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Phil Steele ranks each Alabama position unit in 2018
If you haven't purchased or at least flipped through a Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine over the years, are you really a fan? That hard-to-miss full color gridiron bible is available everywhere periodicals are sold from now through September and is jam-packed with roster information and predictions on the upcoming season.
For the novice in need of reference points about any team, Steele's preview is a must-read.
Arguably one of his most interesting features each season is his ranking of each of the top position units in college football. Steele ranks them nationally with a short breakdown of each unit that makes the top 15 in its specific area.
Those areas are quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, defensive back and special teams. He also projects rushing and passing totals for each team's offense and defense based on their talent and schedule as well as projected points scored and points surrendered.
Last season, he accurately predicted a national championship for Alabama and likes the Crimson Tide's chances once again.
Below, BamaOnLine examines where Steele has Alabama ranked at each position and we share our take on whether or not we agree.
SLIDE1 of 10QUARTERBACKS
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 13
Steele says: "Whether Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts starts, Bama feels good at QB. The pair combined for a sterling 28-3 touchdown to interception ratio, 988 rush yards and 10 TDs on the ground in 2017. Hurts has a 26-2 mark as the starter, while Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to be Georgia for last year's national title."
247Sports national analyst Brad Crawford's take: I took some flack for putting Tagovailoa No. 1 in my preseason SEC QB Rankings earlier this month since he hasn't been announced as Alabama's starter, but there's a reason the sophomore is on the Heisman frontrunner list. He isAlabama's best passing option and played well throughout spring before his hand injury, carrying on some of the momentum gained in the national championship game. That was a changing of the guard moment for the position in Tuscaloosa and everyone knew it.
SLIDE2 of 10RUNNING BACKS
Steele's national rank: No. 2
Steele says: "Never light on backfield depth, Bama is loaded at running back once more. Damien Harris passed on the NFL after rushing for a team-best 1,000 yards and 11 TDs. Pushing Harris is Najee Harris, who went for 370 and three scores last year in his debut season. Even third-stringer Josh Jacobs has flashed, going for 567 (6.7 YPC) and four touchdowns in 2016."
247Sports: Is there a chance Damien Harris isn't the bell cow this season for the Crimson Tide? Najee Harris says he considered transferring after a tumultuous campaign ended without as many touches as expected for one of the nation's top freshman ballcarriers. He's out to prove he is Alabama's most complete back and will battle Damien Harris and Jacobs this season for that honor. The Harris duo is the SEC's best and both could exceed 1,000 yards rushing this fall.
SLIDE3 of 10WIDE RECEIVERS
(Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 20
247Sports: FYI — When a position group is positioned outside of the Top 15, they don't get a blurb in Steele's mag. And I don't understand the absurd ranking at No. 20 here. The Crimson Tide must replace first-round pick Calvin Ridley, who had 43 more catches than his next closest teammate, but even his numbers were down due to inconsistent play from Hurts. That changes this season if Tagovailoa gets most of the reps. Henry Ruggs and title-game hero DeVonta Smith each averaged better than 19 yards per grab as freshmen and look the part as potential breakout players.
SLIDE4 of 10DEFENSIVE LINE
(Photo: Denon, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 4
Steele says: "Few schools retool on D faster than the Tide. Every year Bama loses linemen to the NFL and every year it stuffs the run, leading the FBS in 2017 (94.7 yards allowed; 2.7 YPC). The new stars at DE are fourth team All-American Raekwon Davis and former JUCO star Isaiah Buggs. Powerful senior Johnny Dwight takes over at NG."
247Sports: Like the Energizer bunny, Alabama keeps going and going and going with talent up front. I'm convinced the Crimson Tide puts defensive linemen into a machine inside the football facility as soon as they step on campus and they emerge as future All-SEC stars. Or something like that. Once again, Alabama will be an immovable force up front. Only Auburn and Mississippi State's edge rushers are comparable from a talent standpoint across the West. Alabama placed second in the SEC last season in sacks and total tackles for losses, so there's something to shoot for this fall.
SLIDE5 of 10OFFENSIVE LINE
(Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)
Steele's national rank: No. 3
Steele says: "Recruiting ensures the Tide is perennially strong at the point of attack. Bama returns four starters from a group that averaged 251 yards rushing per game . Fierce LT Jonah Williams earned third team All-American honors and could be a top piayer. The opening at center should be filled by Ross Pierschbacher, who has 42 career starts at LG."
