The Alabama Crimson tide are coming off of a second straight BCS national championship title, but the team will be considerably weaker next season after losing a crop of key players to the NFL draft.
Three junior players on the Alabama team, cornerback Dee Milliner, running back Eddie Lacy and right tackle D.J. Fluker spoke at a joint news conference on Friday and officially decided to turn pro and forego their final seasons at Alabama.
"I would like to take this time to honor these young men for the great job that they have done in how they have represented the University of Alabama and their family," coach Nick Saban said according to ESPN.com. "They have all been great people, in terms of how they have represented our organization. From a personal character standpoint, these guys have been great representatives and great ambassadors for the University of Alabama and we really appreciate that."
All three players contributed to Alabama's title run this season, especially Lacy, who won the offensive MVP of the national championship game after rushing for 140 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Lacy was durable all year despite dealing with injuries, playing in all 14 games and rushing for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead the team.
Luckily for the Crimson Tide, they have another 1,000-yard running back to take Lacy's place in freshman T.J. Yeldon, who rushed for 1,108 yards and 12 touchdowns. Yeldon rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown in the SEC championship win over Georgia and will join a number of talented recruits brought in by Saban to keep the running game productive.
"It's been an amazing experience here," Lacy said. "Now is the right time to make the move to the National Football League."
Lacy was stellar for Alabama this season and played his best when the games mattered the most. He finished the season with three straight 100-yard games and scored one touchdown while gaining 83 yards against LSU in a crucial 21-17 comeback win in early November. He had a season-high 181 yards and two touchdowns in the SEC championship win over Georgia and had three scores twice this year, including in a 52-0 drubbing of Arkansas.
Lacy played behind 2011 Heisman finalist Trent Richardson and 2009 Heisman Award winner Mark Ingram and will likely be a first or second-round pick. Both Milliner and Fluker are likely to go in the draft around the same time, according to ESPN.com's draft projections.
Milliner was one of the top cornerbacks in the nation and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the country after finished in the top five nationally in passes defended. He had 34 tackles with two interceptions and one fumble recovery this season to go with 20 passes defenses and one blocked kick. The Alabama passing defense was one of the best in the nation and the unit finished the season ranked number one in the nation in scoring, overtaking Notre Dame with 10.9 points allowed per game.
Fluker was one of the best lineman in the country and blocked for six 100-yard rushers this season and a total of 21 in his career at Alabama. He helped block for the two 1,000-yard backs (which was a first for the school in Alabama history) and kept quarterback A.J. McCarron clean for the majority of the season, including in the national championship game when the offensive line gave up zero sacks in the 42-14 win over Notre Dame.
"These are the kind of games AJ lives for," Fluker said to ESPN.com about the Alabama quarterback following the BCS championship win. "We've got his back, and he's got ours. He's our leader, and we know if we give him the time he needs, there's going to be some teams hurting."
The offensive line will be the biggest project for Saban to manage, as Fluker along with seniors Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack are leaving the school. The team will look to junior guard Anthony Steen and sophomore tackle Cyrus Kouandjio to keep things going next season.
"I think, you look through the history of the last four or five years here, the older guys that have been starting for a longer time tend to get more of the accolades and the attention," Saban said before the BCS title game. "Probably in some ways rightfully so, for what Fluker and Barrett Jones and Chance (Warmack) have done in terms of their starts and their body of work and the long time they've been playing," Saban said. "I think Anthony Steen and Cyrus are two guys that have played very, very well all year long, and their time is coming. They're going to be the guys who get featured next year as being the most experienced guys, who have the most starts, who have played with the most consistency, that people will be looking at as guys who probably will receive a lot of accolades."
The Crimson Tide had an excellent season while winning back-to-back BCS titles, finishing 12-1 and the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll. Saban became the first college coach to win two straight BCS championships and added his fourth overall title.
Alabama started the season with nine straight wins before losing to Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies. The Tide were able to get back into the national title picture two weeks later once Oregon and Kansas State lost, leaving Alabama as the number two team in the nation.
After three straight wins and an emphatic 49-0 beating on Auburn, Alabama looks dominant and ready for the national championship game. The team has scored over 40 points seven times this season and dropped 50 on Arkansas in a 52-0 drubbing in the third week of the season. The completion of the successful season occurred in Miami last Monday as the Crimson Tide completely dominated the Irish 42-14, ending Notre Dame's perfect year.
Although the team will be down three starters, Alabama is still loaded with talent for 2013. Quarterback AJ McCarron has already stated his intent to return for his senior season, while Saban has brought in another highly-touted recruiting class to add more depth and athleticism to the roster. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is also returning to school and gives McCarron a great deep threat and is the most talented receiver on the roster.
"There were some factors in my decision to return to Alabama for my senior year but after talking to my family and coaches, I knew it was the right choice for me," he said in a statement, according to ESPN.com.
The junior quarterback was one of the most consistent in the nation this season and was ranked No. 1 in passing efficiency in the college football. He threw for 2,933 yards and 30 touchdowns with just three interceptions while completing over 67 percent of his passes. He was the leader of the 12th-ranked scoring offense in the nation and averaged 218 passing yards per game.
McCarron also led the nation with a 175.3 passer rating. In the SEC championship game against Georgia, McCarron rallied Alabama back from behind to win and threw for 162 yards and one touchdown.
Saban has created a college football dynasty in Tuscaloosa and as long as he keeps bringing in players with the talent of Cooper, McCarron, Yeldon, Lacy and Jones, the Crimson Tide will be in the national title picture for years to come.
