Alabama Football: A deep dive into CFB’s top 25 for 2020

I am nothing if not a realist. I love Alabama football as much as any fan, but I can also admit when Alabama is not the best team in the country. Trying to remain objective, I cannot say Alabama football is my pick for pre-season No.1.

Alabama football is poised to have another great season and they will contend for a national title again in 2020, but there are too many question marks at key positions to be fully confident in a return to the pinnacle of college football.

I want to be clear. I am a strong supporter of Mac Jones and I personally think he is the best returning QB in the SEC for 2020 over Kyle Trask. However, there are questions about whether he will even win the starting job with Taulia Tagovailoa and 5-star phenom Bryce Jones nipping at his heels.

If Jones wins the job he has shown the ability to be great, but he has also shown a bit of inconsistency in his limited action. The good news is, whoever lines up under center for the Tide in 2020 will have plenty of weapons surrounding them.

Najee Harris, Brian Robinson, a healthy returning Trey Sanders, Keilan Robinson, and new recruit Jase McClellan will be fighting for touches in the backfield. Any one of them could be starters just about anywhere in the country. Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are back at WR for the Tide. Both of them are early candidates for the Biletnikoff Award.

The offensive line returns four starters including LT Alex Leatherwood who will protect the blindside of the Alabama football signal-caller. Add in UNC TE transfer Carl Tucker as one more weapon in the Alabama football arsenal and you have another very potent offensive attack no matter who the QB winds up being.

The real improvements to the Alabama football roster in 2020 will be on defense. The secondary took some hits with Xavier McKinney, Trevon Diggs, Shyheim Carter, and Jared Mayden all going pro. However, Dylan Moses will be returning from injury to lead the LBs in 2020 after choosing to forego the NFL Draft for one more year in college.

The D-line gets healthy and only loses one starter from 2019 in Raekwon Davis, but gets help from a returning LaBryan Ray. There are also plenty of incoming Freshmen who could have an immediate impact at DL and LB. Most notably Chris Braswell and Drew Sanders. The depth problems on defense that plagued the Crimson Tide in 2019 won’t be as big of an issue in 2020.

Alabama football will be back in the championship picture in 2020 without a doubt. The Alabama Crimson Tide is too talented at every level to not be in contention.