On Tuesday, 247Sports released its preseason Top 25, as voted on by a team of eight national experts, and Alabama was ranked No. 3, behind Ohio State and Clemson.
Before we dive deep into 247Sports’ reasoning behind ranking Alabama at number three, it’s important to note that, “The returning production data is courtesy of ESPN’s Bill Connelly – it’s the best metric out there to measure just how much a program loses in one offseason – and was published in February. Any returning starter stats mentioned come from Phil Steele’s spring preview guide.”
With all of that said, let’s dive into why Alabama is ranked 3rd on this list:
“Alabama is the third team with a legit argument to be No. 1, and the margin between No. 1-3 is thin. Obviously, the Crimson Tide lose All-American QB Tua Tagovailoa. That hurts. But we saw late last season against Auburn and Michigan that Mac Jones is capable of throwing for 300-plus against top 10 defenses. And Jones still might lose his job to incoming five-star freshman Bryce Young … Both QBs will have weapons. Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle will form one of the better one-two receiving combos in the country and leading rusher Najee Harris is back for his senior season. Four of the team’s five offensive line starters return, which makes Alabama unique among legit title contenders. The Crimson Tide should be better defensively in 2020 simply because the team’s biggest 2019 weakness (linebacker) is now a strength with Dylan Moses and Joshua McMillon back in the fold for their senior seasons after missing the 2019 campaign with injuries. Throw in elite cornerback play from Patrick Surtain – though a young secondary around him creates questions – and the influx of potentially special edge rushers like Will Anderson, and the Tide should make a jump defensively to mitigate what’s lost with Tagovailoa’s exit.”
Although the Crimson Tide did lose several key players to the NFL such as Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Jedrick Wills, and Xavier McKinney, there is still a lot of talent on the team, some of which chose to return for another season.
Running back Najee Harris, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, linebacker Dylans Moses, and offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood all decided to return for one more season in Tuscaloosa. They’re joined by rising stars Jaylen Waddle and Mac Jones, Bryce Young, and more who are on a mission to help Alabama prove the dynasty is no where near finshed.
Other SEC teams on the list were No. 6 Florida, No. 9 LSU, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 13 Auburn and No. 22 Tennessee. Alabama’s season-opening opponent, USC, was ranked 16th.
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