Alabama Football: Projecting Crimson Tide's Post-Spring 2-Deep Depth Chart
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban is used to getting attention, just not in the way he did over the weekend.
With the University of Alabama holding a special celebration to honor his 10th spring leading the Crimson Tide, his face was just about everywhere. From the game programs professing "A decade of dominance" to the video presentations glorifying his numerous achievements, Saban was celebrated from start to finish.
"This was a really outstanding day for me personally," he said after Saturday's A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which despite the threat of lousy weather drew 76,212 fans.
The head coach gave a special halftime speech, in which he made sure everyone acknowledged his wife Terry. The night before he was honored by many of his former players, who surprised him with numerous gifts of appreciation, including a new golf bag.
"It was really heartfelt for me," Saban said. "But at the same time, it’s exactly what we’re trying to do.
"I drive the bus, but we have a lot of quality people that help the players benefit and create value for themselves."
The coach also got a little extra attention when coaching the scrimmage to close spring practices from the backfield when freshman quarterback Blake Barnett spun behind him while trying to avoid the pass rush. Needless to say, it didn't work very well.
"When there’s a scramble, everybody seems to get attracted to me," Saban joked. "Sometimes when there’s an interception. There seems to be an unusual attraction for players to converge on me. I think it’s intentional to some degree, but as long as I don’t get hurt, I really don’t care. I usually can get out of the way, but I didn’t do a very good job of that today."
As for the rest of the Crimson Tide, our post-spring depth chart is based on how they lined up in the spring game and what might potentially happen over the summer.
Quarterbacks
1 of 10
First team: Cooper Bateman (Jr., 6'3", 224)
Second team: David Cornwell (So., 6'5", 234)
Anyone who says that they have a good idea who will be Alabama's starting quarterback Sept. 3 when the Crimson Tide opens the 2016 season against Southern California at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is fooling themselves, because the coaches don't even know.
The only thing anyone really learned during Alabama's A-Day was that the better the defensive players each quarterback faced, the tougher it was to move the ball. Consequently, true freshman Jalen Hurts had the best passing statistics, slightly ahead of redshirt freshman Blake Barnett.
If Alabama had to play tomorrow, Bateman would almost certainly get the call because he has the most experience, but at this point no one should be ruled out, and nobody should expect a fast decision during training camp.
"There's a lot of competition at quarterback," Saban said.
"The young quarterbacks did a nice job in making some plays. I thought their consistency that they played with was actually a lot better than the actual first team. Just creates more competition and more things for us to evaluate."
Running Backs
2 of 10
First team: Bo Scarbrough (So., 6'2", 230)
Second team: Damien Harris (So., 5'11", 214)
After being relegated to the second team for Alabama's A-Day, Harris showed he's not ready to give up on the starting job and was named game MVP after taking 20 carries for 114 yards. It should be noted, though, that he got many of those yards running back guard Alphonse Taylor, who was a starter last season.
"Damien Harris had a really nice day, looked quick and explosive and did a nice job," Saban said.
While fans can't wait to see what Scarbrough might do against opposing teams, maybe the Crimson Tide's biggest concern heading into training camp is the lack of depth at the position.
Alabama's only other scholarship running back on the roster this spring, Ronnie Clark, suffered an Achilles injury and is out for the season. He tore his other Achilles tendon as a true freshman in 2014.
Incoming freshmen B.J. Emmons and Joshua Jacobs can't get on campus fast enough.
Wide Receivers
3 of 10
First team: Robert Foster (Jr., 6'2", 191), Calvin Ridley (So., 6'1", 188) and ArDarius Stewart (Jr., 6'1", 204)
Second team: Raheem Falkins (Sr., 6'4", 202)/Gehrig Dieter (Sr., 6'3", 207), Derek Kief (So., 6'4", 200) and Cam Sims (Jr., 6'5", 206)
Although it didn't really show on A-Day, if there's one position group Alabama fans aren't worried about, it's wide receiver.
Alabama has a 1,000-yard player coming back (Ridley), a veteran who was right behind him with 700 yards (Stewart) and the player who was poised to have a breakout season in 2015 only to suffer a shoulder injury (Foster).
For the first time in years the Crimson Tide will be truly three deep at the three receiver spots.
“It’s a constant competition," Stewart said. "No one’s spot is safe."
