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By Alex Byington Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA ā Every spring at Alabama there are previously unheralded players who step up and shine.
Last spring, one of those players was receiver-turned-defensive back Trevon Diggs, who impressed enough to be given an opportunity to start the first game of last season at cornerback.
As history shows, it takes more than just a good spring to lock up a starting spot, as evidenced by Levi Wallaceās ability to step in at halftime of the opener and replace Diggs as a starting corner moving forward.
With eight or nine holes to fill on defense and several on offense, there is plenty of opportunity for little-known players to make their presence felt in spring practice.
Five returning players with a chance to emerge by the time A-Day rolls around next month:
1. Alex Leatherwood, sophomore offensive lineman
An early enrollee a year ago, Leatherwood struggled to adjust to the college level and appeared to fall behind fellow freshman Jedrick Wills Jr. (a summer enrollee) in the pecking order by the start of last season. Some of that may have been due to poor practice habits, because when he was eventually given the opportunity to play after left tackle Jonah Williams went down in the championship game, Leatherwood excelled and has started spring practice behind Williams at left tackle, but could easily be either moved inside to left guard to replace new center Ross Pierschbacher. He could be given an opportunity to compete with Wills Jr. at right tackle while returning starter Matt Womack sits out spring with an injured foot.
2. Xavier McKinney, sophomore safety
A second-year defensive back who made minimal contributions on special teams last season, McKinney is getting an early look with the first-team defense at safety opposite Deionte Thompson. At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, McKinney has already impressed many with his strength after power cleaning 305 pounds during a team workout. McKinney appears to be in competition with fellow sophomore Daniel Wright, a special teams phenom last season, for the strong safety spot. But if McKinney can continue to shine, especially during the spring scrimmages, the Georgia native has the ability to potential lock up a starting spot by the start of summer.
3. Jared Mayden, junior cornerback
Another big-bodied defensive back, the 6-foot Mayden looks a lot larger than the 196 pounds heās listed on the team roster. As a third-year junior, Mayden hasnāt had many opportunities to show out as heās spent much of his first two seasons working behind veteran starters. After appearing in seven games last season, Mayden is being looked at as an option to fill any number of the three-to-four open cornerback spots, including at both star and money in the nickel and dime packages. While the summer arrival of five-star freshman Patrick Surtain Jr. is still looming, Mayden could go a long way to securing a place in next yearās starting secondary with an impressive spring.
4. Phidarian Mathis, redshirt freshman defensive tackle
Given the lack of depth in the middle of the defensive line, the second-year freshman from Monroe could be the next Louisiana product to step up at Alabama. Working behind only rising redshirt senior Johnny Dwight, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Mathis has a similar frame to NFL-bound DaāRon Payne and the ability to hold his own in the middle. With the expectation that the nose guard will have help in what could be more of a four-man line next season, especially with Alabamaās wealth of talent at outside linebacker, Mathis would seem like a prime candidate to be the rare freshmen who is thrown into the fire and given the chance to learn on the fly rather than totally relying on the experience of a limited veteran like Dwight.
5. Brian Robinson Jr., sophomore running back
This second-year tailback became a bit of an afterthought to fellow freshman Najee Harris, especially after Harris stepped up and carried the load in the second half of the national championship game. Despite minimal opportunities last season, Robinson still managed to impress both coaches and fellow teammates with his work ethic and hard-running style, especially while spending much of last year with the scout team. With Josh Jacobs expected to miss much of spring after undergoing ankle surgery this offseason, Robinson could be used as the second-teamās No. 1 tailback during scrimmages, giving him elevated opportunities to shine against Alabamaās rebuilt first-team defense. Look out for him at A-Day.
By Alex Byington Sports Writer
Alabama football: 5 players who could surprise for Tide
Last spring, one of those players was receiver-turned-defensive back Trevon Diggs, who impressed enough to be given an opportunity to start the first game of last season at cornerback.
As history shows, it takes more than just a good spring to lock up a starting spot, as evidenced by Levi Wallaceās ability to step in at halftime of the opener and replace Diggs as a starting corner moving forward.
With eight or nine holes to fill on defense and several on offense, there is plenty of opportunity for little-known players to make their presence felt in spring practice.
Five returning players with a chance to emerge by the time A-Day rolls around next month:
1. Alex Leatherwood, sophomore offensive lineman
An early enrollee a year ago, Leatherwood struggled to adjust to the college level and appeared to fall behind fellow freshman Jedrick Wills Jr. (a summer enrollee) in the pecking order by the start of last season. Some of that may have been due to poor practice habits, because when he was eventually given the opportunity to play after left tackle Jonah Williams went down in the championship game, Leatherwood excelled and has started spring practice behind Williams at left tackle, but could easily be either moved inside to left guard to replace new center Ross Pierschbacher. He could be given an opportunity to compete with Wills Jr. at right tackle while returning starter Matt Womack sits out spring with an injured foot.
2. Xavier McKinney, sophomore safety
A second-year defensive back who made minimal contributions on special teams last season, McKinney is getting an early look with the first-team defense at safety opposite Deionte Thompson. At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, McKinney has already impressed many with his strength after power cleaning 305 pounds during a team workout. McKinney appears to be in competition with fellow sophomore Daniel Wright, a special teams phenom last season, for the strong safety spot. But if McKinney can continue to shine, especially during the spring scrimmages, the Georgia native has the ability to potential lock up a starting spot by the start of summer.
3. Jared Mayden, junior cornerback
Another big-bodied defensive back, the 6-foot Mayden looks a lot larger than the 196 pounds heās listed on the team roster. As a third-year junior, Mayden hasnāt had many opportunities to show out as heās spent much of his first two seasons working behind veteran starters. After appearing in seven games last season, Mayden is being looked at as an option to fill any number of the three-to-four open cornerback spots, including at both star and money in the nickel and dime packages. While the summer arrival of five-star freshman Patrick Surtain Jr. is still looming, Mayden could go a long way to securing a place in next yearās starting secondary with an impressive spring.
4. Phidarian Mathis, redshirt freshman defensive tackle
Given the lack of depth in the middle of the defensive line, the second-year freshman from Monroe could be the next Louisiana product to step up at Alabama. Working behind only rising redshirt senior Johnny Dwight, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Mathis has a similar frame to NFL-bound DaāRon Payne and the ability to hold his own in the middle. With the expectation that the nose guard will have help in what could be more of a four-man line next season, especially with Alabamaās wealth of talent at outside linebacker, Mathis would seem like a prime candidate to be the rare freshmen who is thrown into the fire and given the chance to learn on the fly rather than totally relying on the experience of a limited veteran like Dwight.
5. Brian Robinson Jr., sophomore running back
This second-year tailback became a bit of an afterthought to fellow freshman Najee Harris, especially after Harris stepped up and carried the load in the second half of the national championship game. Despite minimal opportunities last season, Robinson still managed to impress both coaches and fellow teammates with his work ethic and hard-running style, especially while spending much of last year with the scout team. With Josh Jacobs expected to miss much of spring after undergoing ankle surgery this offseason, Robinson could be used as the second-teamās No. 1 tailback during scrimmages, giving him elevated opportunities to shine against Alabamaās rebuilt first-team defense. Look out for him at A-Day.
By Alex Byington Sports Writer
Alabama football: 5 players who could surprise for Tide
