Alabama’s annual A-Day game was unusually exciting due to a surprising offensive explosion through the air. Both offenses looked impressive, but the success on that side of the football has been consistent throughout the spring. There have been several storylines to emerge this spring.

Here are five things that we learned.

1. QB Jalen Hurts has shown development in the passing game.

Hurts won the 2016SEC Offensive Player of the Year. That’s pretty impressive for a true freshman quarterback.

Still, there were critics who believed that Hurts’ struggles in the passing game could open the door for another quarterback — Tua Tagovailoa in particular — to take over as the starter in 2017. They looked at Hurts as a finished product instead of what he was — a freshman who is capable of development.

Hurts proved those critics wrong Saturday. He finished the game 16-for-25 — a 64-percent completion percentage — with 301 passing yards to go along two passing touchdowns. Of the 16 completed passes, six went for gains of 20-plus yards.

The game has seemed to have slowed down for Hurts, and he seems poised to take his play to a whole new level this upcoming season. After an impressive spring, don’t be surprised to see Hurts take that next step.

2. New OC Brian Daboll can take Alabama’s offense to another level.

The run game wasn’t on display during the A-Day game, but fans can rest easy knowing that won’t be the case come Sept. 2 against Florida State. There were things that Daboll and the rest of the offensive coaches wanted to see from the offense — which included getting a look at how the quarterbacks were developing.

Once Alabama reverts back to a more balanced offensive style, the results could be scary — in a good way. The offenses combined for 790 total yards Saturday — 661, or over 90 percent, came through the air.

It’s obvious that Daboll is going to open things up offensively. He isn’t afraid to take shots downfield, and Hurts now looks more ready and able to take advantage of those opportunities.

3. This is Alabama’s most talented receiving unit since Nick Saban arrived.

Calvin Ridley is a name that most Alabama fans have come to know and love. Make no mistake, he is still the No. 1 option in the passing game, but there might be some other guys ready to emerge as fan favorites.

The first player that comes to mind is senior WR Robert Foster. After struggling with injuries the past few years, Foster looks healthy and ready to make an impact as a deep threat in Alabama’s offense. He only recorded two receptions during the A-Day game, but those two receptions went for 115 yards and one touchdown.

The second player is one that fans have been waiting to see since he committed on July 28, 2016. True freshman WR Jerry Jeudy finished as the MVP on Saturday. He recorded several impressive catches — ending the game with five receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

There are other guys who will contribute at wide receiver — namely Cam Sims and T.J. Simmons — in addition to Ridley, Foster and Jeudy. Still, it’s crazy to think that Alabama’s top three options could be former 5-star prospects.

4. The pass rush looks like it’s been left in capable hands.

Sacks are a little difficult to evaluate in a spring considering the defender just has to touch the quarterback. Still, Alabama’s pass rush looks revamped and ready to make an impact.

Two players on the Crimson defense finished with two sacks each — redshirt junior Christian Miller and versatile LB Rashaan Evans. It was impressive to see the explosiveness off the edge.

Evans has seen time at inside linebacker and at edge rusher in obvious pass-rushing situations while Miller has lined up exclusively at the Sam linebacker spot. Evans’ ability to play inside and then slide outside in passing situations will add a flexibility to the defense.

Redshirt freshman Quinnen Williams has also impressed as a pass-rusher this spring. He finished the A-Day game with four total tackles and one sack while consistently providing pressure from the 5-technique. With the loss of All-American DE Jonathan Allen, the Tide’s defense will need a player like Williams to step up.

5. Najee Harris will be in the mix for major touches at running back.

Najee Harris is one of the most hyped running back prospects that Alabama has secured since Trent Richardson back in 2009. He showed Saturday that the hype is real.

It’s always tough for the running backs to find success against Alabama’s stout front-seven during the A-Day game, but Harris showed glimpses with his opportunities. He led both teams in carries — with 17 — and was the only running back to have a carry that went for more than 10 yards.

As impressive as Harris looked as a runner at times, it was his ability as a receiver out of the backfield that stood out the most. Harris showed soft hands and impressive elusiveness while recording three catches for 37 yards. He also looked solid is pass coverage as well.

Harris has consistently impressed the coaching staff all spring, and there’s no doubt that he is in line to help out the Crimson Tide’s run game.

And three questions that remain …

1. Who replaces Marlon Humphrey?

This will end up being a lot tougher of a question to answer than originally anticipated. The thought was that sophomore Trevon Diggs had done enough to show that he is capable of manning the left cornerback spot in Alabama’s defense. That isn’t set in stone after Saturday’s performance.

Diggs’ inconsistency was obvious after watching him struggle to cover Robert Foster on a few occasions. There is still plenty of time for Diggs to continue to get comfortable at his new position, but there’s no guarantee that happens.

With Deionte Thompson’s off-field issues, safety is probably the thinnest position on the defense. That means that Minkah Fitzpatrick — who was originally supposed to be Humphrey’s replacement on the outside — could end up being forced back to playing strong safety full-time next to Ronnie Harrison.

2. Will Alabama find a capable kicker before season kicks off against Florida State?

Alabama’s ability to kick field goals is lacking. So, what else is new? Redshirt senior K Andy Pappanastos struggled on Saturday. He missed both of his field goal attempts — one from 31 yards and the other from 38 yards.

It’s gotten to a point where the coaching staff has even let second team All-American punt JK Scott take a shot at kicking field goals. While he looked better than Pappanastos — Scott connected on 3-of-4 field goals with a long of 37 yards — he still doesn’t look to be the answer.

Hopefully, true freshman Joseph Bulovas — the No. 6 kicker according to 247Sports — can take over and be effective once he enrolls during the summer.

3. Are there any incoming freshman who can make an impact — who haven’t enrolled yet?

There have been several freshman who have already shown that they can make an impact. Jeudy will have a big role at wide receiver, Harris will be in the mix at running back and Dylan Moses could earn snaps on defense and special teams.

Are there any freshman who haven’t enrolled yet who can contribute? Can a 5-star prospect such as LaBryan Ray contribute to the pass rush? Would it be possible for a guy like Jedrick Wills to compete for a starting spot at right guard?

These are questions that are going to need to be answered moving forward.