Alabama’s offense was far from the usual Crimson Tide unit in 2014. With Lane Kiffin calling the shots, the Tide were still capable of running the ball, but slung it around through the air as efficiently as some of the most prolific offenses in the country. While the offense was a machine, the running game didn’t have the same edge it did in previous. Will that change in 2015?

There were a few factors to Alabama’s running game not being completely up to par. The offensive line was dinged up and inconsistent for much of the year. Ryan Kelly, Cam Robinson and Austin Shepherd all struggled with injuries at various points. The running back corps had its share of injuries as well, with Kenyan Drake going down for the year against Ole Miss and T.J. Yeldon dealing with a variety of maladies.

Those issues, coupled with a handful of recent running back transfers, helped create a lack of depth and consistency in the backfield. The former won’t be an issue going into 2015.

Derrick Henry, who finished 2014 as Alabama’s leading rusher, appears ready to step into the lead back role previously held by Yeldon, who departs for the NFL. Drake should be back to full strength by spring practice, a remarkable recovery from a gruesome injury. While sophomore Altee Tenpenny is leaving the program, the depth behind those two will be staggering.

Tyren Jones showed flashes in his brief stints as a freshman in 2014, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, although he only got carries in six games. After him there will be a parade of youth — ultra-talented youth, at that.

DeSherrius Flowers, a four-star recruit from Mobile, Ala., is already on campus, as is former five-star Bo Scarbrough, who joined the team in Sugar Bowl preparation after clearing the academic hurdles that kept him off the team in 2014. Those two, both built in the larger mold of recent Alabama stars Yeldon and Eddie Lacy, will have a leg up in the race for carries behind Henry and Drake.

The biggest threat to overtake those two for carries is recent commit Damien Harris, the top running back recruit in the nation, according to several recruiting services. The powerful, explosive Harris has the ability to go down with names like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardsons if he can come even close to matching his potential.

That kind of talent creates a happy headache for coaches, figuring out who will earn playing time and who will take a redshirt. It can also create issues, with Tenpenny as the latest casualty of Alabama’s excess of running back riches.

In just the last few years, former touted recruits like Dee Hart, Alvin Kamara and Corey Grant have all left the Crimson Tide, a contributing factor to the Tide’s depth issues in 2014. The backs on their way in for 2015 won’t have as big of an issue with having their playing time blocked, as both Henry and Drake will be candidates to head to the NFL after next season.

Alabama likely won’t find enough carries in 2015 to keep all five of those talented ball carriers completely satisfied. The powerful Henry and versatile Drake will be first in line to eat, leaving the other four backs to fight for scraps. It seems a certainty that at least one of the freshmen will redshirt, staggering the talent infusion. The coaching staff will just have to hope they don’t need to worry about the injuries that plagued the running game in 2014 again in 2015.