Alabama is less than a week away from beginning its spring camp. To help us pass the time, BamaInsider will take a look at each of the Crimson Tide’s position groups, examining the key storylines and players to watch this spring.
Today we continue with the running back position where Alabama will return one of the deepest units in the nation.
Key storyline: Will Brian Robinson Jr. finally have his breakout season?
Under normal circumstances, Brian Robinson Jr.’s time at Alabama would have come to a close by now. The Tuscaloosa native would have been remembered by his hometown faithful but wouldn’t have made quite the impact he had imagined upon joining the program as a Rivals100 recruit in 2017.
Over his four seasons at Alabama, Robinson amassed just 1,361 yards on 274 carries. By comparison, Najee Harris racked up 1,466 yards on 250 attempts while winning the Doak Walker Award last season.
However, instead of fading off into the sunset, Robinson might finally find himself in the spotlight as he opted to take advantage of an extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to COVID-19.
So far this offseason, the fifth-year back seems to be making the most of that extra opportunity.
Earlier this month, Alabama director of sports science Dr. Matt Rhea posted a chart displaying Robinson’s recent improvements in the weight room, stating “If you’re going to come back and improve your draft stock, you attack the off-season like B-Rob has.”
Robinson will still have to fight for his starting role this season as Alabama still features a loaded stable of backs. Jase McClellan returns after an impressive freshman season last year while speedster Keilan Robinson will rejoin the team after opting out last season. In addition, Trey Sanders seems to be progressing nicely from his second season-ending injury in as many years. The Tide also signed another five-star talent in Camar Wheaton in this year’s class.
That being said, none of the above offer anywhere close to the experience as Brian Robinson does.
Assuming the fifth-year back does end up as Alabama’s leading rusher, it will be interesting to see how the Tide will distribute its workload. It’s unlikely Brian Robinson would take on quite the same load as Harris, who averaged 19.31 carries per game last season after averaging 16.08 attempts the year before. However, he should see a rise from the 7.0 carries per game he received last year.
Given its depth at running back, Alabama will likely revert to a more even distribution similar to 2018 when Damien Harris averaged 10.0 carries per game followed by Josh Jacobs (8.00) and Najee Harris (7.8). Even at 10 carries per game, Brian Robinson’s 5.31 yards per carry average from last year would see him tally 637 yards by the time Tide wrapped up regular-season play this season. Although, with the way he’s approached his offseason already, it’s not hard to imagine him producing at an even higher rate in the coming year.
Potential sleeper: Keilan Robinson
When assessing Keilan Robinson during his freshman season in 2019, Alabama head coach Nick Saban would often state that the speedy back “has got juice.” After opting out last season, Robinson appears to be returning with a bit more bulk as well.
In January, the 5-foot-9 back posted several pictures of himself showing off the added muscle he’s put on during his time away from the Tide. If Robinson’s new physique translates to more power on the field, he could soon develop into a serious problem for SEC defenders.
Alabama’s already familiar with Robinson’s game-changing speed, as he broke off several big runs during his freshman season when he led all Tide backs with 6.51 yards per carry. This season, he should serve as the perfect complement to Brian Robinson’s downhill running style.
What to expect
Saban tends to go with experience at the running back position. Damien Harris was arguably Alabama’s third-most talented back behind Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs during the 2018 season. However, the senior still received the majority of the carries that year. Saban will likely stick to that preference this season as he prioritizes Brian Robinson’s reliability over perhaps a bigger potential from some of the Tide’s younger options.
As mentioned earlier, Keilan Robinson figures to be a perfect change-of-pace option and could also see time out of two-back sets where Alabama can use his speed on jet sweeps and screens.
Sanders is the wildcard of the unit. The five-star talent suffered a severe hip injury when he was involved in a car accident last November. If he’s able to make a full and speedy recovery, he’ll likely be Alabama’s No. 2 option behind Brian Robinson. If not, that role could go to Mclellan.
It will also be interesting to see what type of impact Wheaton can make upon joining the team this summer. While the five-star freshman brings plenty of talent to Tuscaloosa, he'll have his work cut out for him if he wants to climb up the depth chart.