247Sports: Even at No. 3 overall, I feel this could be Alabama's most underrated position group this fall. If the lineup looks like the 1s we saw at the end of spring, from left to right the Crimson Tide's starters will be Williams, Lester Cotton, Pierschbacher, Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood. one major question is if Womack will return to the starting lineup after being sidelined all 15 practices with a foot injury? Alabama has recruited strongly at the position and there's depth up front in case one of these five blockers go down.
SLIDE6 of 10LINEBACKERS
(Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)
Steele's national rank: No. 1
Steele says: "Never light on top-flight LBs, Bama is again stacked at the position. Nick Saban gets reps for a lot of players, making for a smoother transition into the lineup. The Tide will start two top-ranked defenders, Dylan Moses and Mack Wilson, and relentless Anfernee Jennings, Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis will garner plenty of interest from NFL scouts."
247Sports: Anywhere but No. 1 for Alabama's linebacker group would've been wrong. These guys are scary athletic and there's plenty of depth. Steele hits the nail on the head here by mentioning a couple potential superstars in the middle of Saban's defense. Wilson will get much of the pub this season and rightfully so, but Lewis is special as well. And Moses could be an All-SEC player by the end of the season. Last year's injury issues at linebacker were a blessing in disguise for a few young guns who received vital experience in spotlight situations.
SLIDE7 of 10DEFENSIVE BACKS
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 8
Steele says: "Who's got next? The Tide secondary is being overhauled, though this unit always ranks among the nation's toughest. Bama boasts its usual haul of elite players. The new CBs are Trevon Diggs and Saivion Smith, who began at LSU. A thin safety crew features Deionte Thompson, Xavier McKinney and Patrick Surtain."
247Sports: Perceived as Alabama's biggest question entering the season, perhaps worry in the secondary is being overplayed a bit. It's not as bad as we think according to Steele, who says the Crimson Tide's talent at the back end is the eighth-best in college football (and second only to LSU in the SEC). Several of the aforementioned players expected to see a ton of snaps this season are versatile, but Surtain should spend most of his time at corner. By mid-October, Alabama should be elite in coverage when players are comfortable with each other and rotations are set in stone.
SLIDE8 of 10SPECIAL TEAMS
(Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: 53
247Sports: Without going back a decade, I'm going to guess this is Alabama's lowest position group ranking in the Saban era. Outside the Top 50 sounds a bit outlandish considering how well this unit will be coached, but Steele's reasoning probably has something to do with all-everything punter JK Scott and senior kicker Andy Pappanastos exiting the program. New Alabama special teams coach Jeff Banks has a dilemma heading into August — who starts in the return game? Xavian Marks is one of Alabama's most versatile players, but he'll be competing for special teams reps with Trevon Diggs and Henry Ruggs III, who both have return experience. Incoming freshman Jaylen Waddle will see the field and get a look there, too.
SLIDE9 of 10OVERALL OFFENSIVE PREDICTIONS
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox, Getty)
Rushing yards per game: 286.3 (1st in SEC)
Passing yards per game: 248.3 (8th in SEC)
Total yards per game: 534.6 (1st in SEC)
Points per game: 41.6 (1st in SEC)
247Sports take: If these numbers stick, this would statistically be the most explosive Alabama offense in program history, lofty projections considering Saban hasn't even announced his starting quarterback yet. And it would undoubtedly get first-year OC Mike Locksley a raise. But as Steele has previously mentioned, does it really matter who gets most of the reps between Tagovailoa and Hurts? The Damien Harris-Najee Harris combo will be filthy behind one of the nation's top offensive lines and will have plenty of room to run if the Crimson Tide's passing game is a threat downfield.
SLIDE10 of 10OVERALL DEFENSIVE PREDICTIONS
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Rushing yards allowed per game: 77.6 (1st in SEC)
Passing yards allowed per game: 219.8 (9th in SEC)
Points allowed per game: 17.8 (1st in SEC)
247Sports take: So Steele ranks Alabama's new-look secondary as the nation's 8th-best, but slots the Crimson Tide's pass defense at No. 9 in the SEC this season in yards allowed through the air? Something isn't adding up here. But if Steele's projection comes to fruition, it would be Alabama's worst secondary since 2014 (226 yards allowed per game). We're expecting considerably better numbers at the back end due in large part to Alabama's strength up front. This will be one of Saban's most complete defenses during his tenure as long as the pass rush produces sizable numbers.
