re: Does it feel like there isn't enough love for TJ Yeldon?

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Nothing wrong with appreciating and respecting the players and coaches.

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As far as they act in a respectable manner, I agree. Yet I do not believe open discussion concerning their decisions is to be considered disrespectful. It is part and parcel of being a fan of the game.

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BamaGradinTn
Does it feel like there isn't enough love for TJ Yeldon?
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In our 3 biggest games(TAMU, OM, LSU), he has dominated.


Yeah, but his fumble last year against aTm helped get us beat, and his fumble this year against aTm almost helped us get beat. He doesn't just fumble...he fumbles in big games against big opponents in critical times and places on the field.

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Oh yeah...I remember it well. I agreed with you 1,000%.

The biggest problem is and quite frankly I said this when we were "not recruiting him" in fall 2011. He is a tremendous talent but he is unfortunately the worst combination of an all purpose back and a tall RB. People have called him and Drake a RB duo but they really do not compliment each other at all. Yeldon and Henry do though. Yeldon is 6'2" which means he takes all kind of unnesscary hits that 5'9" Trent Richardson for instance would not. But unlike Henry he still has the frame of an all purpose back in that he is lanky and wiry. These are not good combinations for a physical inside runner.

Yeldon is definitely a 5 star dynamic play maker but he isn't a power back at all. See Auburn stopping him when they knew he was getting the ball. The best play of his career the 2012 LSU Screen shows that Yeldon could be a deadly full time WR. But there is something about him I guess it is his body/frame but he never gets YAC. And he fumbles when even Trent and Mark wouldn't.

Yeldon is a great back but we see now why he wasn't the top priority for the staff in the 2012 class. Not until they lost out on Gurley/Marshall/Williams/Shell/Davis/Jones.

Yeldon is a really good back, but he's only the third best RB on the roster.

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Yeldon is the complete full circle from Kenneth "Dancing with the Stars" Darby in that regard.

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In Darby's defense, he played with some abysmal offensive lines. '06 stands out as the absolute low point. Remember Chris Capps?

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I think he is more of a change-of-pace back

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Bingo. He is great when backing up a power guy like Lacy. However it's pretty obvious that he just doesn't have what it take to be the every down back. That's why the staff's stubborn devotion to him is mindboggling. Let's assume that Henry didn't emerge until Bowl practice....Yeldon still didn't deserve to carry the load as much as he did over Drake or even Fowler. If there was ever a year to spread the ball around and really take advantage of our depth, this was it.

I still maintain that Fowler is criminally underused in short-yardage situations. The guy is a tank.

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Bingo. He is great when backing up a power guy like Lacy. However it's pretty obvious that he just doesn't have what it take to be the every down back. That's why the staff's stubborn devotion to him is mindboggling. Let's assume that Henry didn't emerge until Bowl practice....Yeldon still didn't deserve to carry the load as much as he did over Drake or even Fowler. If there was ever a year to spread the ball around and really take advantage of our depth, this was it.

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Granted Drake is the same type of back as Yeldon (though he has a gear few backs of any type have). But persistent rumors of his "antics" seem to be hindering his development. Hence his relegation last year to being Blake Sims blowout Zone read partner. His legendary "bans" from twitter (have to be from the coaching staff). And his lack of concrete carries this year and whole games he missed because of the dreaded violation of team rules which apparently can be anything from "Didn't bring a number 2 pencil to RB meetings" to "Gang Rape Gangnam style".

And sadly with Fowler he is never going to be what he was. He is unfortunately right at that weight range that any significant injury that leads to any weight gain means the loss of his athletic ability. Henry will have to watch this going forward, especially with his height.

And at the same time, after Yeldon's fumblitis last year I think Saban was hesitant to turn to another Freshman RB unless they absolutely had to. After all, Henry dominated Spring pre-injury and they were probably cautious bringing him back from that. Which means he probably lost key reps with the Ones (both in summer skelly and practice reps)

But Henry provided the true RB role that both Yeldon and Drake cannot provide. That while yes Henry is taller than both of them and is as big as Fowler he is a different animal altogether. He definitely deserved that 5 star rating. He despite his height is big enough that he is in no way lanky or wiry like Yeldrake. But at the same time he is more athletic than even Fowler was at his peak (and to those who forget Fowler pre injury was a big physical freak as well). Fowler and Henry both have bursts that no man their size should have. Sadly Fowler never got his back post that injury in 2012. But he is still athletic enough for a monster fullback.

I think we may see Yeldon "start", but Henry plays more during the game. I could see a three headed monster in the backfield.

I said frick you Nuss 100000000000x tonight. I expect an email from Saban tomorrow..I'll let you guys know what it says.