šŸˆ Alabama football's VIP 25: Difference makers in '14—#1 Jacob Coker

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The noise surrounding O.J. Howard and his perceived lack of touches grew louder and louder among fans as the season progressed. It reached its peak in late November, when he followed a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown against LSU with just three catches for 44 yards over the final three games.

Why wasn't Alabama getting the ball more to its talented freshman tight end?

Howard, a former five-star prospect from Prattville, wasn't among those miffed at his lack of opportunities.

"I was just coming in," Howard said in April. "I really didn't know how to block as well as I'm learning to block now. I played my role and I did what the team needed."

In 2014, Alabama may just need Howard to be a bigger fixture in its passing game.

A nightmare of a matchup for opposing linebackers, Howard is bigger, smarter and more comfortable as a blocker. He's also playing in an offense coordinated by Lane Kiffin, who loves to feed the ball to his top athletes and has typically featured a tight end who piles up bigger numbers than the 14 receptions, 269 yards and two touchdowns Howard accumulated in 2013.

How quickly Howard develops a bond with whomever wins Alabama's starting quarterback battle will be vital. A reliable tight end can be a new quarterback's best friend, especially in the red zone. Though he was almost exclusively used as a blocker, former Alabama tight end Michael Williams hauled in a number of touchdowns thanks to the trust he established with AJ McCarron.

In his only interview of the spring, Howard, who did not catch a pass at A-Day, talked excitedly about his role within the offense.

"This offense is tight end friendly," Howard said. "He's got some plays in there for us to get us the ball in space and show our athletic ability off."

Howard's biggest fans are hoping those plays are executed early and often.
 
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No. 17: Blake Sims
A disclaimer: We can't predict the future, but it doesn't stop us from trying. If Sims maintains his spot atop the quarterback depth chart, you better believe he's higher than 17th.

That said, Sims is solidly in the top 25 no matter what happens in the battle to replace AJ McCarron.

Sims' poor performance at A-Day can't be forgotten. He was inaccurate on the majority of his throws and looked out of sync from start to finish. He did little to instill confidence in a fan base that anointed Florida State transfer Jacob Coker the frontrunner as soon as he signed on the dotted line.

Just don't label what happened at Bryant-Denny Stadium on that sunny April Saturday the end-all, be-all.

Sims was Alabama's best quarterback for the first 14 spring practices. He not only threw a better ball than he did in his previous two years as McCarron's backup, but he also embraced the leadership opportunity that came with being Alabama's de facto QB1. He worked at it on and off the field.

"You want to know all your players' background because you can't always just go at them the same way if you don't know their background," Sims said in April. "You've got to know what makes them smile. I try not to be a nagging player. I try to come up to them so that they know when Blake comes up to them, they know that I'm coming with positive things and to pick them up."

Comments like that are why Sims is very popular with his teammates, especially the veterans who have seen him come so far in his development as more than just a running quarterback. The ones who were less politically correct in their answers with reporters didn't shy away from revealing the pecking order that emerged during the spring.

"Blake has made a big step up from last year to right now, especially with taking on the role of starting quarterback," wide receiver Chris Black said. "I'm proud of him with that."

Even if Sims doesn't win the job, he still could fill an important role on the offense.

Coach Nick Saban has seen a handful of mobile quarterbacks carve up his defense with their legs, and it's clear the athletic Sims has something the rest of Alabama's quarterbacks don't. Saban went out of his way to explain how the limitations of a black, non-contact jersey prevented Sims from truly letting loose at A-Day.

Could there be a special package designed to utilize Sims in the event he doesn't win the job? We'll have to wait and see, but he's already shown enough to believe he'll be one of Alabama's best leaders no matter how much he plays.

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#16?? Over OJ Howard?



No. 16: Kevin Elko

Dr. Kevin Elko is the guy behind the guy.

Elko, one of the nation's top sports psychologists and motivational speakers, and Nick Saban, one of the nation's most prolific college football coaches, converse regularly. Saban once estimated that he talks with Elko once every other week.

Of course, these chats are private, A-and-B conversations. Eventually, though, Elko's words are passed along in various ways. Alabama's players hear them on the practice field or in the meeting rooms. Later, reporters will type them out as they transcribe Saban's opening statements from his press conferences.

