Alabama stars open up on their decision to return this season

The dominos began to fall in late December. Linebacker Dylan Moses started the chain reaction when he announced his decision to forgo the NFL draft and return for his senior season. Less than 12 hours later, Alabama released its viral domino gif, hinting that similar decisions would follow.

Things didn’t completely fall Alabama’s way. The Crimson Tide still saw Tua Tagovailoa, Jedrick Wills Jr., Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy all depart early for the draft. However, there were a few notable surprise returnees.

Three days after Moses’ decision, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood announced he too would be returning to the team. Four days after that, receiver DeVonta Smith became the next Tide star to pass up the draft. Perhaps the biggest surprise came the following week as running back Najee Harris announced he’d be back for his senior season.

Since Alabama opened up fall camp, all four of Alabama’s returning stars have spoken to the media. Here’s what they had to say about their decision to stay as well as a look at where they stand moving forward.

What he said: “It’s very important. I want to be able to put a punctuation mark on the back end of my Alabama career. At the same time, I want to be able to affect my teammates. That’s the reason I came back. I care about them, I love them, and they love me so I want to affect them and get us back like we used to be.”

Outlook: After missing all of last season with an ACL injury, Moses told reporters last week that he feels “really good,” stating, “I just need to keep getting better as far as developing on the field again since it’s been a while.”

Now back to full health, the former five-star recruit is expected to be the Tide’s leader on defense this season. Moses was a Butkus Award finalist in 2018 when he led Alabama with 86 tackles while recording 10 stops for a loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Moses was mentioned as a possible first-round pick in this year’s draft, although that status was far from a certainty due to his injury. Assuming things go to plan this season, he should fall comfortably in the first round next year.

What he said: “What went into my decision was basically I feel I left a lot on the table as a player, and I felt like I just had a lot more to offer. I just wanted to come back and capitalize on that. And also the way the season went last year, it wasn’t how us or anybody expected it to go, and I wanted to come back and leave on a way-better note than what we did.”

Outlook: Leatherwood excelled in his switch from right guard to left tackle last season, not allowing a single sack in 440 pass-blocking snaps. The 6-foot-6, 312-pounder has long been viewed as an elite prospect, coming to Alabama as the No. 1 tackle and No. 4 player overall in the 2017 class. However, his decision to come back seems to be a wise one.

This year’s NFL draft saw six offensive tackles selected in the first round, including five taken in the first 18 picks. Unlike his former teammate, Wills, Leatherwood didn’t generate as much buzz following last season and would have struggled to stand out in such a loaded class of tackles.

That could change next year if the preseason All-American continues to perform at a high level. Leatherwood is rated as the No. 8 overall player and No. 2 tackle in next year’s draft class according to Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer. While he still isn’t a consensus first-rounder at the moment, momentum seems to be moving in the right direction.

What he said: “Just really getting my degree and wanting to come back and finish things the right way. I didn’t like the way we did things last year and the way we finished. Just coming back to finish things the right way this year.”

Outlook: Of all the players on this list, Smith might have had the best shot of being a first-rounder this year. The smooth-striding receiver was coming off a breakout season in which he led Alabama with 1,256 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns through the air. He also posted two 200-yard games, breaking school records with 274 yards and five touchdowns through the air against Ole Miss before gashing eventual national champion LSU for 213 yards and two scores.

Fortunately for Alabama, last year’s finish didn’t sit well with Smith, causing him to return for another year. Now paired with Jaylen Waddle as the focal point of the Tide’s passing game, the senior should once again be able to put up big numbers this season. Smith is widely projected as a first-round pick in next year’s draft with ESPN’s Todd McShay tabbing him as high as No. 10 overall.

What he said: “I want to come back with my team and just grind it out through another year. We didn’t know what was gonna happen now, but now I feel like we have a really good team. No matter what, I’m so happy that I came back. I don’t regret nothing.”

Outlook: Following his first 1,000-yard season last year, Harris still felt like he had something to prove. The former No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class displayed his do-it-all ability, running for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns while catching 27 passes for 304 yards and seven scores— the most receiving touchdowns by an Alabama back in a single season. Still, he wasn’t considered as a possible first-round pick.

It’s uncertain if Harris’ draft status will change this season. Selecting a running back in the first round is no longer in vogue. LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the only first-round back this year, going to the Kansas City Chiefs in the final pick of the round.

This offseason, Harris has worked on his explosion, perhaps the only thing missing in the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder’s game from last season. Will that be enough to land him his desired Day 1 spot? Who knows. Either way, the five-star back seems to be at peace with his decision.