Alabama Football: Crimson Tide Will Replace Amari Cooper by Committee in 2015

With spring practice getting under way 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 wide receivers.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — You don’t just replace Amari Cooper.

A Biletnikoff Award, 124 catches, 1,727 yards, 16 touchdowns and just about every receiving record in the Crimson Tide record book don’t just appear out of nowhere, ready to be plugged in when someone such as Cooper leaves.

Alabama doesn’t have anyone on its roster right now who can do what Cooper did in 2014 and during his Crimson Tide career.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

But that’s OK. No one does.

So where does the Alabama receiving corps go now that it has lost last season's No. 1, 2 and 3 options?

All hope is not lost. Not in the least. The Crimson Tide have plenty of talented receivers on their roster. But none of them have much significant playing experience.

Alabama will use a committee approach this year. As a unit, Alabama’s receivers should be just as strong. But there will never be another Cooper.

Last year, Cooper just about did it all.

Cooper’s 124 receptions accounted for almost 43 percent of the offense’s catches last year. He contributed 44 percent of Alabama’s receiving yards and an even 50 percent of the receiving touchdowns.

And Alabama will be losing a lot more than Cooper at receiver. The Crimson Tide are also losing their next two top pass-catchers from last year in Christion Jones in DeAndrew White. The top returning wide receiver is Chris Black, who totaled 15 catches, 188 yards and no touchdowns.

TideSports.com’s D.C. Reeves looked at Alabama’s returning receivers as a percentage of targets in SEC play, and the numbers weren’t any prettier:

Simply put, somebody will need to step up.

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Black will get a good look to be a regular receiver in 2015. He was part of the same recruiting class as Cooper, actually rating a little higher than his Florida counterpart. At 5’11”, 186 pounds, he’ll likely play more in the slot than on the outside.

Cam Sims was another promising receiver last year, appearing in all but two games last season as a true freshman. He didn’t put up the stats that jump out but was used frequently as a blocker in run situations. He had the second-highest snap count among returning receivers, per Reeves:

ArDarius Stewart is the third safe bet to get some regular playing time this year. The redshirt freshman speedster played in all but one game and even earned back-to-back starts late in the season. He’s a burner, to be sure, and saw several downfield targets this last year.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

There is more talent to be had at receiver behind those three.

Robert Foster, a former 5-star, will be a redshirt sophomore and is seemingly due for a breakout year. Raheem Falkins could be a good, tall target at 6'4" as well. Alabama also just signed Calvin Ridley, the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2015 class.

Lane Kiffin and the Alabama offense will have plenty of options next season. None of them will be Cooper, but none of them will have to be.

Alabama's passing attack should be much more spread out in 2015, and the team has built up a deep pool of weapons to accommodate that.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.