"He'll take my information, and he'll film it and repeat it and re-teach it, and re-teach it, and re-teach it," Elko told AL.com in Oct. 2012. "Some guys say, 'Aw, it's just a talk.' Not with him. He'll take my talk and make it a culture."

Every so often, Alabama's players will hear them straight from the source.

"Dr. Elko is first of all, probably the best public speaker I've ever heard," All-American offensive lineman Barrett Jones said in 2012. "He's very talented, very engaging with his audience. I think he's had a big impact. He always leaves us with one little phrase per year. It's a lot more than that, but kind of one phrase that kind of sums up all that he's saying."

Elko makes regular appearances on The Paul Finebaum Show and consults with a number of other sports teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He's known Saban since the Alabama coach was coordinating the Cleveland Browns' defense in the mid-90s and first spoke to one of his teams more than 10 years ago, when Saban was at LSU.

He's one of the key cogs in Saban's intellectual circle of trust, which also includes Trevor Moawad, the director of the IMG Performance Institute, and Michigan State professor Lonny Rosen.

Listen closely, and you'll hear from Elko throughout Alabama's 2014 season.
 
@bama alum Definitely going to re-rank these after we get through this. Like you, I don't understand some of these rankings.

He's listed three non-football personnel and their order isn't bad; Karr, Miss Terry, and now Dr. Elko. All three have had an impact; can't deny that. I'd imagine what Elko does for the program was included in the pitch we gave Barnett and his parents.

Unless O.J. learns to block well in our offensive scheme he's not going to have the impact a lot hope he will this season. The teams mindset, a lot learned through Elko's system, likely will have a greater impact.
 
No. 15: Leonard Fournette

Crazy as it sounds, sometimes even Alabama gets beat on the recruiting trail.

The one that got away in 2014 projects to be on the field and contributing heavily to LSU's ground attack when the Crimson Tide travels to Baton Rouge on Nov. 8.

Fournette was the nation's top overall recruit in the class of 2014, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. At 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, the New Orleans native has been the recipient of endless, lofty comparisons to NFL running backs. The most frequent? All-Pro Minnesota Vikings playmaker Adrian Peterson.

Outside of wide receiver, there's perhaps no better position than running back for a freshman to make an immediate impact. In the SEC alone, players such as T.J. Yeldon, Todd Gurley and Marcus Lattimore made the adjustment from high school to college look seamless in their first seasons.

Fournette, who ran for 7,360 yards and 90 touchdowns in his four years at St. Augustine High, could be just what the LSU offense needs in the wake of the departures of
quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running backs Jeremy Hill and Alfred Blueand wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham. A return to a pounding running game seems likely considering the question marks at quarterback.

Fournette hasn't backed down from the hype.

"My plan my freshman year is to win the Heisman and the BCS National Championship with my teammates," Fournette said when he chose LSU over Alabama and Texas at his signing ceremony in January.

LSU coach Les Miles didn't exactly scoff at the proclamation, either.

"I certainly understand it," Miles said at his National Signing Day press conference. "And we've seen freshmen win it. Johnny Manziel was (a redshirt freshman). And this guy from Florida State was a first-year quarterback starter and wins the Heisman. So it would be nice to have some national awards being considered as a freshman with the Tigers."

When the Crimson Tide beat LSU in 2013, the Tigers managed just 1.4 yards per rush attempt, as Hill never got going in a game Alabama dominated in the second half. The last time LSU beat Alabama, it ran for 148 yards in 2011's overtime victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

One player won't make the difference in a game as physical and demanding as Alabama and LSU's annual get-together, but a talent like Fournette could certainly alter the game plan.

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One player won't make the difference in a game as physical and demanding as Alabama and LSU's annual get-together, but a talent like Fournette could certainly alter the game plan.

Sort of disqualifies him being on the list, doesn't it?
 
No. 14: A'Shawn Robinson

Few players have a physical presence quite like Robinson. At 6-foot-4, 320 pounds,
Robinson looks much older than a college sophomore. He plays that way too.

A decorated high school All-American coming from Fort Worth, Texas, Robinson moved right into the rotation as a freshman defensive end. His role will only increase in Year 2 with Jeoffrey Pagan and Ed Stinson moving onto the NFL.

They'll look for Robinson to be quick on his feet with fast-paced offenses forcing all levels of opposing defenses to be athletic.

Of his 38 tackles last season, eight came behind the line including a team-high 5 ½ sacks. The biggest game came at Kentucky when five of his six tackles were solos including two sacks.

