It should be relatively easy to hand out grades for a 14-1 team that won a division, conference and national title all in the same season, right?
Believe it or not, Alabama’s offense was just fifth in the SEC this season, while the defense finished first in the conference and third in the FBS.
That defense was the main reason, along with a couple of other important factors, the Tide won its fourth national championship in the past seven seasons.
Let’s go down the roster, position by position, and have a look:
QUARTERBACKS
It’s hard to argue against a guy like Jacob Coker, when all he did in 2015 was go 14-0 as a starter. Alabama lost the only game he didn’t start — 43-37 at home against Ole Miss on Sept. 19 — but even in that contest, Coker nearly rallied the Tide to victory. The most impressive thing about Coker’s season is that he got better from week to week.
Grade: A
RUNNING BACKS
What else can we say about Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, other than thanks for the memories and we hope you have a nice career in the NFL. Henry had an incredible season, rushing for an SEC record and FBS-leading 2,219 yards and 28 TDs. Backup Kenyan Drake was solid, too, rushing for 400 yards and adding 276 as a receiver out of the backfield. Henry is a draft lock, but look for Drake to be selected too.
Grade: A+
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Calvin Ridley had an outstanding first year with the Tide, breaking Amari Cooper’s school record for receiving yards as a freshman, finishing with 1,045 on 89 catches and 7 TDs. ArDarius Stewart (63 receptions, 700 yards, 4 TDs) delivered as Bama’s No. 2 wideout. Richard Mullaney (38, 390, 5) was reliable in the slot. But O.J. Howard played out of his mind in the Crimson Tide’s 45-40 win over Clemson in the national-title game with five grabs for 208 yards and 2 TDs, and he’ll more than likely be playing for pay on Sundays in the fall as well.
Grade: A
OFFENSIVE LINE
Believe it or not, Alabama’s blockers allowed 26 sacks, only slightly worse than the national average of 25.5. But how can you find fault with a group that helped Henry win the Heisman, allowed Coker to consistently find Ridley and his teammates and win a national championship? Ryan Kelly proved he was the best center in the country on the nation’s best team. Teammates Cam Robinson and Dominick Jackson joined him on the coaches’ All-SEC teams.
Grade: A
DEFENSIVE LINE
Alabama’s strongest unit helped the Crimson Tide finish first in the FBS in sacks (52) and rushing defense (75.7 yards per game). Juniors Jonathan Allen and A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed anchored the line this season, and all three project to be first-round NFL talent.
Grade: A+
LINEBACKERS
Reggie Ragland, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, led Alabama with 102 tackles and is headed to the NFL. Reuben Foster finished second to Ragland with 73 stops and could be the leader of Bama’s defense in 2016 if he stays in Tuscaloosa. Tim Williams led the Tide and finished third in the SEC with 10.5 sacks. Ryan Anderson was third behind Allen and Williams, respectively, with 11.5 tackles for loss. It’s no surprise that Alabama had the best front seven in college football this season.
Grade: A+
SECONDARY
All-SEC first-teamer and strong safety Eddie Jackson finished for first in the conference in INTs (6, including one in the championship game) and pick-sixes (2). Freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick (45 tackles, 2 pick-sixes) had a team-high 11 pass break-ups. Free safety Geno Matias-Smith led the Bama secondary with 72 tackles. Cornerback Cyrus Jones (37 tackles, 7 pass break-ups) and Marlon Humphrey (45 tackles, 8 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles) rounded out a solid group that helped Alabama finish 30th in the FBS in passing defense.
Grade: B+
SPECIAL TEAMS
Place-kicker Adam Griffith was named second team All-SEC after making 23 of 32 (71.9%) of his field-goal attempts. His perfectly placed onside kick against Clemson was huge. After a fantastic freshman season, punter JK Scott regressed a bit. Jones led the FBS in punt returns (42), yardage (530) and TDs (4), while Drake finished third in the SEC in average yards per kick return (26.6).
Grade: B+
