Alabama Football: For 11 Tide players ’21 a last chance to shine

Alabama Football: Returning seniors don’t have the resumes of last season’s returners, but 11 guys have a last chance to shine in their college careers.

Alabama football seniors, Alex Leatherwood, DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris delaying their NFL dreams and returning in 2020 was a championship building block last season. When joined by others who could have chosen NFL early-entry; Mac Jones, Landon Dickerson, Deonte Brown, Dylan Moses and Brian Robinson the foundation for a No 18 was laid.

The 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide does not have a similar marquee of high profile returning players. It does have 11 guys back for final seasons with an important last chance to shine in their college careers.

In the case of Josh Jobe, an established starter looks to further his NFL Draft potential. With PSII leaving, Jobe can enhance his NFL future by one season as the Crimson Tide’s lockdown corner. Jobe has played in 39 games and has 91 tackles, 16 passes defended, two forced fumbles and one interception. Chris Allen,  Second-Team SEC in 2020, is in a similar position to Jobe. When healthy, Allen has been a regular starter for the Crimson Tide. Due to injuries, he has played in only 33 games. His stats of 58 tackles, including 18.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles reflect his ability. Those numbers can be bosted in 2021.

The other nine guys are less established. Brian Robinson has been a solid contributor but has never been RB1 for the Crimson Tide. B Rob probably has the most to gain from returning for another Alabama football season. In 52 games, he has 1,361 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has averaged five yards-per-carry and caught 17 passes for 150 yards.

Phidarian Mathis had a strong redshirt junior campaign and has an opportunity to replace Christain Barmore as the most disruptive player on the Tide’s defensive front. Mathis has played in 40 games and his snap count should go up in 2021.

LaBryan Ray, having battled injuries for four years, has played in only 31 games. The former 5-Star has 65 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and one forced fumble. Ray needs a consistent 2021 season to show durability to NFL teams.

Daniel Wright has played in 44 games in his Crimson Tide career and was a starter early in 2020. His performance, while good at times, has not been consistent. Beating out younger players for a 2021 starting role will be a challenge.

Major Tennison has one more chance to be an impact player. In his 34 game Crimson Tide career, he has six receptions for 55 yards and one kick return. Jaylen Moody and Ale Kaho will compete to start at inside linebacker next to Christian Harris. Kaho has struggled with injuries and his 40 Crimson Tide games have been mostly on special teams. Moody has also played in 40 games. Late in 2020, Moody stood out in limited duty at linebacker. Kaho and Moody each have 33 tackles in their Tide careers. Both are hard-hitters and have good speed.

Kendall Randolph has been a situational starter for the Crimson Tide. As an Alabama football offensive lineman and tight end, he has been a strong run-blocker. His Tide experience is 25 games. Chris Owens got two big starts in last season’s CFB Playoff, replacing an injured Landon Dickerson. Admired by coaches and teammates for his leadership, Owens has one more season to build his NFL potential.

The individual goals of these 11 Alabama football players will not override team goals. Under Nick Saban, those unable to embrace team-first goals, watch others play.