Alabama began its fall camp last week, holding two workouts including an open practice inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. Now that we’ve seen the Crimson Tide in action, we can begin to project how it might line up this season.
With that said, here is our projected look at Alabama’s depth chart.
Saban Presser | Sarkisian | Golding
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QB
Tua Tagovailoa, Jr., No. 13
Mac Jones, R-So., No. 10
Taulia Tagovailoa, Fr., No. 5
Paul Tyson, Fr., No. 15
Outlook: No surprises here. There might be an eventual battle for the backup role, but as things stand at the beginning of camp Mac Jones is Alabama’s No. 2 at the position. Nick Saban spoke highly of the redshirt sophomore this summer, calling him a “really bright guy,” and stating that the team was “confident that he’s capable.”
RB
Najee Harris, Jr., No. 22
Brian Robinson Jr., Jr., No. 24
Trey Sanders, Fr., No. 26
Jerome Ford, R-Fr., No. 27
Keilan Robinson, Fr., No. 2
Outlook: Najee Harris should be Alabama’s No. 1 back, but will he get the corresponding carries? Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was asked if the junior has the capability of getting 20-25 carries a game this season. While Sarkisian said Alabama might lean on Harris in certain situations, it appears that the Crimson Tide will continue to share carries among its backs this year.
“You know ideally we want Najee to be fresh and continue to get better as the season goes on, and later in the year," Sarkisian said. "So you manage those number of carries, importantly, as the games go. There may be games in which he is that total bell-cow and we have to go the way we need to go to do what we need to do to win the game. There may be other games in which it’s not as many.”
Alabama has several talented options outside of Harris. Brian Robinson Jr. should finally get his opportunity to step into the spotlight, while five-star freshman Trey Sanders was Alabama’s top recruit in this year’s class. Redshirt freshman Jerome Ford has been working ahead of Sanders as Alabama’s third back and could also be a player to watch.
TE
Major Tennison, R-So., No. 88
Cameron Latu, R-Fr., No. 81
Michael Parker, R-Fr. No. 80
TE-H
Miller Forristall, R-Jr., No. 87
Giles Amos, Sr., No. 40
Jahleel Billingsley, Fr., No.19
Outlook: Miller Forristall has been limited with a foot injury but should return to practice in the coming days. He joins Major Tennison as the only two tight ends on the roster to record a reception at the college level. Unsurprisingly, those two appear to be Alabama’s top options at the position. It will be interesting to see if walk-on Giles Amos and former outside linebacker Cameron Latu continue to make significant strides this fall. Freshman Jahleel Billingsley should also serve as a nice pass-catching option.
WR-Z
Henry Ruggs III, Jr., No. 11
Slade Bolden, R-Fr., No. 18
John Metchie, Fr., No. 3
WR-X
DeVonta Smith, Jr., No. 6
Tyrell Shavers, R-So., No. 14
Xavier Williams, R-Fr., No. 9
WR-H
Jerry Jeudy, Jr., No. 4
Jaylen Waddle, So., No. 17
Chadarius Townsend, R-So., No. 12
Outlook: The question here is how will Alabama manage to get its top four receivers on the field at the same time. Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle combined for 3,597 yards and 38 touchdowns through the air and return as the nation’s top quartet. Alabama will likely use more four-receiver sets in order to spread defenses out and utilize its many weapons at the position. Outside of the top four, 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore Tyrell Shavers could serve as a red-zone threat. Redshirt freshman Slade Bolden has also looked impressive during practice, while freshman John Metchie earned MVP honors on A-Day.
LT
Alex Leatherwood, Jr., No. 70
Scott Lashley, R-Jr., No. 76
Tanner Bowles, Fr., No. 51
Kendall Randolph, R-So., No. 60
LG
Emil Ekiyor Jr., R-Fr., No. 55
Evan Neal, Fr., No. 73
Pierce Quick, Fr., No. 72
C
Chris Owens, R-Jr., No. 79
Hunter Brannon, R-So., No. 50
Darrian Dalcourt, Fr., No. 71
RG
Matt Womack, R-Sr., No. 77
Deonte Brown, R-Jr., No. 65
Landon Dickerson, R-Jr., No. 69
RT
Jedrick Wills, Jr., No. 74
Tommy Brown, R-Fr., No. 75
Amari Kight, Fr., No. 78
Outlook: Two practices into fall camp, nothing has changed from the way Alabama lined up this spring. However, that could still change moving forward. The two tackle positions appear locked with Jedrick Wills Jr. remaining at right tackle and Alex Leatherwood shifting from right guard to left tackle. Matt Womack appears to be in good shape to win the starting spot at right guard, while Chris Owens is the favorite to start at center. The biggest battle might come at the left guard position as Emil Ekiyor Jr. will look to hold off 6-foot-7, 360-pound five-star freshman Evan Neal. Deonte Brown might also work his way back into the first-team offense once he serves out the four remaining games on his NCAA suspension.
