Alabama Football: Four guys and four ‘ifs’ for ’20 season

Alabama Football ‘If’ – Drew Sanders

Sanders’ 5-Star, recruit rating was as an elite athlete. His best position is thought to be outside linebacker, but he could also play as an insider backer. Just as easily, he could move to the other side of the ball and excel as a tight end. How much athletic ability does the 6-foot-5 and 232 pounder have? A few Crimson Tide fans say he could even play safety.

The ‘if’ posed is will Nick Saban let Drew Sanders play on both sides of the ball. Linebacker is likely to always be primary – but a guess is Sanders could be an NFL first-rounder as a tight end. At least, preparing him for some select offensive packages is plausible.

Alabama Football ‘If’ – Ishmael Sopsher

Sopsher news is limited. Good news that is. It was falsely rumored recently that he was transferring. Current chatter about Ish is positive. He is believed to be fully committed to the Crimson Tide and to becoming an elite player.

In 2017, Sopsher was rated in the 247Sports Composite as the No. 2 player overall in the 2019 class. The long-time 5-Star recruit slid to 4-Star status and the No. 47 player before signing with the Crimson Tide. Alabama football fans were shocked to see Ish’s stock plummet. In reality, his rating slip was not a rare occurrence. It happens every recruiting cycle and anywhere inside the Top 100 (really the Top 150) qualifies as an elite recruit.

When ‘whys’ about the downgrade were asked, answers were sketchy. Clearly he put on bad weight, but other presumptions were made. His work ethic was questioned. Some fans doubted he would ever reach his potential. If the current chatter is warranted and if he is at a good playing weight, Sopsher could be a factor this fall.