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Four key Alabama subclasses are heading to the 2021 NFL Draft.
Defensive lineman Christian Barmore, quarterback Mac Jones, defensive back Patrick Surtain II and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle all announced on Thursday that they were leaving school. Their announcements come three days after Alabama capped a 13-0 season with a national championship victory over Ohio State.
Jones got into the first round conversation with a stellar junior season in a red shirt in 2020. He had 311 of 402 passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions in his only season as a full-time starter. . Jones has only had two games all season where he completed less than 70% of his passes and hasn’t had a multi-steal game all season.
Jones finished 26 of 45 for 464 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Ohio State. He first took on the role of Alabama starter towards the end of the 2019 season when Tua Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury against Mississippi State.
While Jones won’t top the quarterback list for the 2021 Draft with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and BYU’s Zach Wilson, he will likely be seen as an option for teams choosing in the back half of the first round.
Waddle returned for the National Championship game and made three catches for 34 yards despite noticeable lameness. He missed seven games after breaking his ankle returning the kickoff against Tennessee.
In six games, Waddle had 28 catches for 591 yards and four touchdowns. He was considered by many to be equal to Heisman winner DeVonta Smith on receiver as both players were in good health. In his sophomore in 2019, Waddle had 33 catches for 560 yards and six touchdowns. His most productive season came in first year with 45 catches for 848 yards and seven touchdowns. He will also be considered a likely first-round pick.
Christian Barmore was Defensive MVP of the Title Match
The two star defensive players who declared themselves for the draft on Thursday will also be possible picks in the first round.
Barmore and Surtain were two of the most dominant members of the Alabama defense. Barmore’s performance against Ohio State on Monday night was so good he was named Defensive Player of the Game.
The red-shirted sophomore had five tackles, two loss tackles and a sack. His tackle for loss in a fourth Ohio state conversion attempt smothered the Buckeyes’ realistic chances of winning the game.
Surtain is the son of the former NFL cornerback of the same name. He had 37 tackles and 3.5 tackles for the loss in 2020 with an interception he returned for 25 yards and a TD against Mississippi State. Few teams have dared to pitch in Surtain’s direction throughout the season and he finished the season with at least one pass defended in five straight games.
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