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Alabama Football: How Crimson Tide replaces Derrick Henry

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) carries the ball past Clemson Tigers safety Jayron Kearse (1) on a 50 yard touchdown run during the first quarter in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) carries the ball past Clemson Tigers safety Jayron Kearse (1) on a 50 yard touchdown run during the first quarter in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Derrick Henry played a huge role in Alabama winning the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, but who will replace him for the Crimson Tide in 2016?

Heisman Trophy winners are nearly impossible to replace. Especially ones that gained 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns – including a TD in 20 consecutive games – and set a school record with 3,591 career rushing yards. Those that measure in at 6-foot-3, weigh 240 pounds and have the speed to run away from defenders as well as the strength to power through them are practically unicorns.

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Yet, the Alabama Crimson Tide must find a way to replace such a uniquely talented player that captured college football’s highest individual honor as well as the Doak Walker Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Maxwell Award while carrying the load – literally – for a national championship squad.

Derrick Henry likely capped his college career with 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 attempts in Alabama’s 45-40 victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Henry’s final performance before declaring for the NFL Draft included 128 rushing yards and two TDs on 20 carries in the first half and a second-effort one-yard score late in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.

It obviously won’t be easy to replace Henry, but Alabama has options – including a Henry clone named Bo Scarbrough.

A 6-foot-2, 240-pound former five-star prospect that was ranked as the No. 16 player in the 2014 recruiting class by 247Sports – and designated as an athlete because he played wide receiver and running back for his high school team – Scarbrough wasn’t able to contribute to the Tide right away. While he would have looked up to T.J. Yeldon, Henry and Kenyan Drake on the running back depth chart anyway, Scarbrough wasn’t even able to compete with the star-studded group for playing time because his enrollment was delayed until January 2015 because of academic concerns. Instead, he waited.

Just when it seemed that he would be ready to compete for carries after Yeldon’s early departure to the NFL, Scarbrough tore his ACL in the spring and then faced an NCAA-mandated suspension that forced him to sit out four more games. He continued to wait for his shot, but with Henry running through opposing defenses at a historic pace, there was no hurry for Scarbrough to contribute in any significant way.

In October, Scarbrough finally lined up in the backfield, and he gained five yards on his first two career carries against Georgia. Six weeks later, he earned three more carries against Mississippi State before finally having a chance to shine in a 56-6 blowout victory over FCS opponent Charleston Southern. Scarbrough gained 69 rushing yards, including a 24-yarder, and scored his first career touchdown with a one-yard run against the Buccaneers.

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He didn’t play again until ripping off 17 yards on three carries against Michigan State in Alabama’s 38-0 Cotton Bowl victory, which brought his season totals to 104 rushing yards and a TD on 18 carries.

But, Henry is off to the NFL, along with Drake – who ranked second on the team with 408 rushing yards. Damien Harris (157 rushing yards, 1 TD) is the only other running back expected to return in 2016 that has even modest experience as the offense is set to lose be 2,693 of its 2,999 rushing yards (89.9 percent) heading into next season.

National Signing Day is just around the corner and Alabama commit 232-pound North Carolina native B.J. Emmons is currently ranked as 247Sports’ No. 3 running back, but fans should expect Scarbrough to use his five-star potential and the flashes of brilliance he showed in limited action to ascend to the top of the depth chart next season.

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And [revving up the way-too-early offseason hype machine] don’t be surprised if Scarbrough fills Henry’s shoes so well that he explodes onto the national scene and inserts himself into the Heisman conversation.

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