Alabama roster could undergo big turnover
TUSCALOOSA — No. 4 Alabama is still riding the emotional lift after sneaking into the College Football Playoff two weeks ago.
And with bowl practices slated to begin Friday according to head coach Nick Saban along with several defensive standouts believed to be healthy enough to return to full-time duty, things are looking up for the Crimson Tide (11-1).
With only a New Year’s Day date with top-ranked Clemson (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl national semifinal guaranteed, the opportunity to see some of Alabama’s biggest playmakers of the last few years is dwindling.
Given the annual influx of four- and five-star recruits every offseason, it might appear Alabama is immune to critical roster turnover.
But with a particularly loaded junior class that includes several potential first-round NFL draft prospects, this year’s talent turnover could affect the Tide in a more significant way than normal.
Here’s a look at several players that could be nearing the end of their collegiate careers at the Capstone:
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Goners
Any mention of turnover starts with the senior class, with middle linebackers Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton out of eligibility along with All-American senior center Bradley Bozeman and senior punter JK Scott. Also gone are defensive linemen Da’Shawn Hand and Joshua Frazier, receivers Robert Foster and Cam Sims, and first-year starting kicker Andy Pappanastos.
The defensive secondary could lose all six starting members in its dime package.
Alabama was already planning to be without senior cornerbacks Anthony Averett and Levi Wallace, senior star/nickelback Tony Brown and senior safety Hootie Jones, who like Hamilton is expected to miss the postseason after undergoing knee surgery.
But add to that the expected departures by unanimous first-team All-American defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and junior safety Ronnie Harrison, and Alabama’s starting secondary will have an entirely different look next season.
Fitzpatrick, who won the Bednarik and Thorpe awards last week, and Harrison lead a group of between 4-6 juniors who could leave early for the NFL. Fitzpatrick is projected as a potential Top 5 pick with the ability to play both cornerback and safety.
Junior receiver Calvin Ridley is another potential Top 10-15 pick, while both Harrison and junior defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne are also widely projected to be first-round picks, with some believing Payne could impress enough in workouts to move into the top half of the round.
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Maybes
Damien Harris, Alabama’s leading rusher for the second straight season, could be the most likely wildcard to leave early, given the diminished shelf-life for running backs in the NFL and the Tide’s crowded backfield.
Currently ranked as a Top 10 player at his position, Harris has seen his draft stock rise with a big-play ability that has him leading the SEC averaging 8.24 yards per carry and a physical running style that works well in the NFL.
Having to spread carries between five “runners,” including sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts, has limited Harris to 9.2 carries per game this season to rank 20th in the SEC. Nevertheless, Harris had 906 rushing yards and 11 scores.
Bleacher Report NFL draft analyst Matt Miller selected Harris at No. 23 on his list of this year’s Top 25 overall players released late last month, a list that also has Fitzpatrick at No. 3 with Evans, Harrison and Ridley in his Top 15.
Fellow junior tailback Bo Scarbrough, who’s averaging 9 carries per game, is another who could be swayed by the NFL. With a physical frame (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) that scouts covet, Scarbrough has the potential to blow people away should he perform well in NFL workouts.
Others who could leave early include junior guards Lester Cotton and Ross Pierschbacher.
Pierschbacher, a three-year starter who could be in line to take over for Bozeman at center as a senior, is also a Top 150 player, according to several draft prognosticators. Cotton is a big-bodied lineman who has started 17 games the last two seasons and has the physical makeup that NFL coaches value.
Among the highly unlikely candidates to leave early are defensive end Isaiah Buggs, a former junior college transfer, and tight end Hale Hentges, who has become a bigger part of Alabama’s passing attack with three receiving touchdowns so far.
TUSCALOOSA — No. 4 Alabama is still riding the emotional lift after sneaking into the College Football Playoff two weeks ago.
And with bowl practices slated to begin Friday according to head coach Nick Saban along with several defensive standouts believed to be healthy enough to return to full-time duty, things are looking up for the Crimson Tide (11-1).
With only a New Year’s Day date with top-ranked Clemson (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl national semifinal guaranteed, the opportunity to see some of Alabama’s biggest playmakers of the last few years is dwindling.
Given the annual influx of four- and five-star recruits every offseason, it might appear Alabama is immune to critical roster turnover.
But with a particularly loaded junior class that includes several potential first-round NFL draft prospects, this year’s talent turnover could affect the Tide in a more significant way than normal.
Here’s a look at several players that could be nearing the end of their collegiate careers at the Capstone:
--
Goners
Any mention of turnover starts with the senior class, with middle linebackers Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton out of eligibility along with All-American senior center Bradley Bozeman and senior punter JK Scott. Also gone are defensive linemen Da’Shawn Hand and Joshua Frazier, receivers Robert Foster and Cam Sims, and first-year starting kicker Andy Pappanastos.
The defensive secondary could lose all six starting members in its dime package.
Alabama was already planning to be without senior cornerbacks Anthony Averett and Levi Wallace, senior star/nickelback Tony Brown and senior safety Hootie Jones, who like Hamilton is expected to miss the postseason after undergoing knee surgery.
But add to that the expected departures by unanimous first-team All-American defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and junior safety Ronnie Harrison, and Alabama’s starting secondary will have an entirely different look next season.
Fitzpatrick, who won the Bednarik and Thorpe awards last week, and Harrison lead a group of between 4-6 juniors who could leave early for the NFL. Fitzpatrick is projected as a potential Top 5 pick with the ability to play both cornerback and safety.
Junior receiver Calvin Ridley is another potential Top 10-15 pick, while both Harrison and junior defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne are also widely projected to be first-round picks, with some believing Payne could impress enough in workouts to move into the top half of the round.
--
Maybes
Damien Harris, Alabama’s leading rusher for the second straight season, could be the most likely wildcard to leave early, given the diminished shelf-life for running backs in the NFL and the Tide’s crowded backfield.
Currently ranked as a Top 10 player at his position, Harris has seen his draft stock rise with a big-play ability that has him leading the SEC averaging 8.24 yards per carry and a physical running style that works well in the NFL.
Having to spread carries between five “runners,” including sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts, has limited Harris to 9.2 carries per game this season to rank 20th in the SEC. Nevertheless, Harris had 906 rushing yards and 11 scores.
Bleacher Report NFL draft analyst Matt Miller selected Harris at No. 23 on his list of this year’s Top 25 overall players released late last month, a list that also has Fitzpatrick at No. 3 with Evans, Harrison and Ridley in his Top 15.
Fellow junior tailback Bo Scarbrough, who’s averaging 9 carries per game, is another who could be swayed by the NFL. With a physical frame (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) that scouts covet, Scarbrough has the potential to blow people away should he perform well in NFL workouts.
Others who could leave early include junior guards Lester Cotton and Ross Pierschbacher.
Pierschbacher, a three-year starter who could be in line to take over for Bozeman at center as a senior, is also a Top 150 player, according to several draft prognosticators. Cotton is a big-bodied lineman who has started 17 games the last two seasons and has the physical makeup that NFL coaches value.
Among the highly unlikely candidates to leave early are defensive end Isaiah Buggs, a former junior college transfer, and tight end Hale Hentges, who has become a bigger part of Alabama’s passing attack with three receiving touchdowns so far.
