Alabama Football: Best player to wear each jersey number in Saban era

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Alabama football jersey rankings 71-75

No. 71: Andre Smith

Now we are safely in the midst of the offensive linemen portion of the article. Andre Smith is one of the best recruits to ever come through Alabama. He was the first true stud that Saban had at left tackle. In my opinion, he’s probably the most underrated in the grand scheme of things. This is mostly because he is one of the few players who wasn’t there when Saban built the dynasty.

No. 72: Pierce Quick

Oddly enough, I don’t think Nick Saban has had a great player at No. 72. I’m going to roll the dice on Pierce Quick. Quick won’t start in his freshman year, but he definitely should be one of the next studs on the team. He’s a highly touted recruit, but he just has to wait his turn until he is the next superstar on an Alabama offensive line.

No. 73: Jonah Williams

There is a lot of contention for the best tackle in Saban’s tenure, but you have to consider Jonah Williams to be at least part of the discussion. Although he is a bit undersized as a tackle, his hand usage and footwork made up for this. He’s a monster, and he can play at literally any position on the offensive line in the NFL at a high level. It’ll just be on the Bengals to decide where he becomes a Pro Bowler at.

No. 74: Cam Robinson

Another contender for the top tackle of the past decade or so, Cam Robinson has the size that scouts look for. He followed it up with being the strong bookend that the quarterback needs on the blindside. He’s had some injury issues with the Jaguars as his professional career has progressed, but that does not in any way negate what he did with Alabama.

No. 75: Barrett Jones

Barrett Jones is the Swiss Army Knife of Alabama football. He is the only player to ever win three championships at three different positions. He’s like Williams, except Alabama actually had to have Jones switch positions for the team to succeed. He ended his college career as AJ McCarron’s center, and that’s probably the position that most will remember him for playing.