If you haven't purchased or at least flipped through a Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine over the years, are you really a fan? That hard-to-miss full color gridiron bible is available everywhere periodicals are sold from now through September and is jam-packed with roster information and predictions on the upcoming season.
For the novice in need of reference points about any team, Steele's preview is a must-read.
Arguably one of his most interesting features each season is his ranking of each of the top position units in college football. Steele ranks them nationally with a short breakdown of each unit that makes the top 15 in its specific area.
Those areas are quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, defensive back and special teams. He also projects rushing and passing totals for each team's offense and defense based on their talent and schedule as well as projected points scored and points surrendered.
Last season, he accurately predicted a national championship for Alabama and likes the Crimson Tide's chances once again.
Below, BamaOnLine examines where Steele has Alabama ranked at each position and we share our take on whether or not we agree.
SLIDE1 of 10QUARTERBACKS
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 13
Steele says: "Whether Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts starts, Bama feels good at QB. The pair combined for a sterling 28-3 touchdown to interception ratio, 988 rush yards and 10 TDs on the ground in 2017. Hurts has a 26-2 mark as the starter, while Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to be Georgia for last year's national title."
247Sports national analyst Brad Crawford's take: I took some flack for putting Tagovailoa No. 1 in my preseason SEC QB Rankings earlier this month since he hasn't been announced as Alabama's starter, but there's a reason the sophomore is on the Heisman frontrunner list. He isAlabama's best passing option and played well throughout spring before his hand injury, carrying on some of the momentum gained in the national championship game. That was a changing of the guard moment for the position in Tuscaloosa and everyone knew it.
SLIDE2 of 10RUNNING BACKS
Steele's national rank: No. 2
Steele says: "Never light on backfield depth, Bama is loaded at running back once more. Damien Harris passed on the NFL after rushing for a team-best 1,000 yards and 11 TDs. Pushing Harris is Najee Harris, who went for 370 and three scores last year in his debut season. Even third-stringer Josh Jacobs has flashed, going for 567 (6.7 YPC) and four touchdowns in 2016."
247Sports: Is there a chance Damien Harris isn't the bell cow this season for the Crimson Tide? Najee Harris says he considered transferring after a tumultuous campaign ended without as many touches as expected for one of the nation's top freshman ballcarriers. He's out to prove he is Alabama's most complete back and will battle Damien Harris and Jacobs this season for that honor. The Harris duo is the SEC's best and both could exceed 1,000 yards rushing this fall.
SLIDE3 of 10WIDE RECEIVERS
(Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 20
247Sports: FYI — When a position group is positioned outside of the Top 15, they don't get a blurb in Steele's mag. And I don't understand the absurd ranking at No. 20 here. The Crimson Tide must replace first-round pick Calvin Ridley, who had 43 more catches than his next closest teammate, but even his numbers were down due to inconsistent play from Hurts. That changes this season if Tagovailoa gets most of the reps. Henry Ruggs and title-game hero DeVonta Smith each averaged better than 19 yards per grab as freshmen and look the part as potential breakout players.
SLIDE4 of 10DEFENSIVE LINE
(Photo: Denon, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 4
Steele says: "Few schools retool on D faster than the Tide. Every year Bama loses linemen to the NFL and every year it stuffs the run, leading the FBS in 2017 (94.7 yards allowed; 2.7 YPC). The new stars at DE are fourth team All-American Raekwon Davis and former JUCO star Isaiah Buggs. Powerful senior Johnny Dwight takes over at NG."
247Sports: Like the Energizer bunny, Alabama keeps going and going and going with talent up front. I'm convinced the Crimson Tide puts defensive linemen into a machine inside the football facility as soon as they step on campus and they emerge as future All-SEC stars. Or something like that. Once again, Alabama will be an immovable force up front. Only Auburn and Mississippi State's edge rushers are comparable from a talent standpoint across the West. Alabama placed second in the SEC last season in sacks and total tackles for losses, so there's something to shoot for this fall.
SLIDE5 of 10OFFENSIVE LINE
(Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)
Steele's national rank: No. 3
Steele says: "Recruiting ensures the Tide is perennially strong at the point of attack. Bama returns four starters from a group that averaged 251 yards rushing per game . Fierce LT Jonah Williams earned third team All-American honors and could be a top piayer. The opening at center should be filled by Ross Pierschbacher, who has 42 career starts at LG."