DE
Raekwon Davis, Sr., No. 99
Phidarian Mathis, R-So., No. 48
Christian Barmore, R-Fr., No. 58
Braylen Ingraham, Fr., No. 52
DT
D.J. Dale, Fr., No. 94
Stephon Wynn, R-Fr., No. 90
Ishmael Sopsher, Fr., No. 95
Tevita Musika, Sr., No. 91
DE
La’Bryan Ray, Jr., No. 89
Justin Eboigbe, Fr., No. 92
Antonio Alfano, Fr., No. 56
Byron Young, Fr., No. 47
Outlook: Alabama has been without LaBryan Ray as he has been limited by an ankle injury. While the junior defensive end is expected to return in time for the Crimson Tide’s season-opener against Duke on Aug. 31, his absence has allowed freshman Justin Eboigbe to break into the first-team defense. Speaking of freshmen, D.J. Dale is the favorite to land the starting nose guard role. Dale made waves during spring camp and has dropped 15 pounds since then, now weighing in at 6-foot-3, 308 pounds. Five-star freshman Antonio Alfano is another name to watch at the position once he acclimates himself to the next level.
Sam
Terrell Lewis, R-Jr.
Ben Davis, R-Jr., No. 1
Kevin Harris II, Fr., No. 44
Jarez Parks, R-Fr., No. 23
Mike
Dylan Moses, Jr., No. 32
Jaylen Moody, So., No. 42
Markail Benton, R-So., No. 36
Will
Joshua McMillon, R-Sr.
Ale Kaho, So., No. 10
Shane Lee, Fr., No. 35
Christian Harris, Fr., No. 8
Jack
Anfernee Jennings, R-Sr., No. 33
Christopher Allen, R-So., No. 4
King Mwikuta, Fr., No. 30
Outlook: The biggest battle at linebacker comes at the Will position as redshirt senior Joshua McMillon will look to hold off a host of young talent. While McMillon might not be as physically gifted as other players at the position, defensive coordinator Pete Golding said his understanding of the game helps set him apart from the Crimson Tide’s other options.
Alabama will need to build depth at the outside linebacker position due to the loss of Eyabi Anoma. Redshirt sophomore Christopher Allen looks to be Alabama’s most reliable option outside of starters Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis. Freshman Kevin Harris II is an intriguing prospect but will need to add bulk to his 6-foot-4, 222-pound frame. After slipping into anonymity in recent years, former five-star Ben Davis has been working with the second-team unit early in camp.
CB
Trevon Diggs, Sr., No. 7
Jalyn Armour-Davis, R-Fr., No. 22
Scooby Carter, Fr., No. 11
CB
Josh Jobe, So., No. 28
Marcus Banks, Fr., No. 26
Nigel Knott, R-Jr., No. 13
Brandon Turnage, Fr., No. 14
Star
Patrick Surtain II, So., No. 2
Shyheim Carter, Sr., No. 5
Jalyn Armour-Davis, R-Fr., No. 22
S
Jared Mayden, Sr., No. 21 / Shyheim Carter, Sr., No. 5
Eddie Smith, So., No. 25
DeMarcco Hellams, Fr., No. 29
S
Xavier McKinney, Jr., No. 15
Daniel Wright, R-So., No. 3
Jordan Battle, Fr., No. 6
Outlook: Sophomore Josh Jobe appears to have broken into Alabama’s first-team defense as Patrick Surtain II has moved to Star when the Crimson Tide has worked out of the nickel package. Jared Mayden received the bulk of the first-team reps next to Xavier McKinney at safety during Saturday’s open practice. If Jobe continues to lock down a starting spot at cornerback, the battle between Mayden and Carter at safety might be one to watch. Carter has also spent time at Star and has the capability to play at any position across the secondary. Regardless of how things work out, he should see plenty of action this season.
After missing last season with an ACL injury, Jayln Armour-Davis is another versatile option. The redshirt freshman has lined up at both cornerback and Star in practice. Alabama’s secondary saw an influx of young talent this offseason as it brought in five freshman defensive backs. Of that group, Marcus Banks seems to be making a great first impression to start camp.
PK
Will Reichard, Fr., No. 16
Joseph Bulovas, R-So., No. 97
KO
Will Reichard, Fr., No. 16
Joseph Bulovas, R-So., 97
P
Skyler DeLong, So., No. 12
Will Reichard, Fr., No. 16
Mike Bernier (Not listed on official roster)
KR
Jaylen Waddle, So., No. 17 /Brian Robinson, Jr., No. 24
Henry Ruggs III, Jr., No. 11 / Najee Harris, Jr., No. 22
PR
Jaylen Waddle, So., No. 17
Slade Bolden, R-Fr., No. 18
Xavier Williams, R-Fr., No. 9
Holder
Mac Jones, R-So., No. 10
Tua Tagovailoa, Jr., No. 13
LS
Thomas Fletcher, Jr., No. 45
Outlook: The media doesn’t get much opportunity to examine the special teams unit. We saw a few punting drills Saturday as Skyler DeLong and Will Reichard both booted balls in the rain. Reichard seemed to outperform DeLong in the open practice, but DeLong had a more impressive showing during the A-Day game. That battle should continue to rage on throughout camp. As for the kicking game, Reichard seems to hold the momentum over Joseph Bulovas heading into camp.
Waddle led Alabama’s punt return duties during Saturday’s open practice. He was joined by redshirt freshmen Slade Bolden and Xavier Williams as well as Shyheim Carter, Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith. During SEC Media Days, Saban mentioned that Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle could both be options for kick return duty.
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