Malcolm Brown and Isaiah Crowell: Which Running Back Picks Alabama?

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) ESPN says that Isaiah Crowell from Georgia is the best running back prospect in the nation; Rivals says that it is Malcolm Brown of Texas who is the best running back prospect. The only thing that all major services agree on is that both have the Crimson Tide high on their list of schools. In fact, they have them in the top two.

And that in itself creates a problem.

Could one be waiting out the other to see what school they pick? Would both pick Alabama and go head-to-head for playing time? If one picks Alabama first publicly, will that alter the decision of the other? Do both have the guts to fight it out at the same school?

Such things are at this stage of recruiting impossible to determine.

Most experts say that Brown is a 50-50 shot for Alabama over Texas at this point and that Crowell may be a slight lean to Alabama over Georgia, who led early.

Alabama signing either one of these backs would assure it a top position in the final drafting wars; landing both would clearly make them No. 1.

And if you look at Alabama's commitment list, you'll notice that they haven't yet sewn up a big name running back yet, so landing one or both of these commitments would be important to them.

Though both are super backs, they are different in their style of playing.

Crowell is a smallish brute of a back capable of getting the same kind of yards after contact for which Alabama's Ingram is so famous. At 5'11" and around 212 pounds, he sort of resembles Ingram as well.

He can hit full steam by his forth step and can take any play to the house with a good second gear. He runs through gaps low and is hard to get a hit on. In high school he platooned and never had to carry the offense on his back, so his stamina at this point is questionable.

Brown is 6'0" and about 210 lbs as well. Brown is a more physical type of runner who can carry the ball 25-30 times a game and get all those tough yards. He is a North-South running back, best suited to the type of offense that Alabama runs.

While not the breakaway threat that Crowell is, Brown is strong and not easy to bring down. He can drag tacklers that extra yard or two for critical first downs.

The fact that these two are arguably the best two backs in America for next year's college teams, and that both are considering Alabama, says much about the program at Alabama and the success of Saban and company in outside-the-state recruiting.

Should Alabama land these two running backs, the debate in future years will not be which school has the best running backs, but which Alabama back will contend for a Heisman?