USA Today ranks the Top 16 Alabama Football players of all-time

When thinking about college football, Alabama is one of the first programs that comes to mind. No school has more national championships than the Crimson Tide, having two of the best coaches to ever do it. But without their players, none of the success would have been possible.

Plenty of greats have come through Tuscaloosa and debates rage on about who has the top spot. Recently, the USA TODAY gave it a shot, ranking their top 16 Alabama players of all time.

There was a method behind the rankings, giving out points for team success, individual awards, and then polling others for their own opinions. A lot of names come from Nick Saban‘s time, starting off with possibly a surprising name at the top.

1. Derrick Henry

Few players in college football history dominated in a single season like Henry did. His 2015 campaign saw him go for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the country in carries at 395.

Most importantly, Alabama wound up winning the national championship. Henry’s 158 yards and three scores against Clemson in the College Football Playoff title game more than helped the cause.

2. DeVonta Smith

A wide receiver winning the Heisman Trophy in modern times is almost unheard of. Smith beat out a trio of quarterbacks in 2020 to win the award, including one of his own teammates (featured a little later).

Longevity certainly helped Smith out here, spending four seasons in Tuscaloosa. Instead of leaving for the NFL, Smith came back and produced an all-time great year in the midst of a pandemic.

3. Derrick Thomas

The first, but not last, name to play outside of the Nick Saban era. No other word can be used to describe Thomas other than dominant, continually living inside opponents’ backfields.

Until 2000, the NCAA did not officially keep defensive stats. If they did, Thomas would hold the career sacks record at the FBS level, recording 52. The same can be said about tackles for a loss in a single season, getting 39 in 1988.

4. Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa arguably produced the most famous play in college football history, walking off the national championship game against Georgia. Connecting with Smith on 2nd and 26, Mercedes-Benz Stadium was sent into a frenzy.

Alabama got almost two more years of Tagovailoa as its starting quarterback. Had it not been for injuries, he might have wracked up some more hardware and been ranked higher than fourth.

5. Lee Roy Jordan

An old-school name, finally, somebody from the Paul “Bear” Bryant days features. Jordan was a part of a national championship-winning team back in 1961. He even earned fourth place in the 1962 Heisman Trophy voting as a linebacker.

Bryant was highly complimentary of Jordan, saying, “He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen.” Incredible from a coach many still consider the greatest of all-time.

6. Bryce Young

Young never got a national championship as a starter at Alabama. But for two seasons, he shredded SEC defenses — even when some of the odds were stacked against him in 2022.

Winning a Heisman Trophy will always shoot you up the list. To this point, Young is the program’s most recent winner of the award.

7. AJ McCarron

McCarron was Alabama’s quarterback during possibly Saban’s peak years. Back-to-back national championships came with McCarron at the helm in 2011 and 2012. He then guided them through 2013 as well, a year not too popular in Tuscaloosa.

No Heisman Trophy success in factored into the equation, never being up for the award. However, McCarron was a first-team All-American and won the Maxwell Award in 2013.

8. Will Anderson Jr.

If anyone in Alabama history comes close to Thomas, numerically or from a legacy standpoint as a pass rusher, it’s Anderson. From the moment Anderson stepped onto the field in a Crimson Tide uniform, he was an issue.

Awards stacked up in 2021 and 2022. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, along with being a unanimous All-American selection. Five individual trophies were won by Anderson too, being incredibly decorated.

USA TODAY’s top 16 Alabama players of all-time: Nos. 9-16

9. Barrett Jones
10. Antonio Langham
11. Joe Nammath
12. Mark Ingram
13. Mac Jones
14. Najee Harris
15. John Hannah
16. Jonathan Allen