Alabama Football: Projecting Tide’s 2-deep depth chart for 2019
By Dakota Cox
Running backs
Starting running back: Najee Harris
Backup: Brian Robinson Jr.
This position group is by far the easiest prediction for Alabama despite losing their two top running backs last year. The starting running back will definitely be Najee Harris, a former top recruit who has been waiting for his opportunity to start the past two years.
Harris averaged 6.7 yards a carry last season with four touchdowns in a limited role. Every time he played in a big game, he shined. Expect him to be a star for the Tide next year.
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Everyone expects Brian Robinson Jr. to be the backup at running back. Robinson has amazing traits, but he hasn’t shown it a lot in games. This is because he was the fourth running back on the depth chart last season. The majority of his carries were in garbage reps where defenses stacked the box and both teams just wanted to run out the clock.
Alabama will likely give other players chances to work into a rotation, but reps will be few and far between. The best candidate for third string will be Trey Sanders, the true freshman. Harris and Robinson haven’t had to be pass-catching backs thanks to Josh Jacobs last year, so it is not a guarantee that they will be able to catch the ball consistently out of the backfield. This is a role that Sanders can thrive in if he needs to.