Alabama Football: Why WR Robert Foster Will Break out in 2015

One look at the Alabama offensive depth chart, and you'll see plenty of unfamiliar players who probably seem more like myths from signing classes past than bona fide superstars.

That will change as the season progresses, as some of those players will break out and become impact players for the Crimson Tide.

Robert Foster is one of those unfamiliar names who will explode onto the scene in 2015.

The former 5-star prospect in the class of 2013 has been in Tuscaloosa for a while, biding his time behind stars such as Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White and waiting for his time to shine. The door is finally open thanks to massive roster turnover at the wide receiver position, and the 6'2" 194-pounder will not only walk through but also kick the whole thing down.

Foster isn't exactly a clone of Cooper, but he's close.

He has tremendous ball skills, is incredibly agile (especially for a taller wide receiver) and has the same kind of ability to create big plays after the catch. As Matt Zenitz of AL.com noted last month, he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash in spring testing, which makes him the fastest Crimson Tide receiver and the fourth-fastest player on the team.

Rec.	Yds	YPC	TDs
6	44	7.33	0

We saw glimpses of this in the spring game when Foster—who was named co-offensive MVP with fellow receiver ArDarius Stewart—caught six passes for 125 yards for the first-team offense. 

"I was very pleased with the way our two young receivers played today," head coach Nick Saban said in quotes released by Alabama. "They both made plays, they both played with confidence."

As Bama Sports Radio on VSporto noted when the show tabbed Foster as the No. 2 breakout candidate on the Crimson Tide, it appears that the Monaca, Pennsylvania, native is putting it all together.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

What's more, Foster is apparently doing everything right off the field from a preparation standpoint—which might be a departure from the norm.

According to his high school coach, Mark Lyons, per Matt Zenitz of AL.com, the redshirt sophomore has taken a more professional approach to the offseason:

"

I think his overall approach is different. I know he's developed physically. But I think the key to Robert was him developing mentally and maturing. And not that he was doing stupid things. It was just understanding the importance of activities outside of the football field. I'm talking film room, meeting room, getting together with your quarterback, getting together with your position coach.

"

Plus, he's in a situation on this year's Crimson Tide offense that's perfect for him to break out and become a star.

With nine new starters on the offensive side of the ball and the top three receivers from last year gone, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has to find a go-to receiver who can stabilize the offense and keep defenses off running backs Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake.

Just like last year, he has to do that with a new starting quarterback.

Preparation, meet opportunity.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

This year's offense won't look exactly like last year's, and it's unlikely that any receiver in crimson and white will catch 124 passes like Cooper did, but it will resemble it in a lot of ways, with Foster and Stewart likely joining forces to create the same stability.

If that happens and there's another "1B" option alongside Foster, it will open things up for him and let his 4.4 speed shine through.

That sounds like a recipe for downfield passing success and one that will vault Foster into stardom sooner rather than later.

Foster isn't going to be Cooper, nor should that be expected. He can, however, resemble him quite often, provide the same kind of impact as the former Heisman Trophy finalist and help the Alabama offense take the next step in Year 2 under Kiffin.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.