BamaInsider Top 40 for 2019: Henry Ruggs III leads off 15-11

If last season’s breakout performance wasn’t enough, Henry Ruggs III’s reported sub-4.3 time in the 40-yard dash this offseason should serve as a further warning to opposing defensive backs. The speedy receiver developed into one of Tua Tagovailoa’s favorite targets, finishing second on the team with 46 receptions and 11 touchdowns while recording 741 yards through the air.

Ruggs’ numbers would likely have been higher if not for a stacked receiving corps. While he only eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice, he was one of Alabama’s most consistent end zone threats, recording at least one touchdown in nine of the Crimson Tide’s 15 games.

The former track star was clocked at 23 miles per hour during a play against Missouri last season, breaking Alabama’s record of 22 mph set by Kenyan Drake during his famous kick return in the 2016 national championship game against Clemson. With that speed, Ruggs is virtually unguardable if allowed to hit full stride, making him a big-play threat anywhere on the field.

“If you don’t touch him and you don’t get hands on him, he’s going to run right by you, so I have to make sure I put hands on him,” Alabama defensive back Trevon Diggs said. “I have to make sure I touch him at the line a little bit. But if you give him a free release and he’s running deep, it’s hard to catch him.”