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As it enters the 2015 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide must work through a few more question marks than usual.
Only a few starters return on offense and some preseason injuries have shaken up the lineup in the first few weeks of camp.
While the Tide should still have the kind of incredible depth it is accustomed to, figuring out who will fill exactly what role looks like it could be a challenge for Nick Saban and his coaching staff as the Sept. 5 opener against Wisconsin in Arlington, Texas, draws near.
Here’s a glance at our projection for the post-fall camp two-deep:
OFFENSE (Pro Style)
QB1: Jake Coker
QB2: David Cornwell
Saban’s not tipping his hand in what appears to be a five-man race for the starting quarterback position. Coker was No. 2 last year and the presumed starter for much of the offseason. He’s expected to miss a few days of practice due to injury, and many think Cornwell has a shot at earning the job. True freshman Blake Barnett may be the most talented of any quarterback on the roster, but he may still be too green and too skinny to win the job. For right now, with limited information available, Coker’s still probably the best guess to start when Alabama takes the field in Arlington.
RB1: Derrick Henry
RB2: Kenyan Drake
Picking Henry as the starting running back is probably one of the easiest projections to make with this Alabama team. He’s coming off a season in which he ran for nearly 1,000 yards and hasn’t had any trouble in camp. Drake has sat out some recent practices with a strained hamstring, but if he gets healthy he should get a steady dose of carries, unless he makes a move to wideout.
Split end 1: Robert Foster
Split end 2: Raheem Falkins
Flanker 1: ArDarius Stewart
Flanker 2: Parker Barrineau
Slot 1: Chris Black
Slot 2: Calvin Ridley
TE1: O.J. Howard
TE2: Dakota Ball
Foster, Black and Stewart seem to have set themselves apart in the race to find a new set of starting wide receivers to replace the Amari Cooper-led group from a year ago. Freshman Calvin Ridley leads a group of newcomers with an opportunity to earn some playing time.
LT1: Cam Robinson
LT2: Korren Kirven
LG1: Ross Pierschacher
LG2: Issac Luatua
C1: Ryan Kelly
C2: JC Hassenauer
RG1: Bradley Bozeman
RG2: Alphonse Taylor
RT1: Dominick Johnson
RT2: Brandon Greene
There doesn’t look to be a lot of change from the spring depth chart with Kelly and Robinson still the leaders of a relatively inexperienced group. Robinson was banged up a bit for portions of fall camp, but it doesn’t look like anything that will hold him out of the opener.
DEFENSE (3-4)
DE1: Jonathan Allen
DE2: D.J. Pettway
DT1: A’Shawn Robinson
DT2: Darren Lake
DE1: Jarran Reed
DE2: Dalvin Tomlinson
The Tide return all three starters on the defensive line, meaning the lineup for this unit has been pretty much set for months. But Pettway leads an impressive group of backups who will allow Alabama to continually rotate in fresh bodies.
OLB1: Dillon Lee
OLB2: Rashaan Evans
MLB1: Reggie Ragland
MLB2: Keith Holcombe
WLB1: Reuben Foster
WLB2: Shaun Dion Hamilton
OLB1: Denzel Devall
OLB2: Ryan Anderson
Ragland is probably the one linebacker on the roster who walked into the 2015 season with a spot in the starting lineup locked down, and even he has been working at both inside and outside spots during the preseason. It could be an interesting battle between Foster and Hamilton for the other inside ‘backer spot, but the team probably will elect to play both situationally.
CB1: Tony Brown
CB2: Bradley Sylve
CB1: Cyrus Jones
CB2: Marlon Humphrey
FS1: Eddie Jackson
FS2: Ronnie Harrison
SS1: Geno Smith
SS2: Laurence “Hootie” Jones
Cyrus Jones has a chance to be one of the SEC’s best corners, especially if he’s gotten past his tendency to give up the occasional big play. Jackson was slowed by injuries last year, but could be exactly what the Tide needs at safety if he’s healthy. “Hootie” Jones eventually could earn time as a bigger option who truly fits the “strong” safety mold.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Adam Griffith
P: JK Scott
KR: Cyrus Jones
PR: Cyrus Jones
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
