Why Alabama RB Derrick Henry Will Lead the SEC in Rushing in 2015

Until the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl following the 2013 season, Alabama running back Derrick Henry was more myth than reality.

The most prolific running back in high school football history had taken a back seat to T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake and didn't get a chance to prove how valuable he really was. 

Against Oklahoma, though, the 6'3", 232-pound monster from Yulee, Florida, broke out. He rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, caught a 61-yard touchdown pass in the loss to the Sooners and set the tone for a sophomore season that was full of promise.

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He lived up to the hype.

Serving as Yeldon's primary backup and one of the most terrifying second-half "closers" in the country, Henry actually led the Crimson Tide with 990 yards and 11 touchdowns. He rushed for 590 of those yards in the second half and overtime of games, and posted an eye-popping 6.86 yards per carry over that same stretch.

Now, it's the Derrick Henry show, and he will finish the season as the SEC's leading rusher.

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Let's start by comparing Henry's situation to some other top-flight running backs in the SEC.

Georgia's Nick Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards as a true freshman last year in essentially a half-season as the Bulldogs' starting running back. But he had to do that after Todd Gurley was suspended and then tore his ACL, Keith Marshall struggled through nagging knee injuries and fellow freshman Sony Michel battled a shoulder injury. 

In a perfect world for the 2015 Bulldogs, Marshall, Michel and A.J. Turman will all stay relatively healthy and take some pressure off of Chubb.

LSU's Leonard Fournette broke the 1,000-yard mark as a true freshman as well, but he has a solid supporting cast with Darrel Williams, Derrius Guice and Nick Brossette in the backfield. Only one time in the last four years has an LSU running back finished in the top five in the SEC in carries (Jeremy Hill with 203 in 2013).

With those three behind him and Fournette taking on special teams responsibilities, expect that trend to continue.

Arkansas? Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins are great, but they're going to split carries just as they have over the last two seasons, which will prevent either from having gaudy rushing statistics.

Henry is in a situation where he has to put up those numbers.

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Even though he led the team in rushing last year, he's one of nine new starters and is being counted on to be one of the key pieces of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin's second Alabama offense. Drake will play more of a hybrid running back/wide receiver role, and the running backs behind them are all vastly inexperienced after transfers, dismissals and injuries decimated the position over the offseason.

Plus, Alabama's running backs always are dancing near the top of the SEC.

A Crimson Tide running back has landed in the top three in the conference in rushing three times over the last four years, and many of those guys had established No. 2 running backs giving them breaks from time to time.

Besides, who's going to tackle a guy who pushes pickup trucks around?

While Chubb, Fournette and Arkansas' dynamic duo have the name value, Henry's primary competition to the SEC's rushing throne could play in the same state.

Whether it's Roc Thomas, Jovon Robinson, Peyton Barber or Kerryon Johnson who emerges as Auburn's No. 1 running back, one will surface in order for head coach Gus Malzahn to play at his customary fast tempo. Over his nine-year career as a college head or assistant coach, he's produced 12 1,000-yard rushers and the SEC's top rusher in each of the last two seasons (Tre Mason with 1,816 yards in 2013 and Cameron Artis-Payne with 1,608 in 2014). 

Henry is a monster and will be counted on—especially early on as Kiffin breaks in a new quarterback and completely revamped wide receiving corps—to be the workhorse of the Crimson Tide.

Considering his track record, that seems like a responsibility that he can handle.

While other running backs may get more hype, Henry is in a perfect spot to become the first Alabama player to lead the SEC in rushing since Trent Richardson ran for 1,679 yards in 2011.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.