It's time for Lane Kiffin to buck his history in 2015
Lane Kiffin is a man with a reputation. There’s been more than enough written about his negatives and probably not enough about his positives, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.
Alabama’s offensive coordinator is an Xs-and-Os master, which was never clearer than when he coordinated the most prolific passing offense in Crimson Tide history last year with a first-year starting quarterback. He did it in the same way he’s run three of his last five college offenses: loading up one outstanding receiver with a tremendous workload, even though Nick Saban would have liked for him to run the dang ball a little more.
This year, it seems likely that Kiffin will have his first 1,000-yard rusher since 2011 (although Alabama had two runners top 900 yards last fall). It seems just as likely that Kiffin will go away from his passing philosophy.
It his three full seasons at Southern California, Kiffin’s offense twice featured a receiver with more than 100 catches: Robert Woods in 2011 and Marqise Lee in 2012. It’s worth noting that in those two years, Woods and Lee flip-flopped as the team’s secondary receiver, both recording more than 70 catches in their year as No. 2.
Last year at Alabama, with Biletnikoff Award winner Amari Cooper smashing Alabama and SEC records en route to 124 grabs in 2014, the Tide had Kiffin’s busiest receiver yet, with no real help behind him; Cooper had more catches than Alabama’s next five leading receivers combined.
In 2015, it would be a shocker if that repeated itself. Instead, Alabama’s receiving corps should more closely resemble Kiffin’s first and last Southern Cal team’s. In both of those years, the Trojans effectively had two receivers split the No. 1 option role.
When ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster split MVP honors in Alabama’s spring game, combining for 14 catches and 250 yards, that dual-No. 1 setup became the clearest route possible. The top two receivers in the class of 2013 have bided their time, first as redshirts then as reserves behind the veteran trio of Cooper, Christion Jones and DeAndrew White. Now, they’re ready to burst onto the scene together.
While it’s entirely possible that one of the receivers will separate over the course of the season — Foster, who was a five-star recruit and has all the physical tools to play the role of dominant outside receiver is the likelier candidate — it would be more beneficial for the offense’s new quarterback to have multiple options to target out wide instead of focusing on one player.
Despite the veterans last year, Alabama has more players ready to contribute this season than a year ago. Chris Black, another former five-star recruit, is poised to finally have a breakout year playing in the slot. There’s also Kenyan Drake, who will feature as one of the most dangerous pass catchers out of the backfield in the SEC.
Alabama’s offense is all but guaranteed to have more balance than it did a year ago. Cooper was a unique talent; as good as Foster or Stewart or any of Alabama’s other receivers might be, none will be a top-five NFL pick next spring. On top of that, Derrick Henry is ready to handle a massive workload at running back, and Kiffin will have no choice but to heed Saban’s pleas to feed him.
The Crimson Tide aren’t going to have another 120-catch receiver, not in 2015 and likely not anytime soon. But two receivers matching and exceeding Cooper’s totals from last year together is an outcome that would keep Alabama’s offense near the top of the SEC.