Adios, Alabama: Atlanta Falcons RB Jase McClellan ‘Ready to Work’

Here's why the Atlanta Falcons drafted Alabama running back Jase McClellan in the sixth round.

Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jase McClellan / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Jase McClellan entered Bryant-Denny Stadium riding high.

It’s Oct. 2, 2021, and McClellan is the second running back on the nation’s No. 2-ranked team, the Alabama Crimson Tide. McClellan, then a sophomore, was tied for the team lead and for third in the SEC with five total touchdowns.

McClellan left the day heartbroken — and on crutches.

The Aledo, Texas, native suffered a torn ACL, bringing a halt to his breakout sophomore season. At Alabama, there are no guarantees of additional opportunities. McClellan, once at the top of the food chain, suddenly faced an uncertain future.

“It was just a hard process,” McClellan said. “That was one of my first injuries, and it being that big, just not knowing how to process it. Having to talk to people and see what to do. Just trusting the rehab, trusting the process.

“That just made me stronger, made me want to keep going.”

On April 27, 2024, McClellan sat behind his computer screen, sporting a white T-shirt and the internal pride of being a newly drafted member of the Atlanta Falcons.

During the two and a half years between, McClellan rebuilt himself.

In 2022, he was the Tide’s second-leading rusher, taking 112 carries for 655 yards while tying for the team lead in touchdowns with seven. He followed suit with an even better 2023, leading Alabama with 180 rushes for 890 yards and eight scores.

The 5-10, 221-pound McClellan finished his career with 1,981 yards and 18 scores on the ground to pair with 40 receptions for 409 yards and six touchdowns through the air.

McClellan played on special teams each of his four years at Alabama; he thinks he can play all four downs, noting he brings a balanced play style — an assessment Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot agrees with.

“A natural runner,” Fontenot said. “Physical, strong back that’s three-down in terms of what he can do in the pass game — he can pass protect, catch the ball. Very excited about him, another top makeup guy.”

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The Falcons first met with McClellan at the NFL Combine and then held Zoom and phone call meetings thereafter. Atlanta’s brain trust, headlined by Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris, said they liked McClellan’s play style and wanted to add him to the room.

So, with pick No. 186, Atlanta did.

“We love the runner,” Fontenot said. “Smart, tough, versatile, natural runner, the way he runs the ball, the way he hits it but also the fact that he can protect. He's smart. He can catch the ball. He has versatility.”

Morris jumped into the analysis with a one-word evaluation: toughness — exemplified through both his injury recovery and running style.

For the Falcons, McClellan’s skill set mattered as much as his positional value.

During the pre-draft process, Atlanta’s front office looks at hit rates on each position in each round. There’s a strong record, Fontenot said, of late-round running backs turning into productive players.

The Falcons are also intrigued by McClellan’s tenure at Alabama.

In the seventh round of last year’s draft, Atlanta selected another Crimson Tide starter in safety DeMarcco Hellams, who started four of his final five games as a rookie.

Thus, with eyes toward landing a player capable of contributing throughout the entirety of his four-year rookie deal, the Falcons opted for McClellan.

“We're excited about him, excited about the makeup,” Fontenot said. “We like taking players from Bama; we took one last year and that worked pretty good.”

Now, McClellan enters a room headlined by Bijan Robinson, last year’s No. 8 overall pick, and Tyler Allgeier, a fifth-round selection in 2022 who set the franchise rookie rushing record with 1,035 yards before taking on a complementary role in 2023.

There’s also scat back and return specialist Avery Williams, who’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered last June.

But for McClellan, a talented, competitive room isn’t an issue.

“I think it’s a great opportunity just to learn and work with some other great running backs,” McClellan said. “Feed off each other and get better.”

Throughout his time in Tuscaloosa, McClellan helped the Crimson Tide go 49-6 and finish ranked in the top five each season.

The Falcons haven’t made the postseason since 2017. Fontenot and Morris plan on changing that.

And McClellan, equipped with a balanced-skill set and four years of experience from one of college football’s top-talent producers, is ready to be a part of the solution.

“They’re getting an all-around good player,” McClellan said. “Somebody that’s coming in ready to work. I’m ready to help this team win.”