I think Irv Smith maybe the best TE to play under Saban here.

Loam

All-SEC
Oct 20, 2014
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And yes, even better then OJ. I feel like Smith just has that "it" factor that we haven't seen in a TE here yet.
 

Tides_of_Change

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Sep 27, 2012
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And yes, even better then OJ. I feel like Smith just has that "it" factor that we haven't seen in a TE here yet.
You may be right, but we also never saw OJ with a Tua throwing to him or an OC willing to put in the TE as a big part of the game plan. We're seeing in Irv what we've all begged for for as long as I can remember.

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MobileCrimson

1st Team
Feb 27, 2014
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And yes, even better then OJ. I feel like Smith just has that "it" factor that we haven't seen in a TE here yet.
I like Smith but OJ is much better. OJ is catching fire in the NFL and will be a top 10 TE for many years in the future.

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bamacpa

All-American
Jul 19, 2006
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I agree OJ didn't get many chances, but Irv has better hands than OJ did at Bama.
 

CrimsonTheory

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Mar 26, 2012
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I believe O.J. is the better talent and the higher upside, but Smith is a more complete player. I wish Bama used O.J. more than they did. I remember that NT Game in which he exploded on the scene. Hopefully Irv has a game like that in his near future.
 

jenk56

1st Team
Sep 5, 2012
476
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This to me is like one of those arguments about basketball players from different eras, although the time gap is not that wide the offensive philosophies are so different it makes a true comparison almost impossible. Both are great talents but the way they were (are) used and the skill of the individual (QB) who ran the offense just seems like an unfair comparison.
 

B1GTide

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Apr 13, 2012
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OJ really only struggled with passes that were off the mark - he didn't adjust well. When hit in stride, I don't really remember him ever dropping one. I don't see a weakness in either of them. Neither is the greatest blocker, but in this era there is a place for TEs who are essentially huge receivers. 20 years ago neither would have seen the field. They would have been "tweeners".
 

RT27

All-American
Aug 13, 2017
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I cannot say who is best TE or WR, Tua is making all of them look better than previous guys. Imagine Julio with TUA laying the ball on the hands in stride, how many times didi Julio have to stop and wait on a pass from Greg Mac?
 

nickcut

BamaNation Citizen
Oct 3, 2015
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Terry Jones Jr was pretty good, but yeah, it's hard to compare with TEs without Tua vs TEs with Tua. Smith is on fire.
 

Tideflyer

Hall of Fame
Dec 14, 2011
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I guess that this would be for us "older " members. Ozzie Newsome. Ozzie was a TE at Alabama if memory serves. Were he, OJ and now Irv cut from the same bolt of cloth? Ozzie`s remembered far more for being a great receiver than blocker, I believe.
 

Bamabuzzard

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No way to tell because OJ didn't have a QB like Tua. When OJ was here we struggled to even throw him a ball every three to four games. When we did include him in game planning he was a complete monster to guard. From an athletic standpoint OJ is superior to Irv. OJ could take a short slant (remember the LSU game) and literally take it 60-70 yards to the house with no one catching up to him. I'm not sure Irv has that type talent.
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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Some of you are missing the "under Saban here" part of the title.

I would say Irv is better than OJ because he is more complete. He blocks better at this point in his career compared to OJ.

One that doesn't get mentioned much because he only played a year is Colin Peek. Guy got a raw deal from the NCAA, but he was pretty solid in 2009.
 

Elefantman

Hall of Fame
Sep 18, 2007
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Which of our 1st round TE is the best. #tidefanproblems. Both guys are a true enjoyment to watch. As far as seeing Tua throw to Julio, who knows, we may see that in a couple of years.
 

mlh

All-American
Apr 28, 2004
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It's hard to compare OJ and Irv because of the QB and offensive style differences. No doubt that OJ would've been a huge play maker in this offense. I've been praying that we use the TE more in our offense and am so happy to see it now.
 

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