You’re not supposed to do what Jahmyr Gibbs is attempting.

That is, show up at Alabama, climb over all the other running backs on the depth chart and become a star in Year 1. During the Nick Saban era, that’s unheard of. The Tide have had 12 All-SEC backs since Saban took over in 2007. How many did that in their first year at Alabama, you ask?

Zero. Zip. Nada.

To be fair, usually being a true freshman at Alabama means waiting behind a Najee Harris, a Derrick Henry or a Mark Ingram. Even those guys couldn’t become lead backs who earned All-SEC honors as true freshmen.

But what Gibbs is attempting is different as a transfer from Georgia Tech. In fact, it should become more of the norm in the 2020s. There’s a wave of Power 5 transfer running backs coming to the SEC. Including Zach Evans (Ole Miss) and Noah Cain (LSU), we could start to see transfers finish among the conference leaders in rushing.

Dare I say, Gibbs’ path to that is as favorable as they come. Expectations are high, and for good reason.

If you haven’t watched or seen much involving the Georgia Tech transfer, here’s what you need to know.

For starters, we’re living in a different era of the transfer portal. Transfers are no longer guys who either lacked playing time or got in trouble. With immediate eligibility, you can be a promising player seeking a better situation. That’s Gibbs. Being a running back for a bad program means you only get so much work. Game flow works against you.

Consider it all the more impressive that Gibbs still averaged 15 touches per game. He averaged an outstanding 6.8 yards per scrimmage touch, which ranked No. 2 among ACC backs.

You’ll notice I said “scrimmage touches” and not carries. What’s the best way for a running back on a 3-win team to stay involved? Become a dominant kick returner and develop into a force in the passing game. Gibbs was just that. He racked up 465 receiving yards out of the backfield, and he finished 2021 with PFF’s highest receiving grade for a running back. He might not line up in the slot or out wide a handful of times per game like Georgia’s James Cook, but the route-running and ball skills aren’t in question.

The words “3-down back” are written all over Gibbs. In 2021, he had PFF’s highest receiving grade for a running back on 3rd downs since 2019. Bill O’Brien has to be salivating at the versatility Gibbs provides. He has speed, he can run through guys and he can make defenders miss in space. With all due respect to Trey Sanders, Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, Gibbs is the only player of that bunch who has been a true workhorse back at the Power 5 level.

This is a rare spot for Alabama to be in. Before Gibbs’ transfer, look at how little experience Alabama had returning:

  1. Trey Sanders, 102 career carries
  2. Roydell Williams, 67 career carries
  3. Jase McClellan, 63 career carries

None of those guys are in a “next-man up” role like we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing at Alabama. It’s possible that 1 or 2 of those guys carve out a legitimate role after dealing with injuries in 2021 (add early enrollee speedster Jamarion Miller to that group of potential contributors).

What seems more likely is Gibbs at least flirts with 300 scrimmage touches. Sound crazy? In 2021, Brian Robinson hit 306, and he was banged up with a leg injury from late-November on. Gibbs might not quite be at Robinson’s level between the tackles, but he’s close. Plus, Gibbs is already a bit shiftier and he’s better as a pass-catcher.

In fact, you could make the case that Gibbs is already a better pass-catcher than any Alabama back who came before him:

Here’s the other piece of this. All eyes are going to be on the returning Heisman Trophy winner. Ideally, O’Brien would take as much pressure off Bryce Young as possible and feed Gibbs those looks as a Draft-eligible back who can clearly handle the work. Screens have to be a fixture of the Alabama offense with Gibbs’ skill set. If wheel routes aren’t called for Gibbs, well, I’d be stunned.

And what if teams want to play drop-8 coverage to try and avoid getting picked apart by Young? Well, surely Gibbs wouldn’t mind running against 3-men fronts all day.

It’s safe to say that Young already approves of the new addition from Atlanta.

“That’s always a huge advantage,” Young said in March (via 247sports). “When you have someone explosive and dynamic that can make someone miss and make big plays on the field in the run and pass game, I feel like that’s huge for us, especially in our system. Obviously, it’s something that we want to incorporate. I’m excited for Jahmyr and for the entire running back room.”

Gibbs might not make a Jameson Williams-like impact at Alabama — obviously they play different positions — but at the same time, can we definitively say that he won’t? No way. At least not until we get a legitimate sample size of Gibbs with more favorable surroundings. We haven’t even mentioned the improved offensive line he’ll get in Tuscaloosa, which should improve those yards before first contact (I say that knowing that an inconsistent line just lost its best player in Evan Neal).

Nothing is guaranteed in the SEC. As crazy as it sounds, stardom isn’t guaranteed for promising players in Tuscaloosa. We’ve seen guys like Jahleel Billingsley and Agiye Hall show promise, only to find their way into Saban’s dog house and eventually into the transfer portal. But in recent memory, we’ve also seen guys like Williams and Landon Dickerson become invaluable pieces to Alabama’s title hopes.

Maybe the same will be true of Gibbs. Experiencing team success would be something new for a guy who was part of a pair of 3-win teams.

You don’t have to be a college football savant to understand why Gibbs left Georgia Tech for Alabama. He’s got an opportunity to step in and form a dynamic 1-2 punch with the defending Heisman winner. He’ll play for a program who has won more national championships in the Playoff era (3) than it has seasons not reaching the title game (2).

All signs point to Gibbs becoming the next great Alabama back, though he’d be the first of his kind as a transfer. It’s fitting that Gibbs is wearing No. 13 at Alabama. He’s trying to become the 13th All-SEC back of the Saban era.

Like the dozen before him, the path is cleared for takeoff.