Alabama is known for having plenty of depth far down the roster. Each position group is stacked with talent and that is especially true for the running back group. In 2012's season opener, Alabama rotated four running backs in the game against Michigan. That plan was short-lived after h-back Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart went down with season-ending injuries. However, this year the plan is back in action.
T.J. Yeldon is back as the new leader of the group. With Eddie Lacy now in the NFL, the sophomore is the true No. 1 guy. In Yeldon's freshman season, while splitting the carries with Lacy, he recorded 1,108 yards on 175 carries for 12 touchdowns. Not bad. With those stats, Yeldon enters the 2013 season as an All-American and an early favorite in the Heisman Trophy predictions. But Yeldon is a given to start, so who will earn the second and third spots in that two-man rotation Alabama loves?
"Every guy is different," Yeldon said via AL.com. "They have different running abilities. All of them are looking pretty good."
The early favorites to play backup to Yeldon are two freshmen, Derrick Henry and Altee Tenpenny. The Crimson Tide are being cautious with Henry. After enrolling early, the running back suffered a broken fibula, but he was able to record 38 yards on 11 carries in the first team scrimmage. The key stat to remember about Henry is that he is all-time leading rusher in prep football. When healthy, he can easily follow in the footsteps of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and now Yeldon.
Tenpenny was the No. 1 high school player out of Arkansas. While he is the less marquee name, Tenpenny is drawing praise from both head coach Nick Saban and Fowler after just a handful of practice. Tyren Jones, another freshman is also in the running. He put up 38 yards on five carries in the Saturday scrimmage.
Saban stresses the importance of making an impression if these young running backs want to see the field.
"You make an impression on people every day by what you do," Saban said. "You can make a good impression, you can make a bad impression. If you keep doing what you've always done, usually you get the same results. If you don't do it right, you don't get very good results. If you do it right, play hard, do the right things, you get pretty good results, and that kind of shows. Some of the freshmen have done a really good job of doing that, and they're probably the guys that are going to be able to progress."
Yeldon believes the player that also excels in pass protection will get the spot behind him. Play-action is a large part of the Alabama offensive package, so whoever can help protect quarterback AJ McCarron will have to edge.
