Tag: justice haynes

Pre-Spring Position Preview: Breaking down the Alabama RBs

A closer look at the Alabama running backs ahead of spring football practice

Before we know it, new Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer will hit the practice field with his Crimson Tide players for the first time when spring practice gets underway in March.

With the retirement of the legendary Nick Saban, there have not been this many question marks surrounding the football program since 2007 when Saban took over.

Contrary to popular belief, Alabama still has one of the most talented rosters in the country and should be right in the thick of the college football playoff conversation.

As the anticipation builds leading up to spring practice, Roll Tide Wire will preview each position group. We have already looked at the quarterbacks, now we will move on to the running backs.

8 underclassmen that can play key roles for Alabama Football next season

Alabama has a lot of underclassmen that were highly-regarded coming out of high school. Roll Tide Wire takes a look at 10 underclassmen that can be key contributors for the Crimson Tide next season.

Each year, Alabama signs some of the top recruits in the country. There is no questioning the fact that Alabama has established depth from a talent standpoint. While it has not been proven by some, others have already solidified their spot as a starter and key contributor.

With that being the case, it will be interesting to see which players on the roster take on an increased role heading into next season. Throughout the spring and summer, it will be interesting to keep an eye on which underclassmen take strides towards being contributors during the 2024 season.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at eight underclassmen that could play key roles for Alabama Football next season.

Alabama’s depth at RB could be key to success in 2024

Depth at running back won’t be an issue for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama in 2024

What an offseason it has been for the Alabama football program. Legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, Kalen DeBoer was brought in as his replacement, and we have seen the transfer portal give and take for the Crimson Tide.

Not that the storm is completely over or anything, but we do have a few moments to collect our breath and our thoughts as we start to look ahead to the 2024 season in Tuscaloosa.

Even with the roster turnover, Alabama remains extremely deep at most positions but you could make the argument that running back may be the deepest and could prove to be one of the keys to success for Coach DeBoer in year one at Alabama.

Let’s take a look at the loaded backfield for the Crimson Tide and what each player’s role could potentially be in 2024.

Inexperienced players Alabama can’t afford to lose to the transfer portal

Nick Saban and Alabama need to hold on to these 8 young players

The NCAA transfer portal has become nearly impossible to keep up with. It seems players are entering the portal by the minute and some departures leave you wondering what exactly some of these young players are looking for.

Fortunately for Alabama, this portal window has been relatively quiet with [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Crimson Tide earning a bid to the College Football Playoff. Even still, Alabama’s roster has taken some hits with a handful of players deciding to pursue new opportunities.

Former Roll Tide Wire editor Clint Lamb wrote about four young players on offense that Alabama can ill afford to lose. Expanding on that idea, we added four more players to that the list.

Here is the full list of eight players:

Five players who need their roles increased following the bye week

Here are five players who should see their roles increased following Alabama’s bye week

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team have reached their bye week following their incredible come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, 34-20.

With Alabama having the week off, it is time to reflect on what has happened so far this season and also what we can expect for the Tide down the stretch.

So far there have been a lot of players step up for Alabama and make plays that have helped the team achieve their 7-1 record. But there is always room for more players to increase their role and make an impact as Alabama races to the finish line.

Here are five players that should see their roles increased following Alabama’s bye week.

10 Alabama players who should see more playing time in Week 3 matchup against USF

Changes must be made if Alabama wants a shot at the College Football Playoff. Here are 10 names to look out for.

There have been some good things and some bad things that the Alabama football team has done throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Some of the biggest concerns have been the inconsistency at the quarterback position and the inability to effectively create a pass rush. Those two issues will need to be cleaned up moving forward. Alabama could be in for a long, long season ahead if not.

With that said Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at 10 players that should see more playing time in Alabama’s Week 3 matchup against USF as the Crimson Tide looks to run the table in the remaining 10 games of the season.

Multiple Alabama freshmen named among top newcomers in college football

While they may be young, these freshmen are expected to make an impact for Alabama that could earn some national recognition.

Alabama football enters the 2023 college football season with plenty of new faces, inexperienced players and true freshmen. While for many programs this may be a cause for concern, it’s not for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Losing Bryce Young, Will Anderson Jr., and Jahmyr Gibbs surely stings, but the next-man-up mentality allows for the Tide to reload instead of having to rebuild.

