Five 2nd Year Players to Keep an Eye On

All Alabama fans know of Evans from the fact that Nick Saban was able to snag the 5-star linebacker out of Auburn High School away from the Auburn Tigers, even after he had already verbally committed to Auburn. Evans played a limited number of minutes last season, but saw action in 13 of the 14 games. Given his physical abilities, he should be competing for significant playing time at the SAM linebacker position, as he was usually the third stringer behind Denzel Devall and Dillon Lee.

Who is going to replace Amari Cooper? Well, to be honest, you don't simply replace a receiver of his caliber, but one player who has the ability to fill those shoes is sophomore Cam Sims. Sims. like Evans, only saw limited playing time, usually in mop up duty, but possesses the physical tools to be a match-up problem for any defensive back. Standing at 6'4" and weighing in at 208 lbs, Sims is a big body who can move and has the capability to beat DBs over the top. Look for Lane Kiffin to utilize Sims in a similar manner as he did for Cooper.

One of the top defensive lineman prospects coming out of high school in 2014, Da'Shawn Hand will add even more bulk to an already huge defensive line for Alabama; a unit that is considered by some as the best unit in all of college football. At 6'4" and 273 lbs, Hand will be a hand full for any offensive lineman (pun intended), and don't be surprised to see him start against the Wisconsin Badgers on September 5.

Son of legendary Tide running back Bobby Humphrey, Marlon is a physical freak at the cornerback position. Humphrey is a track star for Alabama's Track and Field team, but his stature is what makes him special. He is listed as 6'1" and 186 lbs, but since the end of the 2014 season, Humphrey has put on some muscle weight, and he doesn't seem to still be only 6'1". If he continues to grow as a football player, Alabama fans may be giving him the same praise as they gave former All-American cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

A list of 2nd year players wouldn't be complete without a player who is the best in the country at his position. J.K. Scott may be the best punter I've ever seen, and he was snubbed of the Ray Guy award last year. He averaged 48 yards per punt last season, which led the nation. Not often is a punter considered a weapon to a football team, but when one can flip the field position like Scott can, he becomes an important part of a team's game plan.