Alabama received tough news this week, as reports have surfaced on five-star running back Trey Sanders sustaining a serious, season-ending foot injury. The mishap occurred at the Crimson Tide’s sixth session of fall camp on Thursday evening.
A native of Port Saint Joe, Fla., Sanders proclaimed this year to be a Heisman-caliber one for him, but now he has to sit it out.
Despite the success he had in the offseason training program and the first few days of camp, redshirt freshman Jerome Ford becomes the next man up. The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder from Seffner, Fla., was a three-star prospect and the lone back Alabama signed in its 2018 class.
RELATED: Breaking: Freshman RB Trey Sanders Expected to Miss 2019 Season
He played in four games last season, prior to taking a redshirt.
He’s toned up his physique this summer, sculpting his arms and adding power to his skill set.
Ford looked good in the Tide’s open practice on last week, as he displayed a burst with power and quickness between the tackles. He showed versatility as a pass catcher, making receptions out the backfield and quickly going downfield.
According to former Tide outside linebacker Jamey Mosley, he told yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine that Ford is a “star on the rise.”
He served as the team’s scout-team back in 2018 and per Mosley, Ford “gave the first-team defense great looks every time.”
He now has his moment to make a major contribution in the Josh Jacobs/Kenyan Drake type of role that the coaching staff had intended for Sanders.
Along with Ford, keep your eyes on Keilan Robinson and Chadarius Townsend.
Robinson, a four-star from Washington, D.C., has a low center of gravity and is a patient runner with speed and instincts. When it comes to Townsend, the Tide has rotated him between running back and wide receiver; however, the four-star may return to the backfield with the latest injury.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