247Sports: Even at No. 3 overall, I feel this could be Alabama's most underrated position group this fall. If the lineup looks like the 1s we saw at the end of spring, from left to right the Crimson Tide's starters will be Williams, Lester Cotton, Pierschbacher, Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood. one major question is if Womack will return to the starting lineup after being sidelined all 15 practices with a foot injury? Alabama has recruited strongly at the position and there's depth up front in case one of these five blockers go down.
SLIDE6 of 10LINEBACKERS
(Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)
Steele's national rank: No. 1
Steele says: "Never light on top-flight LBs, Bama is again stacked at the position. Nick Saban gets reps for a lot of players, making for a smoother transition into the lineup. The Tide will start two top-ranked defenders, Dylan Moses and Mack Wilson, and relentless Anfernee Jennings, Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis will garner plenty of interest from NFL scouts."
247Sports: Anywhere but No. 1 for Alabama's linebacker group would've been wrong. These guys are scary athletic and there's plenty of depth. Steele hits the nail on the head here by mentioning a couple potential superstars in the middle of Saban's defense. Wilson will get much of the pub this season and rightfully so, but Lewis is special as well. And Moses could be an All-SEC player by the end of the season. Last year's injury issues at linebacker were a blessing in disguise for a few young guns who received vital experience in spotlight situations.
SLIDE7 of 10DEFENSIVE BACKS
(Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: No. 8
Steele says: "Who's got next? The Tide secondary is being overhauled, though this unit always ranks among the nation's toughest. Bama boasts its usual haul of elite players. The new CBs are Trevon Diggs and Saivion Smith, who began at LSU. A thin safety crew features Deionte Thompson, Xavier McKinney and Patrick Surtain."
247Sports: Perceived as Alabama's biggest question entering the season, perhaps worry in the secondary is being overplayed a bit. It's not as bad as we think according to Steele, who says the Crimson Tide's talent at the back end is the eighth-best in college football (and second only to LSU in the SEC). Several of the aforementioned players expected to see a ton of snaps this season are versatile, but Surtain should spend most of his time at corner. By mid-October, Alabama should be elite in coverage when players are comfortable with each other and rotations are set in stone.
SLIDE8 of 10SPECIAL TEAMS
(Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Steele's national rank: 53
247Sports: Without going back a decade, I'm going to guess this is Alabama's lowest position group ranking in the Saban era. Outside the Top 50 sounds a bit outlandish considering how well this unit will be coached, but Steele's reasoning probably has something to do with all-everything punter JK Scott and senior kicker Andy Pappanastos exiting the program. New Alabama special teams coach Jeff Banks has a dilemma heading into August — who starts in the return game? Xavian Marks is one of Alabama's most versatile players, but he'll be competing for special teams reps with Trevon Diggs and Henry Ruggs III, who both have return experience. Incoming freshman Jaylen Waddle will see the field and get a look there, too.
SLIDE9 of 10OVERALL OFFENSIVE PREDICTIONS
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox, Getty)
Rushing yards per game: 286.3 (1st in SEC)
Passing yards per game: 248.3 (8th in SEC)
Total yards per game: 534.6 (1st in SEC)
Points per game: 41.6 (1st in SEC)
247Sports take: If these numbers stick, this would statistically be the most explosive Alabama offense in program history, lofty projections considering Saban hasn't even announced his starting quarterback yet. And it would undoubtedly get first-year OC Mike Locksley a raise. But as Steele has previously mentioned, does it really matter who gets most of the reps between Tagovailoa and Hurts? The Damien Harris-Najee Harris combo will be filthy behind one of the nation's top offensive lines and will have plenty of room to run if the Crimson Tide's passing game is a threat downfield.
SLIDE10 of 10OVERALL DEFENSIVE PREDICTIONS
Rushing yards allowed per game: 77.6 (1st in SEC)
Passing yards allowed per game: 219.8 (9th in SEC)
Points allowed per game: 17.8 (1st in SEC)
247Sports take: So Steele ranks Alabama's new-look secondary as the nation's 8th-best, but slots the Crimson Tide's pass defense at No. 9 in the SEC this season in yards allowed through the air? Something isn't adding up here. But if Steele's projection comes to fruition, it would be Alabama's worst secondary since 2014 (226 yards allowed per game). We're expecting considerably better numbers at the back end due in large part to Alabama's strength up front. This will be one of Saban's most complete defenses during his tenure as long as the pass rush produces sizable numbers.
