around," Kiffin said. "A couple of Biletnikoff winners and a bunch of All-Americans, he's shown that talent. Now there's a long way to go to get to that level, but his speed when he catches the ball and his transition, if he does the other things all the way through, which is a lot, he's going to be really special."
Kiffin coached the last two Biletnikoff winners -- Amari Cooper and USC's Marqise Lee -- so he speaks from experience. Ridley has already been compared to Cooper, who finished last year with 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, as the two receivers have similar frames -- both are 6-foot-1 though Cooper weighs 20 pounds more -- and are similarly fluid when running routes. Kiffin's comments seemingly add credibility to that correlation.
Ridley arrived in Tuscaloosa with very high expectations as the nation's top-rated receiver, but he looks to be already ahead of schedule. With Alabama looking to replace its top three receivers from last year, including Cooper, Ridley is being tabbed as a player who could earn early playing time. He'll need to get stronger -- he's been pushed around a bit in practice by Alabama's veteran defensive backs -- but at 20-years old, he's older and wiser than the average freshman receiver. Ridley, who will turn 21 in December, is more polished than the average freshman even if he hasn't played a competitive game since last September because of age eligibility issues in Florida.
Kiffin isn't the only one impressed with Ridley.
The former five-star receiver has quickly made a strong impression on the veterans on offense. Out of all the underclassmen receivers on the roster, junior Chris Black has been most impressed by Ridley this summer. What's set the true freshman apart from the competition? How quickly he's picked up the offense even though he's been on campus for only a few months.
"He's fast, quick, he understands the game," Black said. "He's got great instincts.
"He's hungry and he's ready to learn each and every day. He's making plays."
No freshman at Alabama is handed a starting position, and Ridley will be no different in that regard. There are multiple veterans receivers like Black, Robert Foster andArdarius Stewart ahead in the pecking order and intent on taking advantage of the available opportunities.
But when you watch Ridley, it's easy to see why he was so highly-regarded coming out of Coconut Creek, Fla.
And if Kiffin is buying the hype, why shouldn't you?
Continue reading...
If Calvin Ridley does what he's supposed to do, he has the talent to be one of the best wide receivers in the country.
That's the strong praise offensive coordinatorLane Kiffin offered the freshman receiver on Sunday during a rare media appearance.
"Calvin has really kind of showed some elite talent of guys over the years we've been able to be around," Kiffin said. "A couple of Biletnikoff winners and a bunch of All-Americans, he's shown that talent. Now there's a long way to go to get to that level, but his speed when he catches the ball and his transition, if he does the other things all the way through, which is a lot, he's going to be really special."
Kiffin coached the last two Biletnikoff winners -- Amari Cooper and USC's Marqise Lee -- so he speaks from experience. Ridley has already been compared to Cooper, who finished last year with 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, as the two receivers have similar frames -- both are 6-foot-1 though Cooper weighs 20 pounds more -- and are similarly fluid when running routes. Kiffin's comments seemingly add credibility to that correlation.
Ridley arrived in Tuscaloosa with very high expectations as the nation's top-rated receiver, but he looks to be already ahead of schedule. With Alabama looking to replace its top three receivers from last year, including Cooper, Ridley is being tabbed as a player who could earn early playing time. He'll need to get stronger -- he's been pushed around a bit in practice by Alabama's veteran defensive backs -- but at 20-years old, he's older and wiser than the average freshman receiver. Ridley, who will turn 21 in December, is more polished than the average freshman even if he hasn't played a competitive game since last September because of age eligibility issues in Florida.
Kiffin isn't the only one impressed with Ridley.
The former five-star receiver has quickly made a strong impression on the veterans on offense. Out of all the underclassmen receivers on the roster, junior Chris Black has been most impressed by Ridley this summer. What's set the true freshman apart from the competition? How quickly he's picked up the offense even though he's been on campus for only a few months.
"He's fast, quick, he understands the game," Black said. "He's got great instincts.
"He's hungry and he's ready to learn each and every day. He's making plays."
No freshman at Alabama is handed a starting position, and Ridley will be no different in that regard. There are multiple veterans receivers like Black, Robert Foster andArdarius Stewart ahead in the pecking order and intent on taking advantage of the available opportunities.
But when you watch Ridley, it's easy to see why he was so highly-regarded coming out of Coconut Creek, Fla.
And if Kiffin is buying the hype, why shouldn't you?
Continue reading...
