Alabama RB Jase McClellan Ready to Play in Home State
If Jase McClellan's family would have had it their way, the running back would be wearing burnt orange this weekend. But the Alabama running back seemed destined to put on Crimson.
"Alabama was the best place for me," McClellan said Tuesday.
The running back from Aledo, Texas was originally committed to Oklahoma early in high school before flipping to the Crimson Tide near the end of the early signing period in 2019.
The Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Aledo is about three hours north of Austin, which will allow many of McClellan's friends and family the opportunity to watch the running back play in his home state this Saturday when No. 1 Alabama travels to take on the Texas Longhorns.
In his first game back since the ACL injury against Ole Miss in week five last season, he had five rushes for 23 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He said it felt great to be back in a football environment, playing with his teammates.
One of his biggest contributions has been in the receiving game. Even though his primary role is to rush as a running back, McClellan now has five receiving touchdown in his last five games played.
"It’s just something I bring to the table that the coaches ask me to do," McClellan said. "When I don’t have anything protection-wise, I can get out in the flat. And if there isn’t anything out in the field, he [the quarterback] can check it down to me.”
The Longhorns have a dynamic running back of their own in junior Bijan Robinson. He also is a pass-catching threat out of the backfield and caught a touchdown pass for the Longhorns in their opening game.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban called Robinson one of the best running backs in the country and talked about the dynamic created when a running back is also a receiving weapon out of the backfield.
"I think tight ends and running backs are mismatched players because of the guys who end up guarding them most of the time," Saban said. "So when you have a guy that's outstanding, that can create those mismatches, that's a real advantage for you. So I think that's probably the greatest advantage of having a running back or running backs who are really good receivers and understand the passing game and can be used as targets in a lot of ways that puts a lot of pressure on the defense."
And McClellan's not the only Alabama running back with that ability. Jahmyr Gibbs had nearly 500 receiving yards for Georgia Tech last season. Roydell Williams had limited opportunities in his sophomore season, but averaged 11.4 yards a reception. Trey Sanders had some key catches late in the season against Arkansas and Auburn.
If it's possible to pick out low points from a 55-0 win, Alabama's running game was one of them. If you take out Gibbs' long 58-yard run, the Crimson Tide running backs only averaged 4.6 yards per carry. After watching the film, Saban said he wasn't disappointed with the rushing game against Utah State, but that it was inconsistent and needs improvement heading into the Texas game.
"We made a couple of really explosive plays in the running game, but the down-in and down-out consistency to have positive runs and not having negative plays was not where we want it," Saban said.
All throughout fall camp, Saban has expressed confidence in all five running backs (the four previously mentioned plus true freshman and another Texas product and former Longhorn commit Jamarion Miller.) Because of his play against Utah State, Alabama center Darrian Dalcourt was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. The senior said it's a special group to block for because of the unique skillset they all bring.
"What makes it so special is that everyone has their own things they do really well," Dalcourt said. "They are such great backs. They play winning football. It’s a pleasure to block for each one of those guys, truly."
Gibbs was the clear No. 1 in the running back group heading into the season, but McClellan will play a big role in the overall success of the group. He has the chance to continue to improve the run game this Saturday at 11 a.m. against the Longhorns.
McClellan and Miller are two of nine scholarship players on the Alabama roster from the state of Texas. Two of the most storied programs in college football overlap in recruiting quite often, but have not actually met on the gridiron very often, just nine meetings all time. But games like this help bring more players like McClellan or Jalen Milroe or JoJo Earle to Alabama according to Saban.
"It doesn’t matter where you play, whether you play in Atlanta or whether we play somewhere in Texas, that exposure makes people in that area more aware of your program, who you are, players on your teams so I think those things have an impact on your recruiting," Saban said. "It’s a great opportunity for us to play a school like Texas who has a great tradition and have a really good team.”
