Looking over Alabama’s depth chart going into next season produced only a couple worries. Almost every top contributor in the defensive backfield is leaving, including Minkah Fitzpatrick, and most expected top running backs Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough to leave.
Finally, some good news for Alabama football: 1,000-yard RB Damien Harris reportedly returning for senior season
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Well, the latter’s reportedly gone, but AL.com reports Harris is coming back after two straight 1,000-yard seasons. (And even if both left, the job would fall to former No. 1 recruit Najee Harris and the experienced Josh Jacobs. Imagine being able to lose one or two of your top RBs and still having one of the country’s best corps.)
Oh, and ace punter JK Scott is gone. Oh, and the Tide will miss field goals, no matter what they do, per natural law.
Otherwise:
- Quarterback is seemingly solved, with title game hero Tua Tagovailoa likely overtaking Jalen Hurts for good.
- Most of the front seven returns, and with a bit more experience than it otherwise would’ve, thanks to the Tide’s many injuries in 2017.
- Most of the offensive line returns, with two backups gaining Playoff experience.
- The receiving corps’ starters are largely cleared out, but guess who caught touchdowns in the title game? Freshmen DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III.
So punter, kicker, and secondary are Bama’s only area of actual roster concern next year. Oh, which position group does Nick Saban devote most of his time toward anyway? Ah, right, the secondary. Basically, the rest of the country is just hoping Bama’s next punter is really terrible.
This is a pretty loaded class of NFL running backs, including Scarbrough, Saquon Barkley, Georgia’s top two backs, Derrius Guice, and perhaps Bryce Love, so this could prove to be a wise business decision in the long run, and it’s also one of many reasons to have the Tide No. 1 going into next year.
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