Let’s face it.

It’s Alabama. Everyone knows about their running backs – TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry – and Amari Cooper at wide receiver. These are household names and Florida fans likely know what their teams is getting into when they take the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

RELATED: Alabama represents a measuring stick for Muschamp and the Gators

Even with the big names at Alabama, the Crimson Tide’s success is very much predicated on some lesser known players, so here are five of them that all Florida fans need to be acquainted with before the Gators and the Tide kick off.

  1. CB Cyrus Jones – With Jarrick Williams sidelined by an injury and fellow cornerback Eddie Jackson also hurt, junior cornerback Cyrus Jones will have the responsibility of covering Demarcus Robinson, the Gators most dangerous wide receiver. Jones will have a disadvantage height-wise with his 5-foot-10 frame compared to Robinson who stands at 6-foot-2, but the Alabama corner is certainly no slouch. His physicality at the line of scrimmage should help make his job a little easier on Saturday afternoon.
  2. RB Kenyan Drake – Behind TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry, it’s tough for Drake to get much name recognition as the Tide’s third running back option, but he remains a player that could have an impact on Saturday. His production has steadily increased with every game and the junior back had nine carries for 59 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Southern Miss. He leads the team with four rushing touchdowns and could see some expanded playing time since Yeldon is banged up some.
  3. WR Christion Jones – There’s no denying that Amari Cooper is the Crimson Tide’s best wide receiver. The numbers clearly prove that. But with Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves expected to cover Cooper, his production may be limited. That’s where Jones comes in. The Florida secondary showed some vulnerability in the passing game last week, especially on the deep passes. With the Gators’ attention focused on Cooper, Jones may be able to take advantage of the weaker coverage on the other side of the field and put up some big numbers for the Alabama offense.
  4. TE OJ Howard – Coming into the season, Howard was considered one of the best tight ends in the SEC as he proved himself to be a dynamic receiver in 2013 (14 receptions, 269 receiving yards and two touchdowns). However, so far this season Howard has been a ghost. He’s been targeted just two times this year with no receptions. Head coach Nick Saban has talked about how they need to get him more involved, but his questionable blocking ability has hindered his playing time. At some point, you would have to think Howard reemerges as a key player in the offense and it could very well be this upcoming game against the Gators for the the sophomore.
  5. FS Geno Smith – The Alabama secondary will be thin against the Gators this weekend, especially in the first half. Safety Nick Perry will miss the first half due to a targeting foul in last week’s game, so it’ll be Geno Smith that will fill his shoes for the first 30 minutes. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Gators try and test Smith early down the field, but the Crimson Tide will need him to step up big time. Smith is usually the Tide’s starter at the Star position – the extra defensive back in Alabama’s nickel defense. He’s been a big part of the defense since 2012, so his experience will be a key for him during the brief position change in the first half.