With Bo Scarbrough Out, Alabama Will Need a Freshman RB to Step Up

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s traditional embarrassment of riches at running back has been well-documented, but even Nick Saban had to pause and take a step back, delivering a harsh reality after an offseason of attrition at that position.

“What seemed like a pretty strong position for us, depth-wise, has gotten a little thin,” he said.

He's right. The last few months haven’t been kind to Alabama at running back.

Photo courtesy 247Sports

T.J. Yeldon turned pro, though that was expected. Altee Tenpenny transferred. Tyren Jones was suspended, arrested on marijuana charges and dismissed. And now Bo Scarbrough is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

If you’re keeping score at home, only one of Alabama’s four stud backs signed in the 2013 class is left in Tuscaloosa (Alvin Kamara transferred to Tennessee last offseason).

While its top two options—Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake—are set to be 100 percent by the start of the season, their diverse skill sets and Alabama’s willingness to go deep into a running back rotation mean that a freshman will need to step up in the fall.

It could be true freshman DeSherrius Flowers or redshirt freshman Ronnie Clark—both of whom are the only other healthy, scholarship running backs on campus—or 5-star Damien Harris, who will enroll at Alabama over the summer. But someone needs to take the reigns.

Before Alabama fans go running away in panic, keep in mind that the Crimson Tide are far from weak in the backfield.

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Henry is poised for a big year as Alabama’s No. 1 back. Saban has praised Henry’s work ethic and improvement this offseason. According to AL.com’s Matt Zenitz, Henry—who is built like a linebacker at 6’3”, 242 pounds—ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and put 440 pounds on the bench press in spring testing.

And Drake appears to be nearing 100 percent after a brutal leg break against Ole Miss. He was a versatile weapon last year for Lane Kiffin and figures to be used in an even bigger variety of roles this year. He’s taken some practice reps at wide receiver, and Saban even hinted at a package putting him and Henry on the field at the same time.

“Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake have done a really, really good job all spring long,” Saban said. “Those two guys have been fantastic in terms of the way they've competed, how fast they've played, the confidence they've played with, and certainly both have the ability to make plays.”

But because of Henry and Drake’s distinct abilities—Henry is a powerful bruiser and Drake an explosive lightning bolt—Alabama needs a third running back to at least somewhat complement them.

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Every year since 2008, Alabama’s third-leading rusher (who wasn’t a quarterback) has had at least 200 yards on the ground. Last year, Drake already had 112, plus a long receiving touchdown, before he went down with an injury. He, Henry and Yeldon were turning into an extremely effective three-headed monster.

So now Alabama needs a third head for 2015, but running backs seem to keep dropping like flies, leaving the Crimson Tide looking toward a freshman.

Clark did just about everything in high school and was expected to play defense at Alabama. But he switched to running back during the middle of last year and tore his Achilles during a practice, ending his season and solidifying his redshirt status. Now he’s back playing running back and fully healthy, according to Saban.

Also on campus is Flowers, a 4-star from Mobile who got a head start on football enrolling in January.

Those two would seem to be, right now, the prime candidates for that third running back spot. But Harris could challenge them once he gets to Tuscaloosa.

Scarbrough could also be healthy by the time the season starts. Saban didn’t rule that possibility out.

“We're hopeful that we'll be able to get him back for the season,” Saban said. “He was doing really, really well this spring practice and it happened in two-minute late in the scrimmage.”

Scarbrough already tweeted out a video of him doing some leg stretches post-surgery:

Eddie Jackson suffered a similar knee injury last spring, and while he was back by the second game of the year, he never seemed to be his old self, and then-freshman Tony Brown had to be thrown into the fire sooner rather than later.

That seems to be the case at running back this year, where Alabama needs a third option to step up and solidify its backfield depth.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Ratings and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Note: Players are referenced by fall 2015 eligibility.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.