Texas football vs. Alabama: Breaking down Tide’s skill players
By Shane Black
Running Backs
Alabama has been “Running Back U” for the better part of Nick Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa. That is no different this season as Saban has brought in Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs to lead this backfield.
Gibbs was rated as a five-star transfer product and the No. 4 player in the portal this offseason. Last year, for a mediocre Yellow Jacket team, Gibbs racked up 746 yards on 143 carries. He also caught 35 passes for 465 yards.
The Dalton, Georgia native holds a compact frame of 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, but combines burst and vision to offer himself as a big play threat every time he touches the ball. 7.5 percent of Gibbs’ carries a season ago went for 10+ yards.
Although Gibbs will get the lion-share of the snaps in this backfield, Alabama has many other very capable runners behind him. Three juniors, Trey Sanders, Roydell Williams, and Jase McClellan, will serve as the backups to Gibbs. They had 83, 57, and 42 carries last season, respectively.
McClellan will likely be the true No. 2 this season after missing most of the 2021 campaign after suffering a torn ACL against Ole Miss.
Regardless, all four of these guys are capable runners and pass catchers. Look for Saban and the Tide to try and gash a Longhorn defense that allowed over 200 yards per game on the ground a season ago.