Sports Illustrated Lists 7 Alabama Players Among Nation’s Top 100
Nick Saban should trademark the term reload.
Over the past two seasons, Alabama has seen 20 of its players get taken in the NFL Draft. With the school record set in 2017 and matched in 2018, it's hard to believe that Alabama wouldn't have to do some sort of rebuilding.
But that doesn't seem to be the case.
Instead, the program has reloaded again to make a run at its six national championship in 10 seasons. If you needed some reassurance that there won't be much drop off on the Alabama roster, just take a look at Sports Illustrated's list of the top 100 players in college football. You'll find seven Tide players on the list with the highest coming in at 12th overall.
Let's take a look at each of the rankings:
91. Isaiah Buggs - The junior passed up the NFL Draft to return for one final season in Tuscaloosa and he should help solidify a strong defensive front for the Crimson Tide.
84. Tua Tagovailoa - Despite having zero starts in his college career, Tagovailoa's championship game performance and physical upside landed him inside the top 100. He's came in just one spot behind cross-state rival Jarrett Stidham at Auburn
70. Damien Harris - Alabama's top running back decided to return for his senior season and it wouldn't be a surprise if he outperformed this ranking. Harris has been the team's leading rusher for two consecutive seasons and his 7.41 yards per carry in 2017 were among the nation's best.
51. Dylan Moses - Do you get the sense he'll be a player that opponents feel has been in the program for years by the time he departs? Moses has only been on campus for a year but came into his own at the end of the regular season by compiling double-digit tackles against Mercer and Auburn before a foot injury ended his freshman year.
28. Raekwon Davis - Probably the most physically-imposing player on the entire roster, Davis earned first team All-SEC honors after a sophomore season that saw him lead the team with 8.5 sacks. If he continues his development along the line, he'll likely be a part of the 2019 draft class.
19. Mack Wilson - There might not be a player on the defense with a better knack for the football now that Minkah Fitzpatrick is on the Dolphins. The team leader in interceptions last year with four, Wilson has also found the endzone in each of the past two seasons.
12. Jonah Williams - The junior-to-be is as steady as they come along the offensive line. After starting at right tackle as a freshman, Williams moved took over the left tackle spot as a sophomore. He'll anchor an offensive line that will pave the way for what could be a very explosive offense.
If you're wondering who could be Alabama's biggest competition for the national championship, this list lends a lot of credence to the idea that Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney could very well meet for a fourth straight year in the College Football Playoff. Three Clemson defensive linemen made Sports Illustrated's top 10 and they'll form arguably the best front in the nation.
As for who took the top spot, Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver edged out Stanford running back Bryce Love for No. 1. You can see the full rankings here.