The Alabama Crimson Tide hauled in the No. 2 recruiting class in the country but the Tide's biggest addition could have come by way of the transfer portal. Nick Saban, always on the lookout for talent, plucked Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of the transfer portal and could make him a primary piece of the Tide's 2022 offense.

Owner of Thebigspur.com JC Shurburtt joins Inside the Locker Room each week to break down college athletics and had extremely high praise for Dalton, Georgia native.

If you're talking Heisman next year, don't count this guy out. Georgia Tech is a dumpster fire of a football team. I'm telling you, you may think I'm crazy because he only rushed for what, 800 yards last year? In Alabama's offense, with the way that he can run the football, don't count him out. He's an elite running back. Elite. Elite. It's just, his supporting cast at Georgia Tech was awful, and I've thought that since he was a high school recruit.

 

You put him behind that offensive line, with that passing game and that quarterback, he's going to get a lot of yards. I think he's better, I thought out of high school he was better than Trey Sanders, and I still think he's better than Trey Sanders. Now watch Trey Sanders actually win the Heisman, how about that?

 

But you know, Gibbs was a very sneaky good transfer portal pickup for the Tide just because he was kind of a one man show at Tech again a bad team a bad program right now. He's going in and going to have a supporting cast so he can do his thing, really good balance, vision and speed, things you look for in a running back. I think he can be special and honestly it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up rolling up a bunch of yards and getting in that Heisman talk.

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Gibbs joined the Tide as a former 4-star recruit in the 2020 class. The 5-foot-11 junior will have every opportunity to earn a big role for the Crimson Tide given the current state of the Alabama running back room.

Alabama has both Jace McClellan and Roydell Williams returning from ACL injuries sustained in 2021, junior Trey Sanders has had a slew of injuries slow him down and Alabama also welcomes freshman Emmanuel Henderson and Jamarion Miller.

In 19 games for the Ramblin' Wreck he rushed for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns, he also caught 59 passes for 768 yards and five touchdowns. In addition to his work on offense, Gibbs contributed 794 yards and a touchdown on 31 kickoff returns.

Alabama has already proven its ability to turn transfer portal players into stars in the likes of Jameson Williams and Henry To'o To'o. Spring practice starts on Friday for the 2022 season and the north-Georgia native has a great opportunity to make his name known.

 

Alabama Crimson Tide All-Time Rushing Leaders

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