Bo Scarbrough will have some big shoes to fill in 2016. After leading the SEC in rushing yards and becoming Alabama’s second Heisman Trophy winner, Derrick Henry opted to forgo his senior year and declare for the 2016 NFL Draft.
That leaves Scarbrough as the favorite to take over as the Tide’s No. 1 running back and for good reason. Not only is he a former 5-star running back who rated as the No. 16 prospect for the 2015 recruiting class, but he also stands at 6-foot-2, 230-pounds, similar to his predecessor Henry at 6-foot-3, 238-pounds. Scarbrough also possess the speed to be a similar freight train-like running back against opposing SEC defenders.
Those are big expectations for a player who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts in his first season, albeit in one game, as he was limited by a knee injury. But if Scarbrough’s performance in Alabama’s first scrimmage of spring practice is any indication, the Tide may have found another standout running back.
Scarbrough rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries. Sure, it was just a scrimmage, but it does provide some legitimacy to the growing buzz around the rising sophomore. Head coach Nick Saban credited Scarbrough’s performance, although he believes he has some room for improvement.
“I think he’s got things that he can improve on. I certainly think he’s capable of doing things that we need him to do,” Saban said, according to Marq Burnett of SECCountry.com. “I think part of it is confidence, knowledge, experience. Having confidence in what he’s supposed to do, how he’s supposed to do it, why it’s important to do it that way. I think when he understands that, he plays fast and he’s very effective. So those are the kinds of things that we can improve on. I like his work ethic, I like his toughness. I think there’s things that we need to improve on, but we’re encouraged by what he’s done to this point.”
Alabama fans have good reason to be excited about Scarbrough. He has the credentials and size to be a dominant running back in an offense that has been successful at producing top rushers throughout Saban’s tenure.
Those past Alabama teams have also had depth, which the Tide has with several blue chip prospects including Damien Harris, a fellow rising sophomore who also rated as a 5-star prospect and incoming 4-star freshman B.J. Emmons. The difference is that Alabama’s rushing attack lacks experience, including Scarbrough, who is expected to carry the load like Henry, a back who led the SEC with 395 in carries in 2016.
That may be a tall task for a player who missed the majority of his freshman season recovering from knee surgery from an injury that occurred in high school. Hopefully, for the Tide, Scarbrough’s injuries will be left in the past and he can prove to be a durable centerpiece to Lane Kiffin’s offense.
Scarbrough has a golden opportunity running behind an excellent offensive line for a team coming off a national championship. The Tide has done more with less, let alone a big, bruising back who provides the perfect replacement for its departing Heisman winner. Scarbrough should have an excellent season as the center of Alabama’s offense.
The post Bo Scarbrough should live up to lofty expectations appeared first on Today's "U".