Alabama football kicked off fall camp Thursday, Aug. 4.
Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to reclaim the crown of national champions. With the start of college football quickly approaching, the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews of the top 30 players on Alabama’s roster.
After previewing Ja’Corey Brooks, we made it to running back Jase McClellan at No. 20.
Jase McClellan
-Classification: Junior
–Position: Running Back
-Hometown: Aledo, Texas
-Height: 5-10
-Weight: 212 pounds
–Strengths: Speed, quick cuts, explosiveness, vision, versatility (receiver), contact balance, experience
-Weaknesses: Coming off a serious knee injury in 2021
SUMMARY:
A knee injury sidelined Jase McClellan in 2021 versus Mississippi.
Before the mishap, the native Texan was having a good season.
McClellan had five touchdowns, including three receiving and a blocked punt returned for a score. He brought versatility out of the backfield, quick cuts, speed, explosiveness, vision, and contact balance as a back. Alabama’s offense suffered when he got hurt because Bryce Young lacked a player to contribute in the passing game. McClellan has been training with former Auburn standout Robert Lester in Atlanta, Ga. The 5-foot-10, 212-pounder appears to have returned to pre-injury form and looks great in camp.
McClellan expects to be No. 2 in the rotation behind Jahmyr Gibbs.
He runs with power behind his pads. Roydell Williams is pushing for the spot because he likes to run defenders over, but McClellan is an all-purpose player. He is deadly to opposing defenses when healthy, and McClellan wants to be back on the field.
After wearing No. 21 in his first two seasons, the junior switched to No. 2. Several Tide players became special with that number, including Derrick Henry and David “Deuce” Palmer. Henry became Alabama’s second Heisman winner in 2015.
Hopefully, McClellan will stay healthy. It will be interesting to see what he looks like post-injury, but fans are ready for him.
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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.
