All Things Bama Podcast: Most Important Crimson Tide Players for 2020 - No. 5 - 1
All Things Bama Podcast host Tyler Martin is joined by editor Christopher Walsh for part two of the show's two-part series diving into the Crimson Tide's most important players for the 2020 season.
Note: the list is not necessarily best, but most impactful.
No. 5 DB Patrick Surtain II
The junior cornerback is, clearly, the headliner in the defensive backfield this upcoming season, as he is garnering NFL first-round potential for next year's draft, if he declares early.
In 2019, he wracked up 42 tackles, eight passes defended, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. The Crimson Tide will look to Surtain as the guiding light to a position group that will replace four key contributors from a season ago.
No. 4 QB Mac Jones
At the end of the day, it might not matter who the signal caller for Alabama is, given the talent surrounding that one position, but it is important to note that the job is, presumably Jones' to lose right now. He earned it with a 186.8 passer rating in four starts last year. That number would have qualified for third-best in the nation behind LSU's Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa nationally.
As the starter for those four games and the other contests as the backup, the Jacksonville, Fla. native completed over 68 percent of his passes, threw for 1,503 yards, and 14 touchdowns to go along with only three interceptions.
No. 3 OT Alex Leatherwood
Alabama will have one of, if not, the best offensive line in the country this season and the success starts with the guy protecting the quarterback's blindside — Leatherwood.
Over the course of the last two seasons, he has not missed a game, starting all 28 contests. Off the gridiron, the script he wrote for the team's Black Lives Matter video, speaks volumes and shows what kind of leader he is in the locker room.
No. 2 RB Najee Harris
Arguably, Harris is the nation's best tailback, who returns to the Capstone after a 2019 campaign that saw 1,224 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, 304 receiving yards, and seven additional scores.
The Anitoch, Cali. native could make Crimson Tide history next season, breaking the school's all-time rushing record, which was set by Derrick Henry at 3,591 yards in 2015.
No. 1 LB Dylan Moses
It was clear toward the backend of last season that Moses' absence appeared to be one of the glaring reasons Alabama missed the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.
Barring no more physical setbacks, a redemption season for Moses could mean title No. 18 for the Crimson Tide, when it is all said and done.
The show is available on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor. Former guests of the podcast include Eli Gold, Chris Stewart, Bryan Passink, Wimp Sanderson, Barrett Jones, Mike Johnson, Cory Reamer, Bradley Bozeman, Will Lowery, Lawson Schaffer, Kolby Robinson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Jason Caffey, Kenneth Darby, Keith McCants, JC Latham, Bill Searcey and more.
Make sure to like, subscribe, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening, everyone. Stay safe and healthy during this time!