The only wide receiver the Crimson Tide lost off the 2015 team was Richard Mullaney, a graduate transfer who helped bridge the gap to this year's team. Over the summer it will add graduate transfer Dieter, a 1,000-yard receiver at Bowling Green.
Two other players to keep in mind are sophomores Daylon Charlot and Xavian Marks, helping lead to a full receiving corps.
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Tight Ends
4 of 10
First team: O.J. Howard (Sr., 6'6", 242)
Second team: Hale Hentges (So., 6'5", 256)
Alabama uses a lot of two-tight-end sets, so Hentges will make starts as well, but the big question is how much more will offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin get Howard the ball after he had five catches for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson in the CFP National Championship Game.
Those were his only two touchdowns of the season, as he had 33 catches for 394 yards during the first 14 games of 2015.
The group has developed enough depth that the coaching staff felt comfortable moving Dakota Ball back to the defensive line, and early enrollee Miller Forristall was a surprise on A-Day by making eight receptions for 53 yards.
"Hale is advanced," senior Brandon Greene said. "He really learns really fast, catches on really fast. Sometimes I find him teaching me stuff in the passing game, him and O.J.
"Miller is coming along man, he's learning fast, too."
Offensive Line
5 of 10
First team: LT Cam Robinson (Jr., 6'6", 327), LG Lester Cotton (So., 6'4", 319), C Ross Pierschbacher (So. 6'4", 304), RG Alphonse Taylor (Sr., 6'5", 345), RT Jonah Williams (Fr., 6'5" 288)
Second team: LT Bradley Bozeman (Jr., 6'5", 312), LG Dallas Warmack (So., 6'2", 299), C J.C. Hassenauer (Jr., 6'2" 297)/Josh Casher (So., 6'1", 284), RG Brandon Kennedy (Fr., 6'3", 302), RT Korren Kirven (Sr., 6'4", 308)
Alabama's offensive line on A-Day bore little resemblance to what it might look like during the regular season.
With Robinson held out after having shoulder surgery, the coaches got to experiment a little while trying to find the best potential combination. Pierschbacher successfully moving from left guard to center opened up even more possibilities while Taylor was demoted for the spring.
"He’s gonna continue to be on the second team if he doesn’t get his weight down and get in shape," Saban said.
Look for the competition at right tackle to continue between Kirven and Williams, while Bozeman could be the unit's sixth man, as he's now lined up at every position.
"I don’t think it’s fair to make the assumption that this is the first-team offensive line," Saban said after A-Day. "Lester Cotton would have probably played right tackle better than the right tackle today, but we’re trying to develop him as a guard because that’s where we think he’s going to end up playing next year."
Defensive Line
6 of 10
First team: Jonathan Allen (Sr., 6'3", 294), Da’Ron Payne (So. 6'2", 319), Dalvin Tomlinson (Sr., 6'3", 307)
Second team: Da’Shawn Hand (Jr., 6'4", 278), Josh Frazier (Jr., 6'4", 315), O.J. Smith (So., 6'2", 315)/Dakota Ball (Sr., 6'3", 268)
Midway through the spring the defensive line was looking extremely thin with Allen held out after having shoulder surgery, Hand dealing with back spasms, Tomlinson missing a day due to being under the weather and Ball in a no-contact jersey due to a foot injury.
It made clear just much of a luxury Alabama had with its depth last year.
Even though there have been numerous departures from the powerful 2015 defensive line, including A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed, the Crimson Tide might see little if any drop-off from the unit. Allen and Tomlinson are the clear leaders, while Payne and Hand are poised to step in and fill bigger roles.
"He is always critiquing people on the field making sure the younger guys have their technique down," Tomlinson said about Allen this spring. "He even critiques me and helps me out every now and again. I think he has taken a good leadership role even though he is not practicing with us right now, he is still critiquing everyone and making everyone’s technique is good."
Linebackers
7 of 10
First team: OLB Ryan Anderson (Sr., 6'2", 253), ILB Reuben Foster (Sr., 6'1", 240), ILB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Jr., 6'0", 232), OLB Tim Williams (Sr., 6'4", 237)
Second team: OLB Christian Miller (So., 6'4", 230), ILB Keith Holcombe (So., 6'4", 227), ILB Rashaan Evans (Jr., 6'3", 230), OLB Anfernee Jennings (So., 6'3", 268).
