Coffee leaves Alabama after 10 TD seasonComment Email Print Associated Press TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama running back Glen Coffee will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft after a breakout season with the Crimson Tide. Coffee announced his decision Friday, following star offensive lineman Andre Smith into professional football. "I really enjoyed my time at the University of Alabama, but I think it is the right time for me to move on to the NFL," Coffee said in a statement. "Alabama has been a tremendous place for me to develop as both a football player and a person. I couldn't have asked for a better group of coaches." The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native told the Mobile Press-Register that the NFL draft advisory board projected him as a mid-round pick. Coffee ranked second in the SEC with 1,383 yards this season after starting only three games in his first two seasons. He gained 218 yards against Kentucky. Coffee's 117-yard average in league games was tops among SEC backs. Mark Ingram will be the most likely successor in the backfield. He was the league's No. 6 rusher with 681 yards and a team-best 11 touchdowns. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS GUY. A GREEN AND WHITE COFFEE JERSEY WOULD BE SWEET!!!
Are you Mike Tannenbaum? ... Anyways, Coffee just knows he won't have a more productive season - Mark Ingram will get more and more carries next season and 5-star freshman commit Trent Richardson will also get a lot of work. Former Fresno State and current Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain likes to run the football with A LOT of backs. He never commits to just one guy. I'm sure Ingram, Richardson, and maybe Roy Upchurch would have taken a lot of yardage and TDs away from Glen Coffee in 2009. It was kind of smart for him to come out now after his best season, but he isn't and never would have been an elite prospect. He looks like a decent powerback, but at 6'1 195, he doesn't have that great of a build and he'll probably run in the high 4.5s or 4.6s and slide into the 5th or 6th round. Coffee's pro future doesn't look too bright.
Electric, how much time do you spend dissecting the college game, and do you plan on taking Mel Kiper's positon when he steps down?
That'd be nice...that jerkoff only really works hard one month of the year. I pay attention to recruiting all year long -- it's always been interesting to me. I know about big time players before they are big time. I spend most of my time watching Fresno State and South Carolina...but I watch as many games as I can if I have the time. I'm really just a huge fan of the game.
Mr Coffee..., had a very productive season. I like that he's not a one-trick pony and can run well and also can catch the ball out of the backfield, plus he's a willing blocker. I would give him an opportunity no later than Rd 4. Could be a real surprise player, he might have done better staying at Bama another season. Another productive year would have really helped his draft stock in 2010.
REPEAT Former Fresno State and current Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain likes to run the football with A LOT of backs. He never commits to just one guy. I'm sure Ingram, Richardson, and maybe even Roy Upchurch would have taken a lot of yardage and TDs away from Glen Coffee in 2009. It was kind of smart for him to come out now after his best season, but he isn't and never would have been an elite prospect.
I'm not as familiar with McElwain as yourself, but I'd say 1400 yards of Coffee this past year wasn't exactly sharing the load. Why would Bama(McElwain), reduce Coffee's carries in 2009 if he stayed?? It doesn't make sense, if he did that with other Backs in the past. I still believe, if Coffee stayed another year and put similar #s, he would be a solid top 50 prospect. As of right now, Coffee may fall into rd 4.
Picked the worst time to come out as this might be one of the strongest Running Back classes in a LONGGGGGGGGG time and not many teams need a RB as opposed to other positions....... Round 5-6 with a good combine and interview.
Freshman Mark Ingram wasn't used as much until later in the season - he ended up with 143 carries to Coffee's 233 -- also Roy Upchurch was injured half way through the season he had 58 carries in 8 games and a quarter. So in 2008, Upchurch and Ingram totaled 201 carries - with Upchurch healthy and Ingram eased in, their involvement in the offense should go up. The worst thing for Coffee would have been: incoming 5 star running back Trent Richardson is considered to be one of the best, if not this best back in the entire country. He'll also get plenty of carries. Coffee ended up with less rushing TDs with 10, than the bigger, stronger, and faster freshman Mark Ingram, who had 12. Also, Bama next quarterback, whether it's Nick Fanuzzi or Star Jackson, will be a threat to run. The offense will become more of a spread, with a power running game attack. It will be fun to watch... Coffee's production would've dropped off in 2009.
I think it is a good idea for Coffee to come out now. He produced in the SEC which means something to many people. Others are right that Alabama will share carries and if Trent Richardson does come, he and Ingram would get a significant part of the load. Upchurch had a neck injury and may or may not play. (McElroy or Jackson will QB as Fanuzzi has transfered). More importantly for Coffee would be that both tightends and 3 of 5 lineman will move on. With a drop in line production likely as well as losing carries to other backs he would be hard pressed to match this years production. Coffee's pro status will depend on his 40 time. He does everything else well. Dependable blitz pickup, can run between tackles and decent hands. Not a true feature back but a guy who could play a long time in a multiback system. If he runs 4.55 I could see him go around round four.
Good stuff man...even if Bama loses all of those linemen, they'll still be in better shape than South Carolina. We don't even have a quarterback. I didn't know about Fanuzzi transferring, but Star Jackson looks like he'll be a good college quarterback.
Basically Spurrier isn't giving him a fair shot - the job is Stephen Garcia's and no one else's. Even though Smelley has played better than Garcia this season, Spurrier's too big of an idiot to see that there is an actual QB competition there. He never gave either of the two a chance to run the offense - see the QB-by-committee style offense he ran this year - The program has some serious problems and Spurrier is the biggest one. Smelley doesn't have much of a future in football and he would have to ride the pine for the rest of his career as a Gamecock. I know his brother is a member of the Crimson Tide and they're from Tuscaloosa - that might have something to do with it.
Hmm true but I think this RB class will garner more hype heading into the draft. Guys like Slaton, Forte and Chris Johnson werent held in good regard heading into the draft even though they shocked the world with their sickness. Could be maybe 3-4 really awesome backs in this draft.
Yes, the Smelley brothers are from Tuscaloosa. Chris is transferring and should be available to play baseball immediately. He'd have to sit out a year to play football, but no one knows if he's willing to try for just one year or just stick with baseball. His brother Brad has become quite a weapon at TE as a Freshman, but he may yet get his shot at QB also.
