Nick Saban wants the dominant toughness that made Alabama football a revered program for over a decade in his tenure.
He made changes to the coaching staff in the offseason and brought in a new freshmen class that is hungry.
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Will it deliver the Crimson Tide to a College Football Playoff National Championship in the fall?
A passionate Alabama fan feels it will, and she thinks several young faces will play a role in it. In Tuesday’s “Top Fan” segment on The Bama Standard, C’Chi Payne broke down to the panel why she feels the freshmen will have a marquee impact.
“I think we are going to see everything come together with Tommy Rees and Kevin Steele,” Payne said. “What I think is going to happen is a lot of the new guys are going to get a lot of playing time. I am looking forward to seeing Qua Russaw, James Smith, and Keon Keeley. I think the most pivotal part is going to be the secondary. I don’t want to say it was all on the players, but the coaching was horrible last year. The players should have stepped up, though. Energy is transferrable, but that is when you step up as a leader. You either want to win or you don’t. I think we are going to see guys like Caleb Downs, Tony Mitchell, and Justice Haynes. There are a lot of opportunities, and I see us going all the way to an SEC Championship and the national championship.”
RELATED: Watch: Alabama RB Justice Haynes continues impressive training for his freshman year
Payne is also a big fan of Jake Pope, who had a strong A-Day performance.
We will see how many freshmen are about to make an impact when fall camp rolls in.
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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.
