Why Bo Scarbrough's quiet offseason could lead to a monster year
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Entering what he hopes to be his first “consistent” season at Alabama, you’ll forgive Bo Scarbrough for emphasizing his forward mental trajectory.
The Alabama running back has no desire to discuss the past, especially not when it concerns the broken leg he suffered during the third quarter of the national championship loss to Clemson. Wearing a sizable smile in front of reporters Tuesday, Scarbrough didn’t resemble a player losing much sleep while lamenting over last season’s heartbreaking finish. Instead, he reiterated his preference to concentrate on the present.
ICYMI: Tuesday Scoop
So, please, save any potential what-if questions for a later date.
“That book is closed,” Scarbrough said, the smile leaving his face. “I'm only focused on what's going on now and not the past."
While he doesn’t want to talk about the injury, Scarbrough did provide encouraging news, stating he's “feeling pretty good” and that his leg is fine. After sitting out the entirety of Alabama’s spring camp in a black, no-contact jersey, the Northport, Ala., native has been a full participant in each of the Tide’s five practices this fall.
That serves as a sizable boost to the Crimson Tide’s offensive attack this season.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 235-pounds, Scarbrough is not only the biggest back on Alabama’s roster but also the most talked about name in the Tide’s busy backfield.
The junior is currently listed at +1,400 odds to win the Heisman Trophy this season, according to OddsShark.com. The betting service has Scarbrough tied for the sixth best odds in the nation, just above teammate Jalen Hurts (+1,600) who earned the SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award last season.
The expectations are centered around the last four games of last season where Scarbrough piled up a combined 454 yards and six touchdowns on 63 carries, an average of 8.65 yards per touch. It’s perhaps even more impressive that he has maintained the Heisman hype despite sharing a backfield with four other highly-touted running backs.
On top of Scarbrough, Alabama also returns a 1,000-yard rusher in Damien Harris, a dynamic playmaker in Josh Jacobs and two freshman phenoms in Najee Harris and Brian Robinson. However, that hasn’t stopped everyone from mentioning the towering junior’s name first when addressing the Tide’s backfield.
Well, everyone but Scarbrough himself.
“It’s not all about being the guy, because without the other running backs, no one can be the guy,' Scarbrough said. "We help each other be that guy, and whoever is in the game we want them to be that guy. We want them to do their job and do their job well. Like I said, we feed off each other, so we’re very happy when we see each other doing a great job.”
If Scarbrough is hesitant to talk about the past, he’s even more shy to talk up his own performances. In fact, he has even gone out of his way to praise his teammates at times this offseason instead. Scarbrough listed Jacobs as his favorite player to watch when asked during Alabama’s Media Day on Saturday. He followed up the praise Tuesday, stating he looks to mold parts of Jacobs’ and Najee Harris’ approach into his own.
"Najee and Josh Jacobs, they’re pretty similar and they’re very shifty,” Scarbrough said. “They can stick their foot in the ground and get up field real quick, and that’s something that I’ve kind of taken from their game.”
Making sure to stick to his quiet approach, that’s as far as Scarbrough would go when talking about his plans for improvement.
“That’s something that I’ll keep to myself, because I can’t put expectations on things that haven’t happened yet,” Scarbrough said. “The only thing I can go off of is what’s next and what’s in front of me. Whatever happens, happens. That’s God’s plan, and not mine.”
While Scarbrough will continue to do his best to shove aside the hype and praise surrounding him, that will become harder and harder to do in the coming weeks. No. 1 Alabama is set to open up against No. 3 Florida State on Sept. 2 in Atlanta.
Best believe Scarbrough will look to make some noise then.