2010 Statistics

QUARTERBACK  
Let the race begin! The most anticipated off-season battle in maybe all of college football will take place in Tuscaloosa...behind center. Who replaces Greg McElroy, a national championship quarterback with 27 starts under his belt? The decision will come down to either A.J. McCarron, a U.S. Army All-American local product out of Mobile or Phillip Sims, the nation's No. 1 rated high school quarterback of 2009 according to SuperPrep magazine. Sims finished his high school career as the state of Virginia's career leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. McCarron has one more year of experience and is the only signal caller on the roster to have thrown a collegiate pass, albeit as a backup. Two passing talents such as this are rarely found on any campus at the same time. Coach Saban has told the press this race has no definitive timetable and will likely continue well into August practice, if not beyond that point. The hunch is that the one who makes the least amount of mistakes will see the field first, this is the calling card of the man required to operate a Bama team from behind center. New stand out recruit Phillip Ely out of Tampa Plant HS has enrolled early this spring to get in some quick experience. It's hard to imagine a true freshman stealing this spotlight for now barring injuries. Redshirt freshman Blake Sims has also moved to quarterback for the spring after spending last year at running back.

RUNNING BACK  
Trent Richardson is No. 1. After two years of running in the shadow of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, who decided to skip out early for the NFL, Richardson is now in a position to demonstrate why he was one of the most decorated players in Alabama's recruiting class of 2009. His frame (see photo), power and quick up field cut are an ideal fit for what Alabama has built their running game around. He is more than capable of handling the star role. The function this position plays in the Bama offense is immense and the Tide is in good hands. One of the other bigger question marks for this offense is who plays the back up role here. Eddie Lacy looks like the early prime candidate to spell Richardson when needed. His 7.2 yards per carry last fall looks impressive, but those numbers were not built with the game on the line. He too has a nice combination of size and speed, which makes him an effective compliment. Next in line could be either 240-pound punisher Jalston Fowler who excels at blocking or incoming five star recruit Dee Hart who has already enrolled in time for spring. At 187 pounds, Hart may not be quite ready yet to be that power back in the SEC Alabama likes to utilize, but the Orlando freshman's day is gonna come sooner than later.

RECEIVER  
The really bad news is that one of the best receivers in the history of Alabama football has moved on. Julio Jones represents the biggest void on this entire roster. He ranks at the top or close to every school receiving record and did it in just three years. The top guns will be Darius Hanks and Marquis Maze. Both of these seniors have seen extensive action in their college career and combined for 70 receptions for over 1000 yards last fall. Maze has proven to be a quality deep threat with shifty abilities. He also doubles as the teams top punt returner. Hanks may not be as nimble in comparison, but does possess a reliable set of hands. The rest of the group has yet to be recognized. One of these inexperienced receivers will have to emerge as a third option for this offense to make bigger strides. Brandon Gibson, Kenny Bell and Kevin Norwood saw limited time on the field in 2010. Between them they managed just nine receptions. Gibson has made contributions on special teams but after four years in the program has not yet been able to demonstrate why the Mobile native was one of the best players in the state coming out of high school. Behind them are about four to five players that could find their way into a back up role, but none have shown an ability to be counted on in the starting rotation.

TIGHT END  
Gone is Preston Dial who posted the best receiving numbers of his career last season. His leadership services will be missed. Three tight ends are back however with some game experience in Michael Williams, Brad Smelley and Chris Underwood. None have earned full-time starting duty or has seen the rigors a weekly SEC schedule can demand. The best blocker is considered to be Williams while Smelley tends to be found open more in the passing game. The competition here will be tight, which is a good concept for this offense. Will Alabama use more of the blocking/receiving two tight end sets of the past or utilize more of the three receiver formations? Should the latter be the case, the competition for playing time will get much more intense.

