Alabama Football: 10 Most Underrated Players

The Alabama Crimson Tide is a team blooming with high-caliber talent, but for every player in the spotlight, there are two more creeping in the shadows, ready to strike down opponents.

From front to back, top to bottom, the team is stacked with football prowess, but there are so many players that don't get the credit they deserve.  

Here are my picks for the top 10 most underrated Crimson Tide players, with the first nine being in no particular order.

Ed Stinson, Sophomore, Defensive End, 6'4", 280 Lbs.

Ed Stinson is a lineman that gets some playing time in the rotation, but he's made the most of his time.

He's not as big as Nick Saban likes his defensive ends, but he's got enough muscle to throw his weight around.

In very limited playing time, he's racked up five tackles for loss this year.  

He also does a great job keeping his eye on the quarterback when he can't get there, and often tries to bat the ball down.  

Chance Warmack, Junior, Left Guard, 6'3", 320 Lbs.

Barrett Jones is the star on the offensive line, but it's easy to overlook his top wingman.

Chance Warmack is on his way to being a third-year starter in 2012, and he's more than earned his place.

His 2010 campaign was a bit rocky, but since 2011 started, he has become one of the premier run-blockers in the league.  

Trent Richardson makes his money between the tackles, and running behind Warmack is a good chance to hit pay-dirt.  

Brad Smelley, Senior, Tight End, 6'3", 230 Lbs.

Michael Williams is the enormous 6'6", 270 lb. tight end, but it is Brad Smelley who does most of the dirty work as the H-back.  

Williams is also the guy that people talk about when it comes to tight ends in the Tide passing game, but Smelley has been the guy with the soft hands.

Smelley has hauled in 17 passes compared to Williams' 12.  

Smelley is fast enough to keep up with Tide rushers and receivers, throwing blocks with the best of them.  

Darius Hanks, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6'0

Darius Hanks may not have been as productive as Marquis Maze in the passing game, but he's done his part.

While Maze is used as a weapon to get separation from opponents, Hanks is used to dive head first into them.  

For three years now, Hanks has been the guy the Tide quarterbacks have gone to in short yardage passing situations through the middle.

Hanks is tough, and he has to be because the kind of catches he makes are often followed by brutal hits from safeties.  

When Darius out for almost the entire game against Mississippi State, Marquis Maze had no reliable distraction, and the defenders really put him on the ropes.

Jeremy Shelley, Junior, Kicker, 5'10", 165 Lbs.

Jeremy Shelley may have a noodle for a leg, but up until the past couple of weeks, he's been pretty darn accurate. 

If the other kicker, Cade Foster, could hit the broad side of a barn, then Shelley wouldn't be on the field at all, even for short field goals and extra points.  

Even after his dry-streak, Shelley has over a 76 percent success rate with field goals, and has hit 42 of 43 extra points.  

Vinnie Sunseri, Freshman, Safety, 6'0", 217 Lbs.

Vinnie has been a solid force on special teams all year, with solid contributions during regular downs.  

His ability to get to the ball carrier on returns as been nearly unrivaled, and his throws some of the most spectacular blocks you'll see in the high-speed return game.  

Vinnie Sunseri has the kind of feel for the game that could make him a legend.

No. 1 safety recruit Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix was projected to be the starter come 2012, but I'm liking Vinnie a bit more.  

Trey DePriest, Freshman, Linebacker, 6'2", 242 Lbs.

Like Vinnie, Trey DePriest has been making a name for himself on special teams. You'd be hard-pressed to find a harder tackler in the return game.

He's big, fast and has all the parts to become the Crimson Tide's next No. 1 linebacker.  

He has been much more productive than his linebacker classmate, Brent Calloway, and Trey wasn't caught smoking the herb.  

He may be a bit underrated right now, but he'll be a star in 2012.

Jerrell Harris, Senior, Linebacker, 6'3", 242 Lbs.

Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw have been the stars of the Alabama linebacker corps, which makes it very hard for Jerrell Harris to get some respect.

Harris, however, has been about as solid as you could ask for as the Tide's "other" linebacker. 

Jerrell is one of the Tide's quicker linebackers and is a solid force in the passing game. His stats wont pop out at you, but that just means the ball isn't being thrown his way, right?

DeQuan Menzie, Senior, Cornerback, 6'0", 198 Lbs.

DeQuan Menzie has been hot and cold this season, but he gets attacked by opposing quarterbacks much more than he should.

Dre Kirkpatrick's notoriety has steered quarterbacks away from him, and Menzie is target.  

He is rumored to be the Tide's best shut-down corner, and he's been doing a great job. 

When the ball does come his way, he's been spectacular at stopping it, and leads the team with 10 passes broken up.  

He's filled the void that Javier Arenas left as the Tide's most versatile cornerback, often used as a blitzer.  

Nick Gentry, Senior, Defensive Tackle, 6'1", 284 Lbs.

While the other nine players were not placed in any order, Nick Gentry gets my vote as the most underrated player in a crimson jersey.

I'll say right now that he is the Tide's best pass-rusher. Bear with me before you laugh.

Gentry spells nose guard Josh Chapman in passing situations, and from the middle of the defensive line it can be very challenging—almost impossible—to get to the quarterback, especially in a 3-4 defense where double-teams are all too common.  

Nick has overcome his short, undersized stature and bulldozed past defenders with finesse that a man with a paunch as large as his shouldn't have.  

In a scheme that favors linebackers when it comes to making the tackle, Gentry has tallied 3.5 sacks, five tackles for losses, three quarterback hurries and has more solo tackles than Josh Chapman.  

He is Alabama's best pass-rushing lineman, and at the very worst, he provides a big distraction for Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower. That is what also makes him the Tide's best pass-rusher.

He may not get the numbers that the other guys do, but he is hands-down the Tide's most underrated player.