Alabama’s offense came to play in Saturday’s A-Day game in Tuscaloosa. The two quarterbacks — Hurts and Tagovailoa — both showed why opposing teams could have nightmares preparing for the Tide. Here are five things I liked from Saturday’s game, which ended with a game-winning field goal on the final play.

1. Jalen Hurts’ ability to threaten the defense deep

If you were able to watch the A-Day game, then you have already seen the strides that Hurts has made as a deep passer. In just the first half alone, Hurts made several impressive throws that took touch and an understanding of timing. Here’s a few of those plays:

  • 60-yard pass to Calvin Ridley
  • 65-yard pass to Robert Foster (TD)
  • 50-yard pass to Robert Foster
  • 37-yard pass to Calvin Ridley (TD)

All three of these big completions hit the receiver in stride while showing impressive velocity. Now, Hurts wasn’t perfect today. He took a couple unnecessary sacks early on in the game — he could’ve thrown two of them away. That’s something he simply cannot do once things go live against Florida State on Sept. 2 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Another area that was concerning was when Hurts was forced to go to his second read. When the first read was there, Hurts looked impressive. He seemed comfortable and consistently delivered strikes. Going throw his progressions were a different story at times. Hurts seemed uncomfortable when his first option wasn’t there, and that is something that needs to be monitored heading into the summer.

Despite the subtle struggles from Hurts, he overall played a great game. He used his legs to buy himself time, and also did a good job when he took off with the football. Hurts finished with 301 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception — while completing 61.5-percent of his passes.

2. Tua Tagovailoa’s performance in his first live action

Fans were excited to see Tagovailoa, and he didn’t disappoint. Tagovailoa was one of the early enrollees who arrived with a lot of hype. He was a 5-star prospect — and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback — according to 247Sports.

It’s now easy to see why he garnered all that attention coming out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu. Tagovailoa finished with 313 yards passing, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception — while completing 58.6-percent of his passes.

He showed a lightning quick release, and overall, he seemed to show a solid understanding of the offense. Like with Hurts, Tagovailoa wasn’t perfect. He tried to force a few throws, and he didn’t seem comfortable sitting in the pocket at times.

Still, he’s going to be an excellent player for the Crimson Tide within the next couple of years.

3. The depth of the receiving core

There was a lot of concerns about the receiving core when the team lost ArDarius Stewart, Gehrig Dieter and receiving tight end O.J. Howard. If today’s A-Day game was any indication, the receiving game has been left in good hands.

Robert Foster proved that he can be deep threat for the Tide in 2017. In just the first half, Foster managed to haul in two catches that went for 115 yards — 57.5 yards per catch average — and a touchdown. He’s been the forgotten man in Tuscaloosa, but I wouldn’t expect that to be the case moving forward.

True freshman WR Jerry Jeudy also looked really impressive. The former 5-star prospect hauled in five catches for 134 yards of his own — with two of those receptions going for touchdowns. The highlight to Jeudy’s day was an acrobatic 38-yard reception where he went up and over CB Aaron Robinson for a touchdown in the first half.

Foster and Jeudy weren’t the only two who looked the part on Saturday. Calvin Ridley is still the No. 1 option at wide receiver, and he managed to haul in four receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore WR T.J. Simmons also hauled in several catches.

Jalen Hurts is going to love throwing to this receiving core come this fall.

4. The added element that Najee Harris will contribute to Alabama’s run game

The run game was without Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris and B.J. Emmons on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean the run game didn’t have some moments.

Overall, the Tide’s defense keep the run game in check, but true freshman RB Najee Harris still impressed in his debut. He led both teams in rushing — 70 yards on 17 carries — all while displaying patience, balance and vision. Another area where Harris made his presence known was as a receiver out of the backfield.

He had three receptions for 37 yards, and he showed soft hands — the 12.3 yards per reception was also impressive. That’s been a theme for Harris since he has arrived in Tuscaloosa, and it’s what can separate him from the rest of the running backs. When watching Harris as a runner and receiver, there are a lot of similarities to Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell. They share similar size, display patience as a runners and consistently make plays in the passing game.

The former 5-star prospect is almost certain to see significant playing time this fall. The question is going to be whether he can become the focal point in the Tide’s run game at any point in 2017.

5. Mack Wilson’s development

Mack Wilson became a fan favorite last season as a true freshman due to the wreck-less nature he showed on special teams. He made several big hits — two in particular against Texas A&M — that showed just what kind player he could eventually become on defense.

Today was the first step in that development. Wilson made several nice plays against both the run and the pass. At 6-2, 231 pounds, Wilson is a load to take on for opposing offensive linemen. He does an excellent job of stacking and shedding blockers with authority, but he is more than just a two-down thumper.

Wilson also made a couple of impressive plays in coverage. He showed solid awareness, and he seemed comfortable in space. The former 5-star linebacker is almost certainly going to see an increase in playing time this season, but inside linebacker might be the deepest position on the roster outside of running back.

Shaun Dion-Hamilton and Rashaan Evans will be the two starters inside for the Crimson Tide, but don’t be surprised if Wilson turns out to be the best of the bunch in 2017.