SEC Football dominates 2021 Senior Bowl Top 250
Alabama Crimson Tide
Despite losing Tua Tagovailoa to the NFL, the Alabama Crimson Tide remain one of the best teams in college football as their third place ranking in the recently released AP preseason poll attests to. If you take out Ohio State, which won’t play in 2020, the Crimson Tide are ranked as the No. 2 team ahead of this most uncertain of seasons.
Although Alabama has the same number of representatives on the Senior Bowl Top 250 list as its SEC rivals the Texas A&M Aggies, just one look at the list of players shows the difference between the two programs.
Alex Leatherwood was a potential early round, maybe even first round, offensive line prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. However, his decision to return to Alabama is extremely important for both program and player.
One of the questions that the Senior Bowl will hep answer on Leatherwood is where he eventually plays in the NFL.
Is he a true offensive tackle or will a switch inside to guard be his eventual destination? It’s worth noting that the Senior Bowl has him listed as an offensive guard/offensive center although he will presumably have the opportunity to line up all across the offensive line.
Like Leatherwood, teammate DeVonta Smith was a surprise returnee to the Crimson Tide for the 2020 season. His NFL draft stock has the potential to rise compared to last year as there are fewer star players in the Alabama wide receiver room following the departure of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs.
Smith may lack the speed of a Ruggs or the frame of a Jeudy, but he has great hands and is blessed with elusiveness after the catch. An impressive appearance at the Senior Bowl may prove to be a difference maker between himself and teammate Jaylen Waddle.
For me, the most exciting player on the Senior Bowl Top 250 list from Alabama is running back Najee Harris.
A unique combination of size and athleticism, with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, puts Harris in contention for the best running back in college football. With Alabama starting an unknown commodity under center in 2020, whether that be Mac Jones or Bryce Young, Harris is going to be particularly important to the success of the Crimson Tide this season.
Harris’ backfield buddies, Brian Robinson Jr. and Carl Tucker join him on the Senior Bowl Top 250 list and the Crimson Tide’s representation is completed by Deonte Brown, Landon Dickerson and tight end Miller Forristall.