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Skinny: The Heisman Trophy Winner is a unique back in the sense that he has such precise footwork and balance to go along with his shocking acceleration for a back his size. Ingram runs with a purpose and has the ability to shed tackles at will with not only his size but his natural low center of gravity. He was slowed during his junior season by injury and might not have the top end speed needed to be a breakaway threat but he by no means looked slow at Alabama. Ingram is a very tough, experienced runner that makes decisive cuts because of his great vision and understanding of the game.

Latest: The Heisman Trophy Winner has been on our Underclassmen Radar for a while now but with Friday’s press conference now out of the way, Ingram will likely be the first runningback selected in this year’s Draft. Ingram’s 2010 season did not pan out as expected due to injuries and the emergence of Trent Richardson in the offense. That didn’t stop the product of Flint, Michigan from averaging five and a half yards per carry this season and scoring 14 total touchdowns just shows what kind of nose he has for the end-zone. Ingram runs very low to the ground and possesses the power needed to shed tacklers at will but it’s his superb vision that sets him apart from other backs in this class. He’s a lock for the first round this year.

2010: With the Heisman Trophy and a BCS Championship already on his resume, there’s not much more Ingram can do to impress NFL scouts. He is a big-time player who flourished on college football’s biggest stage, dominating the SEC and serving as the linchpin to the Crimson Tide’s offensive attack. He should be a solid first round pick who will likely hear his name called somewhere between 10 and 20 should he decide to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft. He is not the fastest back in the nation and isn’t overly impressive in terms of measurables, so it will be difficult for him to improve his stock…although the more you watch Ingram the more you like the hard-nosed runner. He is blessed with superb balance, superior vision, top-notch instincts and an unmatched will. Ingram can do it all—run between the tackles, turn the corner on the perimeter, take on would-be tacklers, make them miss in the open field, catch the ball coming out of the backfield, and hold off blitzers in pass protection. If the Flint, Michigan native can come close to an encore performance as a junior—nine 100-yard games, six games with at least 140 yards—he should be considered a lock to go in the top half of the first round next April. The only question will be whether Ingram decides to join the green room crew.

SCOUT'S TAKE

Pros: The Heisman Trophy winner is the true definition of a workhorse. He rushed the pigskin 271 times as a sophomore, including seven games with at least 22 carries. Playing in Nick Saban’s pro-style, smash-mouth offense Ingram proved last year that he can indeed be the focal point of a championship offense. Including both the SEC Championship Game and BCS Championship Game Ingram turned in nine 100-yard games (he rushed for 99 versus Tennessee) and rushed for 140-plus yards in six of those contests. The Alabama product is built solidly and runs with a very low center of gravity with exceptional balance. It is very difficult to knock Ingram off balance, which makes it nearly impossible to knock him out of his running lane or bring him down unassisted. While he’s not a thoroughbred, Ingram has exceptional burst, which allows him to both hit the hole at the line of scrimmage and get on top of the secondary with decent quickness. What truly stands out about the Crimson Tide running back are his instincts and desire—he understands the game of football and will do whatever it takes to win. Ingram is blessed with vision, patience and toughness. Not many backs are as adept at seeing the field, anticipating holes and making use of their blockers. He is also a fearless runner—the all-SEC performer hits holes and defenders with equal authority thanks to his powerful legs. His leg drive is well above average, evidenced by his ability to push a pile and effectively fight for extra yardage. Because of his anticipation Ingram is difficult to get a big hit on, which allows him to handle a large workload while remaining durable. The Michigan native is also an incredibly underrated threat coming out of the backfield as a receiver (32 receptions for 334 yards,10.4 yards per reception in 2009), where his instincts and natural hands make him a mismatch against any linebacker. Ingram has excellent versatility; he can play in any offensive or blocking scheme and run in-between-the-tackles or attack the edges. The national champ also shows excellent blocking ability which, when combined with his pass-catching skills, give Ingram the look of a true, three-down running back. His father, also named Mark Ingram, played 10 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL.

