Alabama has had some great running backs come and go over the years. Crimson Tide ball carriers usually end their collegiate careers as household names across the country; whether it’s Heisman winners Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram, or recent stars such as Damien Harris and Najee Harris.
With Harris being selected No. 24 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2021 NFL draft, Alabama now has somewhat of a power vacuum at the tailback position.
In recent years, the running back room has seen the ball spread around a decent amount, and when the top guy departs from the program, the next guy moves up. However, that was not the case in 2020.
Harris accumulated 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns on 251 attempts. The running back with the next-highest stats: Brian Robinson with 91 carries.
Now, 91 is still a sizeable number of carries, but it does not compare to what Alabama has done in the past.
For example, the last time Najee Harris was not the starting running back for Alabama, he was the third-string back behind Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris.
Despite being a sophomore behind two current NFL starters on the depth chart, Najee still got 117 carries.
With those high level of reps second-string and third-string players often get, Crimson Tide fans know what to expect in the upcoming seasons when those players move up the depth chart and are then the starters.
Mike Rodak of AL.com projects the starting running back will be Brian Robinson, who was a four-star product out of Tuscaloosa in the 2017 recruiting class.
Robinson has shown flashes of potential, but has never been able to compete with those that sat above him – most of whom are now starting in the NFL.
Then, according to Rodak, sophomore Roydell Williams, a 2020 four-star Alabama native, could get a solid amount of looks based on his production.
Williams is likely a new name to Alabama fans, but he soon won’t be. He is a great horizontal runner that can cut at the line of scrimmage and is shifty enough tomake linebackers miss. To top it all off, he’s got the breakway speed to give you a guaranteed six points if he can get through the secondary.
In Alabama’s spring game, Williams carried the ball 12 times for 45 yards.
I predict Williams will become the starter for Alabama long before anyone anticipates.
After Williams, Rodak includes Jase McClellan, who saw some action in 2020, Keilan Robinson, who has began transitioning to wide receiver, and Trey Sanders, the former five-star who has dealt with injuries over the last two years.