Today we continue with the running back position where Alabama will return one of the deepest units in the nation.
Key storyline: Will Brian Robinson Jr. finally have his breakout season?
Under normal circumstances, Brian Robinson Jr.’s time at Alabama would have come to a close by now. The Tuscaloosa native would have been remembered by his hometown faithful but wouldn’t have made quite the impact he had imagined upon joining the program as a Rivals100 recruit in 2017.
Over his four seasons at Alabama, Robinson amassed just 1,361 yards on 274 carries. By comparison, Najee Harris racked up 1,466 yards on 250 attempts while winning the Doak Walker Award last season.
However, instead of fading off into the sunset, Robinson might finally find himself in the spotlight as he opted to take advantage of an extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to COVID-19.
So far this offseason, the fifth-year back seems to be making the most of that extra opportunity.
Earlier this month, Alabama director of sports science Dr. Matt Rhea posted a chart displaying Robinson’s recent improvements in the weight room, stating “If you’re going to come back and improve your draft stock, you attack the off-season like B-Rob has.”
Robinson will still have to fight for his starting role this season as Alabama still features a loaded stable of backs. Jase McClellan returns after an impressive freshman season last year while speedster Keilan Robinson will rejoin the team after opting out last season. In addition, Trey Sanders seems to be progressing nicely from his second season-ending injury in as many years. The Tide also signed another five-star talent in Camar Wheaton in this year’s class.
That being said, none of the above offer anywhere close to the experience as Brian Robinson does.
Assuming the fifth-year back does end up as Alabama’s leading rusher, it will be interesting to see how the Tide will distribute its workload. It’s unlikely Brian Robinson would take on quite the same load as Harris, who averaged 19.31 carries per game last season after averaging 16.08 attempts the year before. However, he should see a rise from the 7.0 carries per game he received last year.
Given its depth at running back, Alabama will likely revert to a more even distribution similar to 2018 when Damien Harris averaged 10.0 carries per game followed by Josh Jacobs (8.00) and Najee Harris (7.8). Even at 10 carries per game, Brian Robinson’s 5.31 yards per carry average from last year would see him tally 637 yards by the time Tide wrapped up regular-season play this season. Although, with the way he’s approached his offseason already, it’s not hard to imagine him producing at an even higher rate in the coming year.
Potential sleeper: Keilan Robinson
When assessing Keilan Robinson during his freshman season in 2019, Alabama head coach Nick Saban would often state that the speedy back “has got juice.” After opting out last season, Robinson appears to be returning with a bit more bulk as well.
In January, the 5-foot-9 back posted several pictures of himself showing off the added muscle he’s put on during his time away from the Tide. If Robinson’s new physique translates to more power on the field, he could soon develop into a serious problem for SEC defenders.
Alabama’s already familiar with Robinson’s game-changing speed, as he broke off several big runs during his freshman season when he led all Tide backs with 6.51 yards per carry. This season, he should serve as the perfect complement to Brian Robinson’s downhill running style.
What to expect
Saban tends to go with experience at the running back position. Damien Harris was arguably Alabama’s third-most talented back behind Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs during the 2018 season. However, the senior still received the majority of the carries that year. Saban will likely stick to that preference this season as he prioritizes Brian Robinson’s reliability over perhaps a bigger potential from some of the Tide’s younger options.
As mentioned earlier, Keilan Robinson figures to be a perfect change-of-pace option and could also see time out of two-back sets where Alabama can use his speed on jet sweeps and screens.
Sanders is the wildcard of the unit. The five-star talent suffered a severe hip injury when he was involved in a car accident last November. If he’s able to make a full and speedy recovery, he’ll likely be Alabama’s No. 2 option behind Brian Robinson. If not, that role could go to Mclellan.
It will also be interesting to see what type of impact Wheaton can make upon joining the team this summer. While the five-star freshman brings plenty of talent to Tuscaloosa, he'll have his work cut out for him if he wants to climb up the depth chart.
