With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Monday afternoon revealed University of Alabama starting wide receiver DeAndrew White and backup tailback Dee Hart would miss the remainder of 2012 due to season ending knee injuries.

White’s injury hurts offense’s explosive philosophy in 2012, but opens the door for others to step in his place. The most obvious choice to fill into the starting role will be junior Kevin Norwood; however don’t be surprised to see guys like freshman Amari Cooper (AJ McCarron’s favorite target against the Ole Miss Rebels with 8 catches for 84 catches and 2 TDs) or Cyrus Jones to contribute as well.

If you are looking for a dark horse to step in, the top candidate would likely be Marvin Shinn. Shinn a 6-foot-3 receiver made some impressions during fall camp after recording 2 catches for 85 yards in the final scrimmage.

At running back, Hart’s injury really hurts the overall depth of the unit. Remember, the unit already lost junior Jalston Fowler to a season ending injury so a 5 deep to start the season is now 3 deep. While the injury is certainly cause for concern, Alabama is not hurting just yet as Kenyan Drake will slide into the role of the 3rd running back. Brent Calloway could start to add some running back work to his repetitions at tight end as well.

Dark horse candidate at running back would likely be the aforementioned Cyrus Jones. Jones is a tremendous athlete and is actually listed as an athlete on the Alabama roster in 2012. At five-ten and a 190lbs, he is they type of player that could make an impact at either wide receiver or running back. Backup quarterback Blake Sims could be a factor as well after spending time at running back in 2011, but the feeling is he may have settled in behind McCarron.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Kevin Norwood has been a blue collar wide receiver ever since his arrival in Tuscaloosa. After struggling to show up on the stat sheet during his freshman and sophomore season’s Norwood’s work behind the scenes was put on display as he hauled in 4 passes for 78 yards against Tyrann Mathieu, a player many considered to be the best in the country in 2011.

Whether it be taking over a game or blocking a defensive back down field, Norwood is a technician at his craft, consistently finding ways to make an impact in the game. A hard worker and crisp route runner, the junior wide receiver from Mississippi may be ready to step up again.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Amari Cooper was a name that Nick Saban mentioned numerous times throughout the summer and even into fall camp. While many felt Cooper was set to explode on the scene against the Michigan Wolverines an injury slowed those expectations. However, Saturday night Cooper was finally able to show off what he could do against the Ole Miss Rebels with 8 catches for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns. Each week, AJ McCarron looks his way a little more, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Cooper isn’t the most physically imposing receiver, standing at just 6-foot-1 and 200lbs, however he can more than hold his own. What separates the freshman receiver is his route running ability and a solid set of hands. After his breakout performance against the Rebels, he earned praise from everyone from coach Saban to McCarron.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Cyrus Jones is a play maker. Through the recruiting process he drew comparisons to Percy Harvin for his ability to make plays at a number of different positions. Jones has already made some plays for Alabama as a receiver, the real question is will we ever see the true freshman take some snaps in the backfield? Although possible, it is likely that Jones will continue to work at wide receiver.

Jones is similar in size to White and posses just as much explosiveness. In limited duty thus far, the true freshman has already shown flashes of his potential but now the time has come for him to become a more consistent player. After all, Saban has shown time and time again: if you can play, you will.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Kenyan Drake was lost in the running back shuffle as the start of the season, but now he is on everyone’s radar. Drake started the season considered by many to be the 5th running back on the depth chart, destined for a redshirt season. However, in limited duty this season Drake has left fans wanting more, averaging just under 10 yards per carry.

While many considered Drake’s presence a luxury at the start of the season, he has proved himself time and time again, showing his value with every single carry. With Hart out of the picture for the rest of the season, look for Drake’s carries to pick up.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Brent Calloway came to the Capstone amid a highly publicized recruitment, but has struggled to find the field outside of special teams duty. In Alabama’s victory against Ole Miss he made his way into the rotation, coming just short of reeling in a big touchdown grab. With depleting depth it would not be surprising to see the former high school running back add a few more reps in the backfield in addition to his work with the tight ends.

Calloway is a player who, in time could fill the role of the injured Jalston Fowler. An excellent athlete at 6’1 and 220lbs his versatility could help the Crimson Tide reestablish the depth they desire.

With Hart and White Injured, Who Steps Up for Alabama?

Blake Sims is another versatile athlete for the Crimson Tide. Sims was a dual threat quarterback in high school, but spent a lot of time at running back when he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Sims has worked almost exclusively at quarterback this season, a spot he will probably stay at unless Alabama finds themselves in an emergency situation.

Sims has been praised this season for his ability to simulate dual threat quarterbacks as the defensive players often cite Sims’ athleticism for their success against the likes of Cam Newton and Denard Robinson. In limited duty, Sims has established himself as a quarterback, wowing fans both with his arm and with his legs.