Alabama signed one running back in its top-ranked 2021 recruiting class, and now he is gone.
Respectable sources confirmed with Touchdown Alabama Magazine on Camar Wheaton entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal today. Reports swirled last week on him no longer enrolled as a student on campus and not with the team.
RELATED: BREAKING: Alabama RB Camar Wheaton enters NCAA transfer portal
The five-star from Texas did not play in the 2021 season after suffering a knee injury in fall practice. He totaled 3,731 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns at Lakeview Centennial High School, but Crimson Tide fans will not see Wheaton become a star in Tuscaloosa.
How does his departure affect Alabama’s running back room? The Tide will drop to six backs on the roster, but Wheaton’s decision to transfer does not negatively affect the team.
Alabama will have a four-headed rotation with Trey Sanders, Jase McClellan, Jahmyr Gibbs (transfer), and Roydell Williams. All four players have experience in college football, and Gibbs was a star at Georgia Tech. McClellan and Williams have performed well in offseason workouts after sustaining knee injuries.
Sanders dealt with a foot injury and a car accident that left him with a hip injury.
He will be healthy in spring practice.
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Nick Saban also signed two freshmen backs in Emmanuel Henderson and Jamarion Miller.
Henderson, a native of Hartford, Ala., was a household name at Geneva County High School. He recorded 3,543 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns in his career. Henderson was a three-sport athlete — juggling football, basketball, and track. He earned a five-star rating from Justin Smith of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Henderson is also a talented receiver out of the backfield.
Miller, a native of Tyler, Texas, dominated Tyler Legacy High School. He had 1,355 yards rushing, 380 yards receiving, and 20 touchdowns in his senior year. Miller owns the career record for rushing yards at Tyler Legacy with nearly 5,000 across four seasons.
He graded out as a four-star recruit per Justin Smith.
Alabama fans wanted to see Wheaton produce for the Tide, but it is excited about the players at the position for spring practice.
If the room can stay healthy, Alabama has strength at running back.
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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.
