This time, Alabama wasn’t so lucky. And now the depth chart at tailback is beginning to become a concern.
Freshman tailback Dee Hart had knee surgery Thursday morning, effectively ending his chances at playing this fall. Hart’s injury, coupled with the transfers of Corey Grant (Auburn) and Demetrius Goode (North Alabama) leaves the Tide with just three scholarship tailbacks.
The depth behind starting RB Trent Richardson, above, is getting thin following the injury to Dee Hart. (AP Photo)
And All-American candidate Trent Richardson escaped injury last week in a hit-and-run accident. The foundation of Saban’s teams at Alabama has been a punishing running game with deep backfield. There was Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram in 2008; and Ingram and Trent Richardson in 2009-10.
Both Ingram and Richardson played significantly as freshmen, and Hart was expected to follow the line of first-year players under Saban to make an impact in the running game. As important, Hart—who Saban raved about in the spring—was being groomed to return punts and was being compared to former Tide star returner Javier Arenas.
Don’t underestimate the loss of Hart, or the critical need for backup tailback Eddie Lacy and Jalston Fowler to give Richardson a quality breather. More than anything, Alabama can’t afford another injury at the position.
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