Poll: Who will be the "Breakout Senior" for 2015?

Who will be UA's "Breakout Senior" in 2015?

  • OLB Dillon Lee

    Votes: 15 20.8%
  • S Geno Smith

    Votes: 13 18.1%
  • NT Darren Lake

    Votes: 5 6.9%
  • QB Jake Coker

    Votes: 19 26.4%
  • TE Ty Flournoy-Smith

    Votes: 2 2.8%
  • FB Michael Nysewander

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • OL Dominick Jackson

    Votes: 6 8.3%
  • CB Bradley Sylve

    Votes: 2 2.8%
  • LB/DE Denzel Devall

    Votes: 10 13.9%

  • Total voters
    72
  • Poll closed .

JessN

Administrator & Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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Fun poll we do every year -- which senior, who up to this point has been only a role player, will have a breakout year in 2015?

I can't remember whether I took Fowler or Sims last year (Sims was the obvious winner in the end), but it seems like Alabama has at least one senior every year step up who hasn't been a household name in the past.

This year's candidates:

OLB Dillon Lee
S Geno Smith
NT Darren Lake
QB Jake Coker
TE Ty Flournoy-Smith
FB Michael Nysewander
OL Dominick Jackson
CB Bradley Sylve
LB/DE Denzel Devall

Vote above. I'm taking TE Ty Flournoy-Smith.
 
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bamaslammer

All-American
Jan 8, 2003
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My pick is Geno Smith. He did a lockdown job as a true freshman in the final weeks of the 2012 Championship season and then sort of fell off the bus for a while. Got in trouble once or twice. Basically just got distracted. A huge career was side tracked. Now he has a chance to turn all of that around. He has the ability. HE just has to do it.
 

BigEasyTider

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Nov 27, 2007
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I went with Geno Smith. Not without some reservations -- mainly because of the DUI that (a) occurred, but (b) occurred on a practice day, which makes you wonder if the commitment/mental engagement is there -- but it seems like he will start and given the youth and relative lack of depth at safety, he's probably going to be called on pretty heavily regardless. Might be more wishful thinking on my end, but we will see. He showed a lot of promise as a true freshman, but has basically been incognito the past couple of years, so hopefully he goes out strong.

Wanted to go with Dillon Lee or Devall, but honestly not certain that either will stay on the field enough to justify the pick. Putative starters or not, snaps for those two are generally only going to come in base and heavy sets, and when the majority of defensive snaps these days are taken in the nickel and dime, well, that puts them in a position of having to make a big impact on relatively limited opportunities. Hard to bet on that, in my book.

Same rationale in general applies to Lake as well, and I think he'll have an even tougher road ahead with Payne coming on so strong. Actually think Lake is a talented guy who probably would have been a pretty heavy contributor circa 2008 or 2009, but his position has basically just reached the verge of extinction the past several years.
 
Last edited:

BigEasyTider

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Nov 27, 2007
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Can Richard Mullaney count?
Not really. This exercise is more aimed at players who have been on campus without making any substantive impact, but then who come on strong in their final season. I don't think a last-second transfer like Mullaney would really count anyway, but even if he did Mullaney has a pretty strong background in his own right. He's no Amari Cooper, but it's hard to say that a guy who racked up 80+ catches in a P5 conference in two and a half years of play is really a viable "breakout" candidate in this respect.
 

Ratal

3rd Team
Aug 29, 2006
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I went with Dominick Jackson. It could be the former lineman in me but I think his success will be needed for a strong year. I would argue that Arie was 2nd behind Sims last year.
 

CajunCrimson

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Staff member
Mar 13, 2001
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Isn't Washington (DB/Safety) a Senior? I think he will have a "Nick Perry" kind of year.

Otherwise -- I'd say Geno Smith
 

BamaHoosier

All-American
Jan 17, 2011
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Noblesville Indiana
I wish I could say TFS would break out. Unfortunately the TE position doesn't seem to get enough touches for that, and I still hope that Howard breaks out. Dillon Lee has been projected to break out for the past couple of years, so I hope this is his time.

If I had to guess though, I'd say Jackson shores down RT, and is solid enough to get NFL attention. I also have always liked Geno smith, and I'm hoping he's far enough out of the doghouse to make an impact. If he stays focused, he could have a monster year.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
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Inverness, AL
I went with Dominick Jackson. It could be the former lineman in me but I think his success will be needed for a strong year. I would argue that Arie was 2nd behind Sims last year.
I picked Dom also. I think he will have the kind of year that gets him drafted next year.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
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Voted for Dillon Lee, but if the correct answer turns out to be Jake Coker it probably means that you are celebrating another championship at the end of the season.
 

JessN

Administrator & Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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I didn't list Drake because I thought he accomplished enough in the 2013 and 2014 years that he was more than just a role player.

Mullaney didn't get listed because he has been a major, proven contributor already, albeit not at Alabama.

Jabriel Washington, I went back and forth on. The primary reason I decided not to list him (or OL Isaac Luatua, or WR Parker Barrineau) is because he's not going to be a starter unless a couple of people ahead of him get hurt. The others in the poll are all starters with the possible exception of Nysewander, who could be a starter if Alabama decides to go from the I; we just don't know how much that will play into things.
 

tidefanbeezer

All-American
Sep 25, 2006
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Atlanta, GA
I voted Geno Smith. I think this is the year he puts it together.

As an odd write in, I would choose Cyrus Jones. Yes, he was 2nd tea All-SEC last year and he's on several preseason All-SEC teams. But I feel that he doesn't get the credit or recognition he deserves, considering his baptism by fire and playing injured last year. I think this is the year he breaks out of the "decent corner" discussion and into the "great corner" discussion. If he stays healthy, he will have a huge impact on the defense.
 

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