Tony's Take: Alabama's backfield will be tough to stop, tricky to manage

Outside of the inevitable inquiries about quarterback Jalen Hurts, the other pressing topic surrounding Alabama’s offense is what exactly the Crimson Tide will do with its surplus of talent at the running back position.

Even with the recent transfer of B.J. Emmons, Daboll is left with a handful of backs who should all be a handful for opposing defenses. On the surface, that’s an exciting prospect for Alabama. However, the thought of trying to divvy out enough carries to satisfy each back might have Daboll wringing his own hands this fall.

You’ll forgive opposing defenses for failing to be sympathetic. Even Daboll knows Alabama’s bounty of backs is a good problem to have.

“Look, running back is a position that you can’t have too many of,” Daboll said Saturday in his first media appearance since taking the offensive coordinator job in February. “You can find creative ways to try to use them, and everyone will have a role if they earn that role.”

That’s a bold statement and one that will be interesting to see how the first-year offensive coordinator backs up.

Examining the d̶e̶p̶t̶h̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶t̶ rep chart, Alabama returns three running backs who started at least one game last season in Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Josh Jacobs.

Harris was the Tide’s leading rusher with 1,037 yards last season, while Scarbrough was by far Alabama’s best back down the stretch, piling on 454 yards and six touchdowns in the final four games before breaking his leg in the third quarter of the national championship loss to Clemson. Jacobs might be the most electric of the three and led all Tide backs with 14 receptions for 156 yards as a freshman last year.

Adding to the conundrum are two highly talented freshmen in Najee Harris and Brian Robinson, the former of which was the No. 1 rated player overall in the 2017 recruiting class.

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So how does Daboll go about getting each back the ball?

Here’s a humble stab by your local columnist.

It’s no secret none of the backs will get anywhere close to the 395 carries former Alabama running back Derrick Henry was handed during his Heisman year in 2015. In fact, it’d be surprising if any Tide rusher had a third of that total, especially if Alabama is still going to allow dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts to continue to work his magic on the ground.

In order to keep everyone happy, the Tide must get creative. That means defined roles and decreased reps.

Starting from the top, Damien Harris returns as perhaps Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s most trusted back due to his versatility and ability to hold on to the football. This dependability earns him the spot as the starter when Alabama needs to establish control of the game early.

After serving as the third-down back for much of last season, Jacobs appears to be the natural fit for the role this season. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound back also offers a more explosive style than Damien Harris and could also be used as a change of pace or to spell Harris on occasional drives. Najee Harris can also fill in this role, especially after showing his receiving ability both in spring and early this fall.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

If Alabama is able to primarily roll with that trio in the first half, it creates a situation where the Tide can hand the ball over to what could be the best closer college football has ever seen. While the thought of saving Scarbrough for the second halves of games might be a hard sell at first, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound human wrecking ball would have fresh legs to run through tired defenses. The strategy would not only allow Alabama to grind out the game late but also help protect Scarbrough. After all, the junior is coming off a broken leg and has been riddled with injuries since high school.

This isn’t to say Scarbrough would be prohibited from touching the ball in the first half either. After leading all Tide backs with 11 touchdowns last season, the bruising rusher is by far Alabama’s best threat near the end zone. Scarbrough would also be available in case things went awry early as well.

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about Robinson, either. If Damien Harris is the starter and Scarbrough is the closer, think of Robinson as the specialist. If the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native wants to see the field this fall, his best bet is to develop a unique skill.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, Robinson has good size at the position. Like fellow freshman Harris, he has also shown an ability to catch out of the backfield, recording 302 yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions as a senior in high school. Might Daboll decide to line the former four-star in an H-back role at times this season? Robinson is also a candidate to redshirt and might be held back as insurance in the event of an injury.

Of course, these are just some of the several scenarios Daboll could work with this season. Rest assured the offensive coordinator knows his options better than anyone else. How he utilizes them is in his hands.

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