Alabama Football: Top 10 Players for the 2012 Season

If you had to pick one player on the Alabama Crimson Tide 2012 roster that was the most important, who would it be? Alabama is of course a defensive team, but with the depth on that side of the ball, you could argue the most important player would be on the offensive side of the ball.

Alabama returns 12 starters, including seven on offense. Some players are more important than others as there are some members of this defending championship team that simply cannot be replaced. With many players leaving due to graduation or the next level, there are several players that will have to take that next step in their career.

As we inch that much closer to September, here are the top 10 most important players for the 2012 season.

10. Nose Tackle: Jesse Williams

Jesse Williams did not start playing football until he was 15 years old, as he is originally from Australia. You really couldn't tell as he started all 12 games for Alabama last season, and spent time at both the defensive end and tackle position. He finished with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries.

With a full year under his belt, I expect to see even bigger things for Williams this season. He has both the speed and the size at 6'4", 320 pounds to really take his game to the next level and become one of the better linemen in the conference.

9. Running Back: Demetrius Hart

The starting running back for this team is without question Eddie Lacy, but the player Alabama fans should be most excited about is Demetrius Hart. He is a player that is coming off of a torn ACL, but when he is healthy, there are very few players that can match his speed.

Hart is somebody who can stretch the field and make life easier for everyone else. He is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the football. It is not clear how many times he will touch the football this season, or if he is even completely healthy, but when he gets going, watch out.

You can never have enough explosive players on offense, and that's exactly what Hart is at the running back position.

8. Cornerback: Dee Milliner

Cornerback Dee Milliner had a lot of hype coming into the season as a true freshman in 2010. He started all 13 games and finished with 55 tackles, four tackles for loss and seven passes broken up. Then, when corners DeQuan Menzie and Dre Kirkpatrick stepped up, Milliner and his play making abilities were put on the back burner. Last season he only started six games, racking up 27 tackles and intercepting three passes.

Now that Kirkpatrick and Menzie are no longer on the roster, Milliner becomes the most experienced and talented corner Alabama has to offer. With all of the losses in the defensive backfield, it is critical that Milliner can pick up where he left off and become that lockdown corner he showed he can be in 2010.

7. Right Tackle: D.J. Fluker

D.J. Fluker is one of the more physical offensive linemen in college football and will play a huge part in this talented offensive line. He was a top recruit coming out of the 2009 class and hasn't disappointed anyone since he stepped on the Alabama campus. He started nine games his true freshman season and kept his right tackle position last year, starting all 12 games.

Fluker is massive at 6'7", 335 pounds and should end up having an even more productive year for the Crimson Tide. 

6. The Kicker

The kicking position may still be up for grabs in a three way battle between Cade Foster, Jeremy Shelley and true freshman Adam Griffith. Whoever ends up winning the battle must be better than last year’s performances, where Alabama only made 63.9 percent of its kicks, which was eighth in the SEC.

Missed field goals are the reason the Crimson Tide didn't finish with an undefeated season, and similar performances could cost them a chance to repeat. We have seen so many times where a game is decided on a kicker’s leg, it is important to have a reliable one.

The kicker position may not get much love, but in close games in the SEC, it is worth mentioning.

5. Linebacker: Nico Johnson

Linebacker is the position that is the biggest question mark heading into the season for the Crimson Tide. Nico Johnson is the most talented and most experienced out of all the remaining players at the positions and will be the leader of this unit. 

Johnson was often overshadowed by players like Dont'a Hightower and C.J. Mosley, but losing Hightower to the NFL, it is now Johnson's time to shine. He has been a consistent player from the moment he stepped on campus and should be considered one of the better middle linebackers in the entire country.

With questions at the outside linebacker positions, Johnson is that much more valuable to this defense.

4. Running Back: Eddie Lacy

Eddie Lacy is ready to become the premier back and replace a workhorse in Trent Richardson, who we soon will see run on Sundays. Lacy has averaged over seven yards a carry in his first two seasons and has shown he can be a full-time running back.

At 6'1", 222 pounds, he has the size to take a beating, but has that burst to get away from defenders and run for big plays. The only issue I have with him is the fact he does get dinged up quite a bit. But if he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for this back and the Crimson Tide running game.

There is solid depth at the running back position, but Lacy is without question the most experienced back heading into the 2012 season.

3. Safety: Robert Lester

Alabama lost several key contributors on the defensive side of the ball due to graduation and players leaving for the NFL a year early. The good news is that safety Robert Lester returns and he will be the leader in this defensive backfield.

He finished last season with 39 tackles, one-and-a-half tackles for loss and two interceptions. He is an athletic safety, who has a knack for making the big play and seems to be in on the action no matter where the ball is. Lester should end up having his biggest season yet in his career and will be a key factor on defense this season.

2. Quarterback: AJ McCarron

It took McCarron several games to get in the swing of things during his first year as a starter, but he eventually began picking up confidence and showed that he has what it takes to lead this football team. In last year's national championship victory, Alabama's quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes and threw for 234 yards (keep in mind that was against one of the top defenses in the country in the LSU Tigers).

McCarron should have more leeway heading into his junior season, and if he can play like he did in the championship game more often, Alabama will be extremely tough to beat this year. With the lack of depth at quarterback, McCarron is more valuable than ever to this football team and the offensive success.

1. Center: Barrett Jones

Alabama may have the best offensive line in the country heading into the regular season, but it is Barret Jones who is the best offensive lineman on the team. He is the most experienced lineman and is the leader of the bunch as well. But it is his versatility that makes him the most valuable piece to this team.

Jones played guard his first two seasons at Alabama, played left tackle last season and will be this year's starting center. Having somebody this good who can play many different positions if needed, is the definition of most important player on the team.

Jones was a unanimous first-team All-American and the Outland Trophy winner last season.