Alabama Football: Top 10 Players to Watch for Next Year

Can you hear it?

It's the sound of "Rooooooooooolllllllllllll Tiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddddddddeeeeeeee" reverberating all throughout the college football landscape.

The 2012 College Football National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide had an exceptional season in which they defeated their SEC West rival LSU in the BCS National Championship Game.

With every supremely talented college football team lies the inevitable problem of having players depart for the NFL.

'Bama is no different, as Trent Richardson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower decided to skip their senior seasons in order to turn pro.

While that might make Alabama fans uneasy, one thing has to be remembered. With a program of Alabama's stature, they don't have to rebuild.

They just simply reload.

The 2012-13 team has a smorgasboard of talented players returning for the upcoming season. Many of the athletes are already considered key cogs, but a couple are younger players looking to break out and make their mark as the next great Alabama star.

Let's take a look at the top returning players that Nick Saban will trot out every Saturday...

Honorable Mentions: Adrian Hubbard, Kevin Norwood, Michael Williams, Duron Carter, Damion Square, DeAndrew White

OT D.J. Fluker

The massive right tackle looks to have a breakout year in the 2012/13 season. And when I say massive, he truly personifies the term.

At 6'6" 335, he has surprising mobility coupled with his immense strength. The New Orleans native excels in the run game and opened up huge holes often this past season for both Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy.

When he does come out for the NFL Draft, he has "First Round" written all over him. His ability to absolutely engulf oncoming defenders is very impressive.

By the way, Fluker has size 22 feet!

LB Nico Johnson

As the typical Nick Saban linebacker tends to do, Johnson makes plays all over the field with his strong pursuit skills. The Andalusia, Ala. product also demonstrates above-average speed and quickness for his size (6'3", 245)

Johnson excels in run support, and his instincts allow him to take great angles when in pursuit of ball carriers. He also combines that mental acumen with a reputation as a sure-fire tackler.

The senior looks to take over the mantle from Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower and provide the Tide linebacker corps with some stability.

He's a bona fide stud that should be a high draft pick by the time he graduates.

OL Barrett Jones

First-Team All-SEC? Check. 2011 Outland Trophy winner? Check. First Team All-America? Check.

Jones has achieved every accolade a player can garner at his position while arguably being the most important cog in the Alabama offense.

Throughout his illustrious career, he's played literally every position on the offensive line at some point. If that isn't the definition of versatility, then I don't know what is. He truly is the ringleader and tone-setter for the extremely potent Alabama offensive line

Besides his football dexterity, his character and intelligence helps to set him apart. He's a two-time Academic All-American, while graduating with a 4.0 GPA in accounting. The term "student-athlete" is certainly apropos when referring to Jones.

With combining his excellence on and off the gridiron, Jones has cemented his status as one of the top linemen in all of college football.

RB Eddie Lacy

The talented running back looks to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram and star at tailback for the Crimson Tide.

Playing second fiddle to Richardson this past season did not deter Lacy one bit. His game is somewhat similar to Richardson's, except he might lack the top end speed that Trent does.

He's very thickly-built in the lower body which helps him run with great physicality. Lacy is a north-south runner who excels with the mantra of "one cut and explode up the field."

The junior also has a great set of hands that he can utilize out of the backfield on screens and swing passes.

Lacy's talent is undeniable, and he will quickly become one of the most feared athletes in all of the SEC.

S Robert Lester

The Foley, Ala. prospect is one of the best safeties in all of the nation.

Lester is a ball-hawk who displays his immense cerebral nature often. He's a quality athlete when tracking the ball is in the air and often uses his intelligence to put himself in the right position.

He also has great ball skills and often makes plays all over the field.

Lester will not only be a stalwart in the secondary, but also a vocal standout for the entire defense this upcoming year.

QB A.J. McCarron

It's safe to say that McCarron's coming-out party came in the BCS National Championship game win against Louisiana State.

The much maligned quarterback came of age, making smart and calculated decisions against a vaunted LSU defense.

This historic win not only instilled a sense of self-confidence in the young quarterback (that at times has been lacking), but it also helped to validate the trust Coach Nick Saban had in McCarron after naming him the starter at the beginning of the year.

With new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier entering the fray from Washington, one can envision the Crimson Tide opening up the playbook even more next year, allowing McCarron to throw the ball down the field with more regularity.

Last season was a big step in the development of McCarron as a quarterback. He looks to continue that strong form this season.

DB Dee Milliner

The junior has all of the physical tools to be a force from the cornerback position.

At 6'1" 195, he has great size to go along with his crazy athleticism. Coming out of high school, Milliner amassed a huge deal of hype and thus far has yet to truly make his mark.

However with the departures of DeQuan Menzie and Dre Kirkpatrick, he'll slide into a starting spot after playing nickle back this past season.

The sky is the limit for Milliner, and with a starting role, he looks to make the jump as the next great lock-down corner in the Alabama secondary.

LB C.J. Mosley

Mosley has the potential to become one of the best linebackers in all of college football—if he can fully recover from a gruesome dislocated hip injury suffered in the BCS National Championship game

If he comes back 100 percent, watch out. The inside linebacker is easily one of the most talented defensive players on the entire Crimson Tide roster.

As a freshman, he was third on the team in tackles with 67. This past season as a sophomore was his coming out party, in which he imposed his will on numerous opponents.

Barring any injury problems, look for Mosley to be on the short lists for both the Bednarik and Butkus awards.

G Chance Warmack

The Atlanta native is a staple on the extremely talented 'Bama offensive line.

The stout left guard gets great leverage when holding up his blocks. His powerful lower body makes him incredibly hard to keep off balance.

In addition he uses his athleticism to get to the second level and pancake oncoming linebackers and cornerbacks.

Picked as a Second-Team All-SEC performer this past year, Warmack can effectively pull out on running plays and has proven to be more than adequate in space.

The trio of Warmack, Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker help to make up arguably the best offensive line in all of college football.

DL Jesse Williams

If you had the misfortune of strolling down a dark alley late at night, the last person you'd want to run into would be Williams.

It doesn't take a genius to see that the Australian is one physically imposing and intimidating dude.

Williams offers great versatility in the fact that he can play both defensive end and nose tackle in a 3-4 alignment.

He gets off blocks well and rushes the opposing quarterback with great consistency. In addition to his pass-rushing skills, he's very good against stopping the run.

His combination of size (6'4" 320) and speed makes him a very dangerous player up front for SEC opponents.