The Alabama Crimson Tide have been a force since head coach Nick Saban took over the program but following last year’s disappointment in the inaugural College Football Playoff and a quiet offseason, there were some major question marks about this year’s team.
The turnover at Alabama created plenty of uncertainty but the Crimson Tide opened the year with a banner win over Wisconsin that has silenced some of the team’s critics.
While they still have a tough road in the SEC, the potential is there for them to be a national title contender once again thanks to a new set of faces that are ready to thrive.
Derrick Henry
Running Back
The most impressive performance for the Tide in Week 1 undoubtedly belonged to the junior running back Henry, who averaged 11.3 yards per carry while running for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Henry ran with a rare combination of speed and power that made him almost impossible to bring down on the first tackle.
The coaching staff raved about his performance after the game as cut through a rugged Wisconsin defense rather easily. Henry also caught two passes for 12 yards and even more importantly, made some huge blocks in passing sets that made him look like an extra lineman on the field. The Tide are thrilled with what they have at the running back position with him and Kenyan Drake, and as long as Henry stays healthy, he could be a dark horse Heisman contender out of the SEC.
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Jake Coker
Quarterback
The Tide said goodbye to the programs’ single-season passing record holder in Blake Sims and handed the job to senior Jake Coker with the hope that he could step up this season and deliver on his immense potential.
He was a disappointment last season but looked good for Alabama in the opener, completing 15-of-21 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown despite some early communication problems with the coaches on the sideline. Backup Cooper Batemen came in to finish the game and completed seven-of-eight passes for 51 yards to make Alabama feel a little more comfortable with its overall outlook at the position but Coker emerged as a competent No. 1 man and that’s what Alabama wanted to see.
The team will need him to continue to develop in to a star to make some noise on the national stage this season.
Robert Foster
Receiver
Alabama also lost its top three receivers from last season, including NFL first round pick Amari Cooper and there was no doubt that would make the situation even tougher as they brought a new quarterback into the fold.
The Tide spread the ball around against Wisconsin but the former high school All-American Foster had the strongest game of the receivers with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Foster is still somewhat raw as a sophomore but he has all of the tools to become a star at 6’2’’, 194 pounds and with an excellent combination of speed, athleticism and pass-catching ability, he should grow into one of the top receivers in the SEC.
Alabama will need him to emerge as a star in order to help Coker develop – especially once they start to get into the meat of their conference schedule.
Eddie Jackson
Cornerback
The strength of the Alabama defense is in its front-seven but a secondary that was far too inconsistent last season simply has to be better in order to succeed this season. The coaching staff had to be happy with the way it performed against Wisconsin including Jackson in particular.
The junior cornerback registered six tackles and an interception in the Tide win but keep in mind that they were facing Wisconsin – a team that’s run-first and weak in the area of passing. It will be very interesting to see how he performs next week against Middle Tennessee as the Tide secondary continues to come together with Jackson a quality talent that has the potential to play a starring role.
