Former Alabama players AJ McCarron and Jalston Fowler hail from Mobile, Ala. Both men produced stellar careers in Tuscaloosa, and were members of national championship teams. Quarterback Jake Coker looks to be the third Mobile native to achieve success, along with him lies rising freshman running back Desherrius Flowers.
Flowers, like Fowler, was a product of Vigor High School. He totaled 2,021 rushing yards in his career, with 1,099 yards coming in 2013 as a junior. Flowers accounted for 19 total touchdowns. He participated in the 2015 U.S. Army All-America Bowl and was listed as a four-star prospect. ESPN 300 rated Flowers as its No.10 running back nationally, and No.6 in the state of Alabama.
Rising senior Kenyan Drake will be featured as a running back and receiver in Lane Kiffin’s offense next season. Flowers is fourth on the depth chart when Drake is in the rotation, and third when he’s working with receivers.
Derrick Henry, junior, has taken on a leadership role. He’s showing Flowers the ropes, and Flowers has responding by impressing his teammates and coaches with his footwork and ball security. He enrolled in January of 2015, and will participate in Alabama spring game.
Flowers has an advantage over teammate Damien Harris, a five-star running back signed in Alabama’s 2015 class. He must impress head coach Nick Saban on special teams, but Flowers has an opportunity to scratch out some playing time in the backfield in 2015. The time-table for Tyren Jones’s return (suspension) is unknown, and Harris will arrive on campus this summer.
Henry and Drake are Alabama’s primary backs. Bo Scarbrough appears to have the No.3 spot. With Jones gone and Harris finishing school, Flowers is gaining ground. He doesn’t have elite speed, but Flowers does showcase vision and power as a runner. Jalston Folwer put Vigor on the map. Can Flowers keep it going? Spring practice and summer workouts will answer it for us.