The incoming 2023 recruiting class for Alabama was ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to 247Sports, which is good for the program because it’s likely that a few will see some serious playing time.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren recently ranked the top 50 college football newcomers, which includes transfer and true freshmen.

Two Alabama freshmen made the list.

At No. 32 is running back Justice Haynes.

“Haynes was the No. 2 running back in the class behind Richard Young, who also signed with Alabama. Haynes is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound back from Buford, Georgia, and has already caused a stir during the spring, showing versatility in the spring game — two touchdowns on the ground another receiving. Haynes has the talent, and although he still has some competition ahead of him in Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, he should be able to find reps this season.”

Freshman safety Caleb Downs also made the list at No. 26.

“Downs, a 6-foot, 190-pound recruit out of Georgia, was the No. 1 safety in the 2023 class. He’s a talented defensive back who has already garnered hype since enrolling at Alabama. The Crimson Tide lost safeties Brian Branch and Jordan Battle to the NFL, so there are open spots. Downs has every opportunity to see the field early this fall and, given his talent level, could become one of Alabama’s better players in the secondary.”

Both of these players will see the field in 2023, with Downs potentially serving as a starter in the secondary. While the entire season won’t rely on them, they are pieces to a much larger puzzle that could lead to the success of the Crimson Tide this season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 offseason winds down.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 22 days

We are now just 22 days away from the start of Alabama football’s 2023 season!

The Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 22 days, as Middle Tennessee State visits Bryant Denny Stadium on Sept. 2.

Here at Roll Tide Wire, we will be counting down the days until Nick Saban and his team take the field.

With 22 days remaining, we will take a look at a former Heisman Trophy winner, running back [autotag]Mark Ingram[/autotag].

Ingram made Alabama history by becoming the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner following his super sophomore season in 2009. During his Alabama career, Ingram accumulated 3,261 rushing yards and 42 rushing touchdowns. Ingram would also add another 670 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions.

Freshman phenom Justice Haynes currently wears No. 22 for the Crimson Tide.

Mark Ingram’s Photo Gallery

10 underclassmen that Alabama fans should know heading into fall practice

There are a handful of underclassmen that Alabama fans be unaware of. Roll Tide Wire breaks down 10 underclassmen that Alabama fans should know before fall practice begins next week.

The Alabama football team will begin fall practice on Aug. 3. After an 11-2 finish to the 2023 season, the Crimson Tide are looking to improve that record in 2024.

Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2023. In 2022, the Crimson Tide finished with the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Needless to say, Alabama has a number of talented underclassmen that can contribute in 2023.

Several true freshmen and sophomores are poised to have breakout seasons for the Crimson Tide. Roll Tide Wire breaks down 10 underclassmen that Alabama fans should be aware of as fall practice begins.

3 Alabama freshmen named as potential impact players in the SEC

These three first-year members of Alabama Football are poised to make some noise in the SEC during the 2023 season.

Nick Saban will only put players in a position to succeed, so it’s not uncommon for highly-talented members of the Crimson Tide to ride the bench and wait for their turn to shine.

Mac Jones, Josh Jacobs and Bryce Young are a few examples of players selected in the first round of the NFL draft who did not see the field much, or at all, during their freshmen seasons.

In 2023, there will likely be a few first-year players who will see significant playing time. A recent ranking from On3’s Matt Zenitz predicts three Alabama freshmen will be impact players in 2023.

Defensive back Caleb Downs is the first player to be named. Zenitz likens his ability to play as a true freshman to Alabama legend Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Crimson Tide defense is expected to play a large role in the team’s successes in 2023, so Downs will be serving an important role.

Next is Tide running back Justice Haynes. While Jase McClellan will likely see first-team reps with Roydell Williams just behind him, Haynes is still expected to see the field despite his positioning on the depth chart. Haynes was impressive during Alabama’s A-Day spring game and could work his way into a meaningful role in the running back room quickly.

Finally, offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor makes the list. Zenitz argues that Proctor could wind up starting on the offensive line at some point in the 2023 season, but likely won’t begin as a starter. Regardless, Proctor has the size and ability to be an impactful lineman to protect whoever is chosen to be Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season approaches.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.