Alabama in a Pinch: Who Can Be the Emergency RB for the Crimson Tide?

On Saturday, Alabama lost running back Jase McClellan to a season-ending knee injury.

While McClellan wasn't the starter, he was still an important part of the offense as he had many carries.

With McClellan gone, running backs Roydell Williams and Trey Sanders will move up on the depth chart. However, a spot needs to be filled.

That's where the "emergency running back" comes in.

An emergency running back should have experience playing the position and potentially add a trait not found in the current trio. They should also not be a normal starter on offense.

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"We'll probably look at some of that, see how it works out. If some guy has experience playing that position we'll see how they might be able to develop and be an emergency guy. We've got several guys in mind but we'll kind of see how it goes," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban on Monday.

A player who can serve the position as an elusive back is Kool-Aid McKinstry. While McKinstry is normally a second-string defensive back, his speed and athletic ability make him perfect for the position. He played both receiver and defensive back in high school. His fame will only grow if he takes on the position.

A player that can serve the position as a power back is Christian Harris. Harris is normally one of the inside linebackers. Harris is a hard-hitting force who will be tough to take down if he played as the emergency running back. Harris played running back in high school.

One player that can serve the position as a receiving back is JoJo Earle. Earle is normally the punt returner and the second-string slot receiver. Earle's speed and route-running are a great pairing to make him a solid emergency running back.