OFFENSIVE LINE  
Alabama welcomes back four starters to the front line. This will be an extremely important aspect for this 2011 squad as the skill positions go through a reloading phase. The top blocker is Barrett Jones, one of the top interior linemen in all of college football. Center William Vlachos is not far behind in talent or award recognition. Combined with full-time starter Chance Warmack the middle of this interior appears to be stout. Right tackle appears to be in good hands as well. At 6'6 and 330 pounds, D.J. Fluker is the biggest man on the roster and displayed solid potential as a freshman last year although his first season was interrupted by a groin injury. If this group is only as strong as its weakest link then coaches have some work to do at left tackle where James Carpenter and his 27 consecutive starts need replaced. This is the primary pass protector where the SEC's best defensive ends will put the new guy to an ultimate test. The competition starts with Alfred McCullough who is the most game tested. McCullough saw time as a starter filling in for the injured Fluker last fall. JUCO transfer Aaron Douglas enrolled this January and coaches feel he may be a short team answer. Improvements have to be expected this year from a team that was 10th in the SEC in sacks allowed. That formula won't work for a new quarterback. If they can solidify that left tackle spot the offense will be in good shape. UPDATE (May 12): Offensive tackle Aaron Douglass has passed away in death. Our sincere condolences are handed out to his family and friends. NationalChamps.net will honor Aaron and leave his name on this depth chart through the 2011 football season.

DEFENSIVE LINE  
New defensive line coach Chris Rumph has a good many bodies to experiment with this off-season. That's good news considering the Tide loves to rotate their linemen. Even some of the most dominant players are not on the field for every snap. The two proven studs are nose guard Josh Chapman and end Damion Square. Ever since subbing for Terrence Cody on a regular basis as a freshman, Chapman has been steady. And last fall he began to really demonstrate his talents. The ends will be under a microscope as coaches seek to replace legendary Marcell Dareus who left early to test his skills in the NFL. Damion Square managed three sacks last fall and is hoping to fill some of the Dareus void. Kerry Murphy saw part-time action last fall but missed spring practice due to medical reasons. One of the players needing to step us is Ed Stinson who switched from linebacker to end late last season. Six other reserves are looking to compete for their first time on the field. JUCO transfers Quinton Dial (East Mississippi Community College) and Jesse Williams (Arizona Western Community College) are expected to compete for playing time with a solid spring. The sheer numbers are good while the experience factor may not be so great. Expect Chapman to be a dominant force in the middle.

LINEBACKER  
Led by Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, this bunch has it all...depth, talent and experience. Hightower is admittedly regaining the form he lost due to a serious knee injury. In 2008 Hightower was a full-time starter as a true freshman then tore his ACL during the early part of the 2009 season. If it is true that Hightower is now back to 100% this spells major trouble for opposing defenses. Upshaw manages the JACK position as a cover man slash pass rushing specialist. He is the teams returning sack leader and has been a dominant force in games he played last fall when not hampered by an ankle injury. On the inside Nico Johnson and star of the freshmen class C.J. Mosley split time together by mid-season. Both appear to be battle tested. The main question is who will emerge as a starter on the strong side, although this position does not see the field quite as often. Senior Jerrell Harris seems to be the best bet for seeing the most time here after four years in the system.

DEFENSIVE BACK  
Last spring this unit had to completely rebuild at most every single position outside of safety Mark Barron. This time around the opposite is true as the ENTIRE secondary returns in tact. Three players in this backfield are worthy of All-American status too. Barron is still the staple, although he will continue to rehabilitate from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle tear. He will be ready to go full tilt come fall. At the other safety spot is Robert Lester. As a first year starter in 2010, Lester led the SEC with eight interceptions while Barron led the team in tackles. How is that for a safety tandem? On the corner, All-SEC performer Dre Kirkpatrick displayed the talents that made the Gadsden product one of the top overall players in the 2009 recruiting class. On the other corner is returning starter Dee Milliner, another in-state product who was rated the No. 1 cornerback in the nation out of high school by most services. Amazingly, all four of these starters are Alabama high school products. No wonder this state has produced the last two national champions. Nickleback DeQuan McKenzie returns for his senior year after seeing extensive action last fall. The back ups are just as comparable in regards to high school accolades. This secondary is shaping up to be a complete beast for opposing offenses.