Alabama football coach Nick Saban is looking for more depth at running back. With Najee and B-Rob, it will be a team strength, despite losing another running back.
Most of the college football world knows about Najee Harris. The junior running back will the lead dog in the Alabama football rushing attack this fall. Less known is another junior. Tuscaloosa native, Brian Robinson, known by his teammates as B-Rob.
Similar to Najee in size and physical ability, B-Rob is big, fast, powerful and can catch the football out of the backfield. Harris rushed for 783 yards last season, good for No. 2 on the team. His 6.7 yards-per-carry led the team. Robinson has had less opportunity in his Crimson Tide career, gaining 437 yards in two seasons.
Taking nothing away from Najee, for over a year, a few Alabama football insiders have believed B-Rob is the most complete back on the team – including last season’s roster. He is believed to run a legit 4.4 at 226 pounds.
The only opinions that matter are those of Nick Saban and new Crimson Tide running back coach, Charles Huff. Saban’s opinion, as stated Wednesday,
"I really feel like Najee and B-Rob are both really good players. I think both of them have got a significant amount of experience in the past. I think they’re ready to take the next step in terms of making a really significant contribution. They’ve both had really good springs."
Excluding the Derrick Henry experience, Saban has preferred a committee approach rather than a workhorse. Assuming he prefers rotating at least three guys in 2019, the third slot is up for grabs. The scholarship group at running back this spring is four guys. In addition to Harris and Robinson, there is redshirt freshman, Jonathan Ford and redshirt sophomore Chadarius Townsend.
Townsend was a high school quarterback. Until this spring, he has worked at defensive back and wide receiver. Saban has said Townsend shows “potential” at running back. Nick has been complimentary of Ford, saying he has shown “flashes” of ability. The word coming out of the spring’s first scrimmage is Ford was impressive.
Two more running backs will join the team this summer but only one is likely to play football this fall. Apparently, freshman Keilan Robinson required surgery to repair an old knee injury. That could mean missing most or all of the 2019 season.
Nick Saban has been counting on summer help at running back and that help is now Trey Sanders. The highly touted Sanders has plenty of confidence. A couple of months ago, he tabbed himself as a Heisman candidate as a freshman. Saban assessed the running back roster Wednesday,
"most of the time there has been a young player that contributes … almost always a freshman … I would expect that we get some help from that group from some young players as well … I would feel a little more comfortable if we had a few more guys that showed that they can play with the consistency and performance that can add even more depth at that position."
Trey Sanders will get plenty of opportunities to be another of those impactful freshman running backs for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The current roster of running backs has five more spring sessions to learn and impress Nick Saban. Add in Trey Sanders and fall camp will be very interesting.