Alabama Can Go As Far As These Five Players Take Them

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Expectations haven’t been this high for an Alabama team in some time. After losing key offensive linemen, a three-year starting quarterback, our leading rusher, our defensive captain, and several other key contributors, expectations may be higher this year than last year.

After thinking about what we’ve lost, I’ve put together a list of five players whose play will determine how far Alabama will go this year.

We’ll work our way up to the most important.

5. Javier Arenas

I know he’s only a cornerback and kick returner, but let me explain. We all saw in 2007 and 2008 how quickly Arenas can change the outlook of a football game. In his Alabama career, Arenas has 2,874 total return yards (that’s kickoff and punts). He has six punt return touchdowns and one returned interception touchdown.

That’s a lot of points for someone who isn’t on offense.

There’s also something to be said for the kind of leader he potentially could be for the defensive backs. Alabama isn’t deep at the cornerback position in my eyes, but Javier has that natural athletic ability about him. Maybe he can help us at that position more than people think.

Assuming Alabama won’t blow opponents out this year, the contribution Javier Arenas makes on the scoreboard may be needed.

4. Mike Johnson

It’s scary to think about, but Mike Johnson, James Carpenter, and Drew Davis may be our only upperclassmen who start on our offensive line this year. All three of them are seniors, but Johnson has played in 40 games for Alabama. Davis has played in 16 games, and James Carpenter is a junior college transfer.

In recent years, we’ve seen what an inexperienced, young offensive line without a leader looks like, and we don’t want to be in that position again.

Mike Johnson will be called on to step up as a leader on the offensive line. At 6'5" and 305 pounds, 'Bama can ride Johnson’s back to wherever they’d like to go.

3. Mike McCoy

I’m sure me not having Julio Jones here will be questioned. The truth of the matter is that Julio is going to get his catches, yards, and touchdowns, but what he’ll also be getting is a ton of double teams.

This is going to open up the opposite side, where McCoy looks poised enough to start ahead of Marquis Maze, who had a great spring and A-Day. McCoy has been a letdown in my opinion since he stepped onto the field at Alabama. Mike is a junior this year, and so far in his Alabama career he has played in 28 games.

To this point, he has caught 44 passes for 398 yards with two touchdowns. He’ll need to, at the very minimum, double the yards and touchdowns this year if we’re to roll anywhere.

2. Rolando McClain

He started making the play calls for the linebackers as a freshman, and he’s making the calls for the entire defense now. McClain is an absolute beast at middle linebacker, and he’ll need to continue the precedent he has set for himself this year.

In 27 games over two years at Alabama, he has a total of 169 tackles, 10 passes knocked down, three QB hurries, four sacks, three interceptions, and one fumble return for a touchdown. There’s no doubt that he is the leader of the defense, and he doesn’t do it with his mouth—he does it with his play on the field.

There’s been a lot of shifting going on with our linebackers in the offseason, and it will be Rolando’s job to be sure they’re where they should be each and every play. He’ll step up to the plate, and when he does, Alabama will take his consistency with them.

1. Greg McElroy

A lot has been made of McElroy this offseason. In what was termed a “QB battle,” McElroy emerged as the clear-cut starter during spring practices. Having only played in eight games in his two years at Alabama, McElroy’s full potential still isn’t known.

It makes me nervous knowing that if he were better than John Parker Wilson, he would have already been starting. But who’s to say that Alabama can’t be better under a different quarterback? The thought is that Greg is a decent QB who hasn’t had a full opportunity to show what he can do.

He played behind Chase Daniel at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas and was a three-star recruit. He was the 11th ranked pro-style QB coming out of high school, so there should be little doubt that he can throw the ball.

The question is, can he lead the Tide to victories without making too many mistakes? The answer is unknown, but Greg McElroy is the most important factor when determining how far the Tide Rolls this year.