Too many scholarships in the backfield?

JIB

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Nov 2, 2011
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So Bama has 6 scholarships QBs, right? AJ, Sims, Ely, Morris, Bateman and McCloud.

Bama also has 7 scholarship RBS, right? Yeldon, Hart, Fowler, Drake, Henry, Jones, Tenpenny? (Am I missing someone?)

So that's 13 scholarships in the backfield. That seems like an awful lot. I just can't imagine we don't have some QBs transfer and an RB do the same. At least we'll have to move an RB or two somewhere else on the field.

Thoughts?
 

runtheoption22

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So Bama has 6 scholarships QBs, right? AJ, Sims, Ely, Morris, Bateman and McCloud.

Bama also has 7 scholarship RBS, right? Yeldon, Hart, Fowler, Drake, Henry, Jones, Tenpenny? (Am I missing someone?)

So that's 13 scholarships in the backfield. That seems like an awful lot. I just can't imagine we don't have some QBs transfer and an RB do the same. At least we'll have to move an RB or two somewhere else on the field.

Thoughts?
RB: Kamara


AJ is gone after this year, Blake Sims is more like a change of pace QB.

Who knows if Hart will every be 100% and Fowler may be more of a FB/HB after knee injury.
 

bamahippie

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Apr 8, 2000
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Are you longing for the days of the alternative? Long live Fran? Heck we didn't have enough linemen at times... Too many (which I'm sold that it is) is better than not enough. Period.
 

bamabelle1991

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Jan 1, 2009
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After the injuries we suffered at these positions last season, unfortunately there isn't TOO many. Praying everyone gets and STAYS healthy for the years to come!!
 

TIDE-HSV

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I seem to remember threads for the last two years to the effect that we had a roadblock at RB. Depth sure can evaporate in a hurry...
 

CrimsonPride25

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Jul 25, 2012
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It's easy to look at the numbers and feel that way but if Lacy wouldn't have stayed healthy this season we would have been in trouble at RB. Can never have enough RBs in my opinion.
 

JIB

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Nov 2, 2011
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Last year we went into the year with 5 RBs, this year we go in with 8. That's a big difference.

The QB depth seems a little crazy. Even without Sims that's still a lot of QBs and it's obvious that with Morris, Ely, McCloud and Bateman probably 2 of them will never see the field.

So we've got ~70 scholarships spread around the other 20 positions.
 

OreBama

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Sep 26, 2005
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I don't think it's too many. Getting a player that is a great college QB is a numbers game. If one the other five QBs turn out to be good, we're good for 3-4 years.

RBs are hugely important to us and are the players who take the most punishment. Some of those elite players can switch positions if needed as well. It's good to be king.
 

tide96

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Oct 4, 2005
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Certainly it is high by historic measures, but point to a position where we seem to be lacking at depth.

From year to year there are fluctuations.
 

RTR91

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Nov 23, 2007
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So no one thinks we'll see transfers and/or change of positions?
Nope.

And you're forgetting something. We don't know who is paying their own way. AJ could very well have taken out student loans because he knows he's getting paid in 2014.
 

KrAzY3

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Jan 18, 2006
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I seem to remember threads for the last two years to the effect that we had a roadblock at RB. Depth sure can evaporate in a hurry...
I remember seeing a lot about the Tide potentially having too much depth at RB last year. Having two 1,000 yard rushers goes a long way to dispel that, along with having someone leave early every year. You have to keep reloading...

Aside from that though, the team had true freshman as second and third string RB by years end, and they gave a lot of time to a walk on. Part of this is the fact that the schedule is getting longer, and a playoff game will only add to that. You don't want to run out of running backs headed into the post season.

As far as QB, last year things seemed pretty comfortable. AJ backed up by an experienced 5 star QB. They had three other scholarship QBs behind him. Once he transfers though, it became clear there wasn't an obvious replacement. Blake Sims is going to be a junior, and it's hard to imagine him being the full time QB anyway, so he's not much of an option. Ely will only be a sophomore, but clearly Saban isn't seeing something he'd like to see, or else he'd have been the backup last year. So, it makes sense that he'd want Morris, and Bateman. McLeod was the only one that threw me off, I thought once Del Rio came on board, he (and/or Morris) might decide to look elsewhere.

However, it's clear that Saban is looking for his future QB, and there's something he sees in all these guys. Since all of these guys will participate in spring practice, I imagine we will see a departure though, as someone figures out they are too far down the totem pole. The flip side is that if AJ gets hurt, all our hopes will rest on one of those guy's shoulders.
 

B1GTide

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Apr 13, 2012
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JMO, but you only have too many here if you have neglected other positions. I see no sign of that.
 

CaliforniaTide

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In one area, I'd point to how we use multiple RBs in our offense, regardless of the talent of the individual RB. Before Fowler got hurt, we were using three RBs against teams (fortunately for some of our opponents, we were only able to use two).

I'm at the point now where whatever Coach Saban does, I'll go with it. He knows more than I do, and it just isn't any use in worrying about whatever happens. The man has a plan for everything.
 

bamachile

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Jul 27, 2007
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I don't think you were trying to complain, so I'll try to be as objective as possible. 13 of 85 scholarships is 15.29% (13/85). I think that's reasonable, although I admit that I have no yardstick to measure by - BET, RTO, LCN, HSV, or CA may have a better perspective. The ratio of QB/RB scholarships may be slightly out of kilter, but I don't see it as anything that won't self-adjust within a year.

That brings us to the question I think you are trying to get to - will we see transfers due to the depth in the backfield? At QB, I wouldn't be surprised. At RB, I would. We cycle several players there throughout each game, and we have a history of three-and-done high-profile studs. The line moves along rapidly enough, even without injuries.
 

bamafaninOhiO

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Bama wants/Needs List:

D Linemen: Check
O Linemen: Check
Linebackers: Check
Secondary: Check
Wide Receivers: Check
Tight Ends: Check
QBs: check

A whole Boatload of 4-5 star Running Backs: Double Check

Wheres the problem?:biggrin2:

Seriously though, I could see a QB or two leaving after the pecking order is establised...its the only position that playerws really dont share time.
 

MattinBama

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I'm gonna go with it seeming like Saban has a pretty good grasp on this whole college football thing and I'll let him worry about it.
 

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