Where to begin?
Foster has taken over in the middle, Anderson is poised to fill a leadership void and Williams appears ready to go from being a pass-rushing force to an every-down terror.
Meanwhile, Alabama moved Evans to interior linebacker to help try to get him more playing time. It'll be interesting to see if coaches have him split time with Hamilton or use him in numerous roles sort of like Dillon Lee last season.
Even though he's still learning his new position, Evans was in on an amazing 17 tackles on A-Day while no one else had more than seven. He also did so when his interior partner on the second team, Holcombe, who is also playing baseball this spring, was sidelined due to what Saban called a "slight concussion."
“I really just want to make improvements, stay in the playbook and make some gains and weight," he said. "Whatever I can do to contribute to the team basically. I am just going to take this lesson that I’ve learned in the spring and some of the little things that I’ve learned and just kind of build off of it and get ready for the fall.”
Two players who made strides and were both credited with three sacks on A-Day were Miller and Jennings.
"Anfernee Jennings probably has improved as much as anybody over the course of this spring practice," Saban said. "He has the opportunity because last year he was hurt. He missed part of the season. When he came back he was just a part of the scout team. So he was starting at pretty much ground zero in terms of his knowledge."
Secondary
8 of 10
First team: CB Marlon Humphrey (So., 6'1", 198), CB Minkah Fitzpatrick (So., 6'1", 200), S Eddie Jackson (Sr., 6'0", 194), S Ronnie Harrison (So., 6'3", 216)
Second team: CB Tony Brown (Jr., 6'0", 195), CB Anthony Averett (Jr., 6'0", 180), S Laurence "Hootie" Jones (Jr., 6'2", 214), S Maurice Smith (Sr., 6'0", 195)
Despite some depth concerns at cornerback, the secondary appears like it could be a real strength in 2016. As expected, Fitzpatrick stepped in at cornerback after being the fifth defensive back in the nickel formation last season, what Saban calls "star," and Harrison made the game-saving interception in the end zone during A-Day.
Improving the group's overall skill set was top priority this spring. With Brown facing a suspension, coaches made sure Smith was ready to play not only at star, but both safety and cornerback as well. Both players can now play essentially anywhere in secondary.
"It might be at safety one down and corner the next," Smith said.
"It’s one thing to know it, but it’s another thing to understand it. And this makes it better for me as a player, and it also helps me help the team. Wherever they need me. If somebody goes down, I can go to any position in the secondary, nickel, dime, whatever it is.”
Kickers and Punters
9 of 10
Kicker: Adam Griffith (Sr., 5'10", 193)
Punter: JK Scott (Jr., 6'5", 198)
Alabama was looking to add a kicker with this past recruiting class, only to see two prospects flip to other schools. Nevertheless, Griffith will have some competition with Andy Pappanastos coming in as a graduate transfer from Ole Miss.
Meanwhile, Scott is looking to make another run at the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation's best punter, after being a finalist in 2014.
Neither got off to the best start last season, and Griffith missed his first four field goals during A-Day, so consistency will be the catch phrase for both moving forward.
"Spring, as coach always says, is huge for personal improvement," Scott said. "I'm trying to do a lot of things, I'm trying new things, doing a lot of like performance training, stuff like that, just getting better right now. Just kind of like everybody else."
Also of note, senior Cole Mazza is back for his fourth year at long snapper, and Bateman was the holder for the past two seasons.
Return Specialists
10 of 10
First team: Calvin Ridley and Xavian Marks (So., 5'8", 163)
Second team: ArDarius Stewart
Considering the Crimson Tide's depth concerns at running back and cornerback, the team almost has to look elsewhere for its return specialists after running back Kenyan Drake was the primary kick returner and Cyrus Jones handled punt returns in 2015.
A few days after Saban said Ridley and Marks had done the best returning kicks and punts throughout most of the spring, Stewart ended up fielding the opening kickoff on A-Day. The Crimson Tide has some options at the returner spots, so don't expect anything to be settled for a while, but the player to watch may be Marks.
After making the move from running back to wide receiver, he had an impressive spring and showed off the one thing that can't be coached, speed.
"He has made a tremendous amount of progress, and I think will contribute to our team in those roles next year," Saban said.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.
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