The college football season is less than two months away, and the excitement surrounding the upcoming season for Alabama is growing with each passing day. The Crimson Tide is returning with a ton of talent and experience, as well as the nation’s top recruiting class, and it will be no surprise to see head coach Nick Saban and company form another championship run.
But what makes the 2013-14 team so special?
Everyone knows quarterback AJ McCarron and his talented arsenal of weapons that includes rising sophomores T.J. Yeldon and Amari Cooper. But there are some players who aren’t as familiar but have the potential to rise and become key contributors in 2013-14.
Here is a short list of under-the-radar players fans should keep an eye on during the upcoming season.
Jeoffrey Pagan
Pagan almost doesn’t meet the qualifications as underrated. He has emerged as a leader along the defensive line and is expected to have a breakout season in 2013-14.
He was a key contributor on last year’s team, playing in all 13 games, but with the departures of Jesse Williams, Damion Square and Quinton Dial, he will be facing an increased workload in his junior season.
He should flourish as a defensive tackle in Alabama’s 3-4 defense and wreak havoc in opposing teams’ backfields. His name may not be mentioned around the water cooler yet, but it will be once the Crimson Tide moves through its schedule.
Chris Black
Black missed the entire 2012 season because of a shoulder injury, but he showed flashes of his potential in this year’s A-Day game. The former four-star recruit adds another target for McCarron to throw to, as if he doesn’t have enough already.
He possesses the same type of skill set as former Alabama receiver Marquis Maze and should develop well in the slot of the Crimson Tide. He’s small, standing at 5 feet 11 inches, but quick and has good hands and vision. He should fit in nicely alongside Cooper and the other receivers.
Geno Smith
Smith saw his minutes increase as the season advanced last year. He stepped in as a true freshman and meshed well with the secondary, a unit that lost Dee Milliner and Robert Lester. He will now have to step up and fill the void left by Milliner, who was drafted by the New York Jets with the No. 9 pick in April.
Smith has shown he can keep up with receivers down the sideline and in the flats, and that ability allowed him to stay on the field more and more. If he can keep up the progress, he could prove to be the next top corner for Alabama in the near future.
Kenyan Drake
Drake saw all of his carries during the second halves and fourth quarters of Alabama’s blowouts last season. But the rising sophomore running back made the most of his opportunities. He scored five touchdowns on 42 carries, racking up 281 yards in the process.
This year, with Eddie Lacy leaving for the NFL, Drake is competing to join the first-team rotation of tailbacks. His speed and elusiveness provide the Crimson Tide’s offense with a different style runner than its usual ground-and-pound back.
With Yeldon as the obvious starter, and several hungry, young players waiting for their chance, Drake could find himself carrying the ball in the first half instead of the later portions of games in 2013-14.
