Only minutes after Alabama had won their third national championship in four years (a fact I never get tired of saying), a new hashtag began to flood my Twitter feed: #roadto16. Call it excitement, call it arrogance or call it devoted confidence in the machine Nick Saban has built, but the fact is there wasn’t a single person in Tuscaloosa that night who wasn’t immediately thinking about next year’s chances of winning a historic third straight title.

So with that mind, and with Saban’s 24-hour celebration rule way more than passed, lets take an early look at some of the little known players who will be key in bringing our beloved Crimson Tide glorious number 16 next season.

C Ryan Kelly (Red shirt sophomore)

For a little while back in December, there was fear Barrett Jones wouldn’t be able to play in the national championship, and Kelly would get the start at center. Kelly wasn’t needed on Jan. 7, but he is going to have to be huge next year anchoring the line following Jones’s footsteps. Kelly’s main issue is he is slightly undersized at only 288 pounds, but the 2012 All-SEC Freshman team center has a lot of natural talent and should be able to handle reigns of leading the offensive line.

DL Jeoffrey Pagan (Junior)

“He’s an athlete” are the words former nose tackle Josh Chapman used to describe Pagan back in 2011 during his freshman year. Praised for his ability to pick up the Tide’s defense and his overall speed, there were some who thought Pagan might manage to squeeze himself in the starting lineup this year. While he was rotated in and out of the defensive line this year, look for him to be a dominant force in the trenches next year for the Tide.

CB Geno Smith (Sophomore)

While he may be best known for sharing the same name as West Virginia’s standout quarterback, Smith quietly became an important player for the Tide’s defense after taking over the star corner position following the Texas A&M loss. His speed and fluid movement were crucial in covering Georgia’s slot receivers in the SEC Championship game, and with Dee Milliner leaving for the draft, there is a chance Smith could emerge as the number one cornerback on the team. At the very least, expect the young sophomore to have a big role playing opposite of Deion Belue next year.

TE O.J. Howard (Freshman)

Remember watching Notre Dame’s tight end Tyler Eifert and thinking how terrifying of a mismatch he was? And remember how much T.J. Yeldon electrified the crowd in the spring game as a true freshman? Expect Rivals five-star and seventh overall ranked recruit O.J. Howard to produce a combination of those two feelings next year. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he ran a 4.49 40 in high school. Combine that with his great hands and his ability to make opposing players miss, Howard should make next year’s group of offensive weapons as explosive as ever. The one thing holding him back is his blocking ability, but with improved technique, he has the size and length to become a mauler on the line as well.

S Landon Collins (Sophomore)

Landon Collins may be most famously known for choosing Alabama during the Under Armor All-American game with his mom scolding him for not choosing LSU, but his athleticism should have him making headlines in 2013. The former five-star recruit was a special teams standout for the Tide this year, showcasing his biggest strength his elite closing speed. Vinnie Sunseri and Nick Perry may have more experience, but because of his versatility and talent, look for Collins to receive major playing time alongside Ha Ha Clinton-Dix next season.