Even among a sky full of stars, some shine the brightest. And even among a roster full of 5-star athletes like the one the Alabama Crimson Tide enjoys every year, not all players are at the same level of excellence. Many players will dot NFL rosters in the future, so ranking them isn’t exactly easy.

So as summer swings to fall, this is a natural time to scan the skies and break down the Top 10 Crimson Tide players (so far…) in 2019!

10. Brian Robinson, running back

Key stats: 36 carries, 138 yards, 2 TDs; 4 receptions, 54 yards

Comment: Sure he’s a backup, but he’d be a starter for most programs. He scored a TD against Duke in the opener. He had 11 carries for 57 yards against New Mexico State, and scored his 2nd TD as part of an 8-carry, 39-yard effort against Southern Miss.

9. Patrick Surtain II, defensive back

Key stats: 12 solo tackles, 16 total tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles

Comment: The sophomore son of a former NFL All-Pro, Surtain is paving his own way to the league in style this season. He has rebounded nicely from an up-and-down freshman season. Surtain forced a fumble against Duke, then forced another and picked off a pass against New Mexico State.

8. Najee Harris, running back

Key stats: 45 carries, 266 yards, 1 TD; 7 receptions, 104 yards, 3 TDs

Comment: The Tide’s leading rusher through 4 games, the junior notched his rushing touchdown against New Mexico State. But the real surprise is the dimension he’s added as a receiving threat. He had 10 receptions for 52 yards and 0 scores in his first 2 seasons at Alabama. Already this year, he has caught 7 balls for 104 yards and 3 TDs. He’s tied for 3rd on the team in TD catches. He’s a weapon in the screen game. He caught 2 touchdown passes against South Carolina and one more against Southern Miss — against whom he also gained a season-high 114 yards on 10 carries.

7. Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver

Key stats: 11 receptions, 197 yards

Comment: One of Alabama’s Big 4 receivers, the sophomore is the youngest of the bunch and the only one to have yet found the end zone. He had 7 TD catches last season, so it’s only a matter of time. His 5-catch, 90-yard effort against Duke was the most productive to date.

6. Anfernee Jennings, linebacker

Key stats: 13 solo tackles, 20 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Comment: The redshirt senior is putting together a season-long NFL interview reel, having recorded sacks against New Mexico State, South Carolina and Southern Miss and adding a forced fumble against the Gamecocks.

5. Xavier McKinney, defensive back

Key stats: 16 solo tackles, 28 total tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble

Comment: The junior is arguably the leader of the Tide secondary, and is proving it each week. McKinney forced a fumble against New Mexico State, and turned in a tackle for loss and an interception against South Carolina.

4. DeVonta Smith, wide receiver

Key stats: 20 receptions, 263 yards, 3 TDs

Comment: The junior has been solid in all 4 games, but had a breakout performance against South Carolina — catching 8 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 5 catches for 54 yards and a score against Duke, often drawing single coverage when secondaries concentrate on Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. “I think they’re all phenomenal,” New Mexico State coach Doug Martin said. “What makes them so dangerous is they’re so balanced. They can run the ball, they can hit you with a pass, they can run the RPOs. They’ve got a lot of weapons.”

3. Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver

Key stats: 16 receptions, 350 yards, 4 TDs; 1 carry, 75 yards, 1 TD

Comment: An absolute speed merchant, the junior has been torching defenses with more frequency all season. Ruggs took a 75-yard run to the house against New Mexico State and also caught 4 passes for 66 yards and a score against the Aggies, caught 6 passes for 122 yards and a TD against South Carolina, and hauled in 4 passes for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns against Southern Miss.

“Coach Saban always says ‘Get downhill,’ so that’s the first thing I’m thinking – when I grab it I have to get downhill,” Ruggs said after the Southern Miss game. “When I see space, I trust my speed.”

2. Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver

Key stats: 30 receptions , 404 yards, 6 TDs

Comment: The Tide’s leading receiver, Jeudy caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a TD against Duke to start his junior season with authority. He followed that effort up with an 8-catch, 103-yard, 3-TD effort against New Mexico State. Jeudy was held scoreless against South Carolina (6 catches, 68 yards), but got back into the end zone twice against Southern Miss (6 catches, 96 yards).

“Jerry is a smart player. He plays hard,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said after the New Mexico State game. “He’s got a good understanding of the offense, and he has a good understanding of what people do to try and stop him on defense. … He is a pretty complete guy when it comes to being a really good receiver.”

1. Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback

Key stats: 87-of-112, 1,300 yards, 17 TDs; 12 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD

Comment: This is as no-brainer a pick as it possibly gets. Not only the best player on Alabama’s roster, but arguably the best college football player in America, Tagovailoa is off to a gigantic start to his junior season. Tagovailoa’s stat lines are insane. He threw for 336 yards and 4 TDs against Duke, 227 yards and 3 TDs (along with a TD run) against New Mexico State, a career-high 444 yards and a school-record 5 TDs against South Carolina, then equaled that single-game TD mark with 5 more TDs and 293 yards against Southern Miss.

Tagovailoa ranks 4th nationally with a 77.7% completion percentage, 5th with 1,300 passing yards, tied-2nd with 17 passing TDs, 3rd in passing efficiency (225.3 rating) and 3rd in yards per pass attempt (11.61).

“They’re going to be one of the best, if not the best, offense in college football with that type of exploding,” Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson said. “The quarterback …. I mean he just doesn’t make a bad throw. That’s probably four straight games, so he’s a special football player.”