Steven Lassan, college football writer for Athlon Sports, released his 2015 All-Freshman Team list Monday. Calvin Ridley, Ross Pierschbacher, Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Harrison all were named to the list. Ridley and Pierschbacher both were selected to the first-team offense.
Ridley, 6-foot, 178 pounds, is a five-star prospect from Coconut Creek, Fla.
He was the nation’s top receiving target according to ESPN, 247 Sports and Rivals.com.
Ridley has an opportunity to be an instant contributor at Alabama as a freshman. He caught 41 passes for 1,131 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2013 as a junior at Monarch High School. Ridley put in 420 yards and four touchdowns on 18 receptions in three games as a senior.
He participated in the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game and was invited to Nike’s “The Opening” competition, in which Ridley earned most valuable player honors. Alabama lost Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White and Christion Jones to the National Football League, but it has high hopes for Ridley. Head coach Nick Saban believes that Ridley will produce.
Pierschbacher, a redshirt freshman, has the edge over junior Alphonse Taylor for left guard.
He stands at 6-foot-4, 298 pounds, and was a four-star recruit from Cedar Falls, Iowa.
ESPN listed Pierschbacher as the No. 3 offensive guard and top-ranked player in Iowa. He displays solid footwork, hands and versatility on the offensive line. Sports writers have compared Pierschbacher to former Alabama standout Barrett Jones because of his versatility.
Humphrey, a redshirt freshman was named to the second-team All-Freshman defense.
He was a five-star prospect upon enrolling at Alabama in 2014. 247 Sports ranked Humphrey as the nation’s No. 1 cornerback and No. 10 overall prospect in its Top 247. Humphrey was dynamic in both football and track and field at Hoover (Ala.) High School.
He totaled 77 tackles, 13 interceptions and 31 pass breakups in three seasons. Humphrey was solid in Alabama’s 2015 spring game, collecting eight tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass breakup and an interception. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Humphrey looks to create his own legacy at Alabama. He will have opportunities to generate huge plays on defense this fall.
Harrison, 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, looks the part at safety.
Harrison, like Humphrey, was listed on the second-team All-Freshman defense. He was a consensus four-star safety who was a two-way player at Florida State University School.
Harrison recorded 39 tackles, 14 pass breakups and two fumbles recoveries in his tenure. He assisted on one tackle in Alabama’s spring game, and returned an interception for 31 yards.
It’s lost Landon Collins, Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams, but Harrison is the future of Alabama’s secondary. He will scratch some playing time this year on defense.
Stephen M. Smith is a staff writer and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine, Pick Six Previews and SB Nation. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
