Alabama Football: Will Eddie Lacy Be Tide's Next Elite Running Back?

High expectations are nothing new for any player that is granted the privilege to suit up for the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturdays in the fall.  

However, for junior running back Eddie Lacy, the bar may be set at a level that seems above the sky.  

With all due respect to Baylor quarterback Nick Florence (who will replace Heisman winner Robert Griffin III), there may not be another player in the country who has bigger shoes to fill than Lacy.  

His job this season is to replace a pair of legendary predecessors—Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson—while carrying on the tradition of bruising and explosive Tide ground-pounders that bully their opponents into submission.  

Lacy—a former 4-star recruit—has flashed his immense talent in his limited playing time since enrolling at Alabama in 2009.  

In his first two years in Tuscaloosa serving as an apprentice to Ingram and Richardson, Lacy has amassed an impressive 1,080 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and averaging over seven yards per carry.  

Last season, facing a stubborn Mississippi State squad in Starkville, it was Lacy that stepped up to deliver the knockout blow finishing with 11 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-7 victory.  

However, Lacy must make the jump from supporting actor into the lead role—one that has seen former teammates Ingram (2009 Heisman Trophy Winner) and Richardson (2010 Doak Walker Award Winner) stampede their way into stardom as the Tide’s feature back.     

The Geismar, La. native will have a heavy burden to carry on his broad and bulky 6'0", 220-pound frame, but with expectation comes opportunity. 

Ingram was a first-round draft choice in the 2011 NFL draft, and Richardson is widely considered the top running back prospect in April’s upcoming draft.  

With an experienced offensive line paving the way—three of the starting five from 2011 will return—Lacy will certainly have every chance to put up the eye-catching numbers that earned his former teammates a laundry list of postseason accolades.  

With quarterback A.J. McCarron having to break in a new group of wide receivers, Lacy enters 2012 as the team’s most seasoned and explosive playmaker.  

Add the fact that Alabama’s offensive identity since Nick Saban has arrived is built around a punishing ground assault, and all signs seemingly point to a breakout campaign for Lacy this fall.  

Once again, the SEC will be loaded with a stable of talented running backs in 2012, led by Knile Davis of Arkansas, Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina and Isiaiah Crowell of Georgia.  

That trio will likely dominate the preseason All-SEC lists, but don’t be surprised to see Lacy’s name figure prominently into that discussion in December.

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