Derrick Henry Needs to Emerge as Alabama Feature Back During Spring Practice
With spring practice getting underway on March 13, Bleacher Report will break down where Alabama stands at each position group heading in, players to watch and what needs to be done. Next up: the running backs.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For all the yards and terror Derrick Henry has piled up in his first two years in Tuscaloosa, his biggest challenge may still lie in front of him.
Since the 2014 Sugar Bowl, when he finally put it all together for a 100-yard rushing day that included a 63-yard screen pass touchdown against Oklahoma, Henry has been the hammer in Alabama’s rushing attack.
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T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake softened up the defense with their quick and shifty styles. Once the defense was tired, that’s when Henry did his real damage.
In 2015, though, Henry will have to be able to be effective during an entire game, not just the second half. He will be the No. 1 tailback until further notice, a role he hasn’t had to play before in college.
Spring practice is the perfect time for Henry to assume that alpha dog persona in the backfield.
A look at the numbers shows just what kind of a runner Henry is and how effective he was in that role:
| Carries | 86 | 86 |
| Yards | 400 | 590 |
| Yards per carry | 4.65 | 6.86 |
| Carries (Power Five games) | 64 | 80 |
| Yards (Power Five games) | 271 | 531 |
| Yards per carry (Power Five games) | 4.23 | 6.64 |
Henry was a monster in the second half of games, and the discrepancy is apparent in Power Five games, where he wouldn’t just dominate a cupcake team for a half before sitting out.
The problem is that Henry won’t be able to do that as much in 2015. He will, but there is a bigger need for him to be effective over the entire game as a feature back.
The Crimson Tide’s running back rotation looks smaller and smaller by the day. Currently, Alabama has just two active scholarship running backs with in-game carries, one of whom is recovering from a gruesome broken leg.
Kenyan Drake hasn’t given anyone any reason to doubt that he’ll be fully healthy by the fall, but he is a specialty back. He is much better in a spell, home run-hitting role than a volume one.
That likely means, depending on when or if Tyren Jones returns from his suspension, Alabama will need to lean on Henry—especially early in the season as the Crimson Tide’s trio of true freshmen get their feet under them.
It’s not that Henry can’t or won’t be an every-down back. He just hasn’t really had to be one that much.
He had double-digit first-half carries against Ole Miss (10) and Missouri (11), in addition to a 12-carry domination of Western Carolina. His yards per carry, though, didn’t exactly jump off the page in those games—just 1.6 against Ole Miss and 3.5 against Missouri. His most successful Power Five first halves were against West Virginia (7-of-41), Texas A&M (8-of-58) and Ohio State (7-of-56).
Spring practice will be a great time for Henry to grow into that No. 1 role. Right now, he’ll be about all Alabama has in the backfield.
Drake is still recovering from his broken leg, and while the signs are positive, he likely won’t practice with the team during the spring. Jones is currently suspended and won’t be going through drills as it stands.
That leaves Henry’s company in the backfield during the spring at true freshmen Bo Scarbrough and Desherrius Flowers, along with some walk-ons and full backs.
Henry will be the guy, helping the others get back to speed.
His emergence as an every-down back will be key for Alabama’s backfield in 2015. The Crimson Tide don’t otherwise have a back who could regularly carry the load. Henry is the only sure thing on the roster right now.
Spring practice will be a good first step for Henry to be the No. 1 guy.
Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.
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