Who Will Replace Collins, Cooper, Yeldon?

Today, it was officially announced that Landon Collins, Amari Cooper, and TJ Yeldon will be entering the 2015 NFL Draft. As we see them off to their professional careers, the next step is replacing these Alabama greats. Question is, who can do it?

Landon Collins has been a household name for Alabama fans since before he enrolled at The Capstone. We all remember his verbal commitment on national television, as his mother was visibly upset and adamant that he attend Louisiana State University.

As for on the field reputation, Collins was known as a tackling machine. Some have compared his open field tackling ability to that of former Tide safety Mark Barron. Even during his freshman year when he was primarily on special teams duty, his effort and hustle garnered him popularity with the Crimson Tide fan base, and apparently NFL scouts.

Most would argue that the Tide's secondary has been its weakness the past two seasons, but Collins was one of the bright spots in the defensive backfield. So who will be ready to step in a fill Collins's shoes?

One of the most experienced players for Nick Saban's defense will be redshirt senior Jabriel Washington, so, almost by default, he has to be the leader going into the off-season as the number one safety. He saw considerable playing time this past season, and his superb athleticism has to give him an early advantage to start next year, especially in this day and age of fast paced, athletic offenses.

Another name who could be mentioned as Collins's replacement is sophomore Laurence "Hootie" Jones. Jones was not only one of the top defensive back prospects in the nation, but one of the top overall prospects. He is athletic and was known in high school as a great coverage safety. Look for Hootie to get some significant playing time next year.

T.J. Yeldon is quite possibly the quietest, least talked about great running back in Alabama football history. He broke records set by Trent Richardson, Shaun Alexander, and Bobby Humphrey. Yeldon was the only running back in Alabama history to rush for 1,000+ yards during his first two years at Alabama, and had was just short of setting the all-time rushing record for the Crimson Tide (in just three seasons).

Obviously, the first name that comes to mind when talking about next year's running back options is none other than Derrick Henry. Henry was an unstoppable force when he ran the ball this season, leading the Tide with 990 yards and averaging 5.8 yards per rush. No doubt he will be considered the #1 back next year, but who will he split carries with?

Assuming Kenyon Drake isn't ready to play next season after his gruesome season ending injury this past season, Tyren Jones has proven to be a hard running ball carrier, and he'll have one more year under his belt to learn the playbook and improve at pass protection and blitz pick up.

Another name that may need to be considered next season is recent Alabama commit Damien Harris. Harris is a 5 star running back from Kentucky and is built similarly to Yeldon. He stands at 5'11" 205 lbs and has light feet. Look for this freshman to push for playing time next season.

Not only is Amari Cooper one of the best receivers to ever play at Alabama, but he's one of the best players to ever play in Tuscaloosa. "Replacing him" is almost a nonsensical phrase, but someone will have to fill in the #1 wide receiver spot left by Coooooooop.

Chris Black came in the same recruiting class with Amari Cooper, both were freshmen during the 2012 season. He has playmaker abilities and while he doesn't possess world class speed, he definitely isn't the slowest player in the world.

Redshirt freshman ArDarius Stewart saw some playing time this season, catching 12 passes for 149 yards. His busiest game was in the blowout win over Western Carolina, but with the departure of not only Cooper but Christion Jones and DeAndrew White as well, Stewart should at least be in the running to see the vast majority of the snaps next year.

One of the highest profile recruits of the 2014 class, Cameron Sims is a big target that will be a mismatch on any defensive back he'll go up against next year. The only question with Sims is how well can he run routes? He saw limited action this past year, usually coming in for mop up duty, but at 6'4" and 208 lbs, there isn't a defensive back in the country who can match-up with him from a physical stand point.

Not only is the University of Alabama losing three greats in Collins, Cooper, and Yeldon, but it's losing three great young men who all have promising futures in the NFL.