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Alabama will enter the 2022 college football season as one of the favorites to win the national title, this despite coming up on the short end against Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship. However, there are a few major questions left to be resolved in spring practice that should be on display in the A-Day spring game on Saturday. 

For the first time of the Nick Saban era, Alabama returns the top offensive player and defensive player in college football as Heisman-winner Bryce Young and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Will Anderson give the Tide an unmatched floor. However, the they have work to do to surround those two playmakers with championship-level production. 

Here is what you need to know about Alabama's spring game on Saturday. 

How to watch 2022 Alabama spring game live

Date: Saturday, April 16 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Bryant Denny Stadium -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: SEC Network+ | Live stream: ESPN+

2022 Alabama spring game: Need to know

1. Integrating transfers: Alabama hasn't used the transfer portal much over the years, but Saban never turns down a competitive advantage. The Crimson Tide got three transfers on campus in time for spring ball; all three rank as four-star prospects and among the top 10 transfers in the nation, per 247Sports.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for more than 1,200 yards in two seasons at Georgia Tech and should pair with Jase McClellan to form the new backfield. Cornerback Eli Ricks posted four interceptions and five passes defended as a freshman at LSU and should rediscover his form for the Crimson Tide as a junior next to Kool-Aid McKinstry. Alabama also added Vanderbilt tackle Tyler Steen to compete for Evan Neal's open job, but Steen will not arrive until the summer. 

2.Wide receiver depth: Georgia transfer wide receiver Jermaine Burton might be the most important of the group, however. Burton led all Bulldogs wide receivers in receiving yards and should quickly slide into the receiver-friendly offense next to Young. Sophomore Ja'Corey Brooks had a solid CFP with 10 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown in two games. Outside of those two players, the battle for playing time at wide receiver is wide open. 

Crimson Tide fans got an early look at the future of wide receivers when Jameson Williams and John Metchie III both got injured during the postseason. Early returns were not encouraging as Alabama had more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one) in the final half of the national championship game. 

3. Backup QB battle: Heisman winner Young is a sure thing to start at quarterback, but the fight for backup snaps should be fierce after Paul Tyson -- great grandson of Bear Bryant -- transferred to Arizona State. 

Redshirt Jalen Milroe earned snaps as a third-string player, completing 3 of 7 passes for 41 yards and a 24-yard touchdown pass against Southern Miss. However, early-enrollee Ty Simpson is a consensus five-star recruit and an elite recruiting talent. 

Young threw 547 passes in 2021, so there's little reason for him to exert himself during the spring game. Instead, expect Saban to get his young quarterbacks extra work -- and give a preview of the future.