Assessing how Alabama’s Next Big 3 will fare compared to 2020’s Big 3

It’s daunting replacing an All-American. Try replacing three.

That’s Alabama coach Nick Saban’s job this season. Saban will try to make us forget about those three yet-to-be named players that helped the Crimson Tide become an offensive juggernaut en route to a national title last season. Who are those players again? It doesn’t matter. They might as well be Bart Starr in Saban’s mind. Those players who did so much for Alabama are now distant memories. They have to be if Saban is going to keep his legendary program on track.

QB: Bryce Young replaces Mac Jones

Let’s start with QB, where Mac Jones helped deftly lead Bama with skill and poise last season. Jones threw for 4,500 yards (school record) and 41 TDs last season. He threw just 4 INTs. He was the perfect quarterback for Saban at the time. No, Jones may not have the talent of some of the All-American quarterbacks who played before him. However, his poise and willingness to distribute and defer to his All-American teammates made him the perfect quarterback to man the ship. The head coach of the New England Patriots certainly agrees. He cut former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton this week. It was a clear statement that Jones is the future of the franchise at quarterback.

Now, it’s Bryce Young’s turn at Alabama. Young didn’t play much last season as Jones was leading the way. Young certainly has more ability to run with the football than Jones. Assuming there are some close games for Alabama, Young’s ability to scramble to run or pass could keep a defense on its toes. That could lead to myriad opportunities.

Upcoming opponents may have to play Alabama a little bit differently than they did last year. If Young is a threat on the ground, then defenders may have to devote more attention to him. That just opens up the running game and holes in pass coverage.

There’s another unknown with Young. He won’t have one of the best players in Alabama history.

WR: John Metchie III replaces DeVonta Smith

DeVonta Smith is off to the NFL. All he did in college was win The Heisman Trophy, which is a monumental feat for any non-quarterback, even more so for somebody who wasn’t even WR1 on his own team entering the season. There’s no question that offenses had to prepare for Smith. His loss will be felt.

Now, it’s John Metchie III’s turn. Will offenses have to prepare for him? They better.

Metchie began last season as the Crimson Tide’s No. 3 wideout. That role grew when Jaylen Waddle was injured. Metchie was ready. He averaged 16.7 yards per reception with 916 yards and 6 touchdowns on 55 catches.

Metchie may have a physical advantage over Smith. Metchie is about 15 to 20 pounds heavier. That should allow him to get off the line easier and battle with defenders downfield. It’s not as if Smith couldn’t do the same. He just had to rely on technique and quickness. Metchie has that as well. It’s all in a more muscular frame.

The big question: Can Metchie adjust to becoming the No. 1 receiver and all of the attention (and double teams) that come with it?

RB: Brian Robinson replaces Najee Harris

Najee Harris is the toughest of the talented Bama trio to replace this season. Harris broke Alabama’s career rushing record. He was shifty, fast, powerful and had the innate ability to maximize runs. A loss could turn into a gain. A 1-yard gain could turn into a 10-yard run. (Harris led the nation last season with 47 runs covering at least 10 yards.) And there was always the ability for Harris to turn any attempt into a score. He led the nation with 26 TD runs as well.

Replacing much of Harris’ production will be up to senior Brian Robinson Jr. It seems unfair to say but Robinson will likely struggle to become anything close to Harris. Robinson is the kind of player that college football programs used to be built on. He’s the type of player who bides his time, plays his entire career and waits for his shot at being the bell cow. That time is now.

It’s not as if Robinson has never seen the field before. Robinson carried the ball nearly 200 times in the past 2 seasons. He averaged a whopping 5.3-yards per carry last year even if that was against some 3rd-down style defenses that were lighter and a bit more spaced out.

Robinson has added size and strength so he can be an every-down running back and not just a 3rd-down specialist. If there’s one thing in his favor, it’s history.

Alabama has always been able to plug running backs in after a superb tailback departed. Ever heard of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry? They have kept the Bama running back tradition going strong.

Of the three key positions that Alabama has to replace this season, replacing Harris will likely prove to be the most difficult. However, Saban has proven that he is able to do so on a regular basis. Robinson won’t be as good as Harris, but Bama hasn’t traditionally seen a major drop-off since Saban arrived.

The drop-off in talent will be noticeable, but hardly catastrophic. Alabama may not have the same ability at its three big positions, but they do have a 5-star quarterback who can run, a proven SEC receiver and a dependable, proven running back. That’s a pretty good start on offense.

In fact, most SEC teams would kill for that offensive foundation. It’s called tradition at Alabama.

Dave Hooker

Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. He hosts an SEC radio show out of Chattanooga and covers the SEC for Saturday Down South.