Could Alabama bring in another talented back this offseason?
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Alabama might be trying to add to its already talent-laden backfield for the upcoming season. According to a report from Rivals.com's Woody Womack, Alabama has reached out to Clemson graduate transfer Tavien Feaster. The former four-star back put his name in the NCAA transfer portal last month and would be eligible to play right away for the Crimson Tide.
Feaster, 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, worked as Clemson’s No. 2 running back this spring. Over the past two seasons, he has rushed for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 5.99 yards per carry. The Spartanburg, S.C. native was rated as the No. 3 all-purpose back in the 2016 class.
“I certainly was disappointed. I just think he’s a great player and definitely wanted him to stay,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said of Feaster’s decision to transfer last week, via The State. “But it’s a decision that he felt like was best for him, and man, he’s been a model student and player and gonna be a graduate, so I think that’s the number one thing that I always focus on is guys getting their degree.”
If Feaster does join Alabama, he will step into an already loaded backfield. The Crimson Tide returns juniors Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. and will also bring in five-star freshman Trey Sanders this summer. Alabama also has redshirt freshman Jerome Ford and moved redshirt sophomore Chadarius Townsend to running back this spring. Along with Sanders, the Crimson Tide will also bring in four-star freshman Keilan Robinson.
“I really feel like Najee and B-Rob are both really good players. I think both of them have got a significant amount of experience in the past. I think they’re ready to take the next step in terms of making a really significant contribution. They both had really good springs,” Saban said this spring. Past that, Jerome Ford is kind of the newcomer and has shown some flashes. We’ve got a couple other guys coming in in this freshman class.
“So, we have had a lot of diversity at running back, but most of the time, there has been a young player that contributes to that, almost always a freshman… So, I would expect that we get some help from that group from some young players, as well. But I’m really satisfied with those two guys. I would feel a little more comfortable if we had a few more guys that showed that they can play with the consistency and performance that can add even more depth at that position.”