Alabama will need more of that is it looks for more production from its defensive line after 2013. Coach Nick Saban challenged the group during the spring, but saw improvement later.

"A'Shawn Robinson and Jonathan Allen were both freshman last year, and I always say that you make the most improvement between your freshman and sophomore year," Saban said after A-Day. "Those guys got to play a lot last year; they've both had great springs."

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Big guy who can cause havoc inside and outside, collapse the pocket, has good instincts to get a hold of the RB, and can demand double teams. Cannot wait to see how much he has improved because we have needed another Dareus, and nothing is better than to have a fast d-lineman who can get a quick first step and mess with the QB's head, and cause him to make quicker decisions, which leads to more errant throws. With the secondary being young and all this year, the front 7 will definitely have to play up to 'Bama standards.
 
13. Whoever wins the Texas A&M quarterback battle

52 completions. 717 passing yards. 190 rushing yards. Seven touchdowns.

It's hard to believe those totals from Johnny Manziel came in just two career games against Alabama, but the former Texas A&M quarterback was simply a magician at times against one of college football's perennial defenses. Count Nick Saban -- who joked in May that Manziel had eyes in the back of his head -- among those who were happy to see the 2012 Heisman trophy winner make an early departure to the NFL.

There's no questioning Manziel's place among the all-time greats, but the next few years will determine just how much of an impact Kevin Sumlin's offense had on his video-game stats. Finding a quarterback capable of picking up where Manziel left off remains atop Sumlin's to-do list heading into a 2014 season that features significantly lower expectations than last year.

The Aggies' quarterback race was whittled down to two in April, when Matt Joeckelannounced his intentions to transfer. Joeckel was Manziel's fill-in last year for the first half of the season opener, but the promise of Texas A&M's two other quarterbacks made it clear he'd have to go elsewhere to start.

Kenny Hill's spring was rocky, but he carries the experience edge over five-star freshman Kyle Allen. Hill, who appeared in four games last season, missed the Aggies' final few spring practices following his arrest for public intoxication. He rejoined the team for summer workouts.

Allen's drawn rave reviews since he enrolled in January. The Scottsdale, Ariz., product received the bulk of the praise from Sumlin when the coach spoke with reporters on the SEC's post-spring teleconference.

"We were able to get quite a bit of installation in with the players before we had started the practice process because of the number of guys offensively and defensively that are going to have to play for us. He's handled it," Sumlin said. "The thing now is he's got the tools, he's got the basics of the offense, he's got progressions and what we expect out of him."

The Aggies could sneak in as a preseason top 25 team, but it's clear the departure of Manziel has significantly lowered expectations in College Station. With many expecting a big year out of Ole Miss, the Aggies could be pegged as low as fifth in the SEC West when reporters gather in Hoover next month for SEC Media Days.

If the winner of the battle catches on half as fast as Manziel did, Alabama should expect a potent offense when the teams square off Oct. 18.

Continue reading...
 
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No. 12: Landon Collins

This is the season Collins has been waiting for. It's the reason Alabama recruited the nation's top safety coming out of high school. The burden will be high for the former 5-star prospect.

Now a junior, Collins will suddenly be one of the veterans on the back end of Alabama's defense that took serious heat last season. Inconsistency as a unit was blamed for costly breakdowns and they'll be without a few NFL draft picks this fall.

So it'll be up to Collins to fill the gaps left by HaHa Clinton-Dix and Co. He proved to be a heat-seeking missile on special teams who has a nose for the ball on defense. Collins' 70 tackles ranked behind only C.J. Mosley last season, but he'll have much more on his plate in 2014.

This fall will be about taking a leadership role for Collins. There will be some real talent out there, but he'll have to help guide players like Tony Brown, Marlon Humphries while hoping to get Eddie Jackson back from a knee injury.

He'll have help back there, but the spotlight will be on Collins now that Clinton-Dix is with the Packers.

The time to learn the defense is over. Collins is working towards mastering it while keeping his eye on the real goal.

"Just keep playing as hard as I can and stay on top of things and stay focused because there's a lot of stuff going on with social media about me," Collins said this spring. "But I just have to stay focused on this team because we as a team are trying to get a national championship."
 
Casagrande, and we're back to a list that makes sense...

I'd argue Collins should be in the top five; at least top ten. He's one of those guys we can't afford to lose in our back eight.
 
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