Cons: Despite the accolades and pedigree, Ingram is not an elite athlete. He is not going to wow anyone at the NFL Scouting Combine in terms of his measurables and will not remind anyone of Adrian Peterson, who is considered by many to be the standard for NFL running backs. His frame appears to be maxed out so he probably won’t get much bigger even as he matures. Moreover, don’t expect Ingram to be much of a home run threat on the NFL level as he lacks elite, long speed. This Crimson Tide runner did wear down some as the season went on and was not nearly as effective in his final two pre-BCS Bowl contests as he was during most of his award-winning season. Ingram ran for a season-low 30 yards (1.9 yards per carry) in Alabama’s regular season finale at Auburn and was limited to just 4.0 yards per carry (28 carries, 113 yards) against Florida in the SEC Championship game. This came after he averaged 5.5 yards per carry or better in 10 of the Tide’s first 11 games of the 2009 campaign.

Our View: While the Flint native was devalued by some coming out of high school because he wasn’t the biggest or fastest schoolboy runner, Coach Saban saw something in Ingram and was rewarded for it. Last year, as a true sophomore, Ingram became the first player in Crimson Tide history to win the Heisman Trophy…and he did it on the way to winning a National Championship. He may not stand out physically or grab the attention of onlookers the way Reggie Bush did as a collegian, but the man is an elite football player. Much like another #22, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, Ingram combines decent overall physical ability with truly top-notch instincts, desire and recognition abilities. It also has to be noted that the Alabama man is not substandard in any way as his size, speed and strength are all NFL caliber. Ingram is as dependable and consistent as they come—a true workhorse. In an NFL where that breed of running back is an endangered species, Ingram’s value—despite his lack of off-the-charts athletic talent—will be very high in next year’s draft should he forgo his final season in Tuscaloosa. It will be interesting to see how Ingram handles the bulls-eye on his chest that comes with being a returning Heisman Trophy winner—recently Jason White, Matt Leinart, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford all failed to repeat. In addition, Ingram may have to share more carries as a junior with true-sophomore Trent Richardson, who averaged 15 carries in Alabama’s final three games (he averaged nine carries through 11 games).

NEWS

09/15/10 - Alabama has confirmed that star junior RB Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and a top 10-15 prospect for the 2011 draft, will play this Saturday when the Tide faces Duke. Ingram missed Alabama’s first two games of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a minor knee problem just prior to the start of the season.

08/11/10 - Alabama junior running back Mark Ingram was asked if he has improved since last season. “Definitely,” he said. “I think I’m in better condition. I think I’m a better student of the game. I’m more aware of defenses, what they try to do in certain circumstances, what they do in this look, where my look might go if there’s a 3 technique. … Things like that. I’ve gotten better making my reads on the run, my hands have gotten better, my routes have gotten better. I’m just trying to improve every aspect of my game. There’s always room for improvement.” — Birmingham News

06/07/10 - Alabama running back Mark Ingram was asked by reporters at an award banquet if he plans on playing college ball after this season, and as expected Ingram stiff-armed the question.  "My main focus right now is being the best player I can be for this team and helping this team win games and win another championship," he told the Birmingham News. "Anything else is not necessary to talk about."

11/30/09 - Alabama tailback Mark Ingram was practicing normally during the media's viewing period today. For what it's worth, Ingram was not wearing a black, no-contact jersey because of the left hip pointer suffered last week. "I just kind of bruised it in the game, but it's getting better every day," Ingram said. "So I'll be ready for Saturday, most definitely." Despite rumors swirling around that Ingram may have been banged up prior to Friday's victory at Alabama (during which he rushed for only 30 yards on 16 attempts), Ingram shrugged that topic off in similar fashion. "I'm doing great," Ingram said. "My body feels great. I feel real good, to be honest with you."

11/29/09 - Alabama coach Nick Saban expects tailback Mark Ingram to play Saturday against Florida after suffering a hip pointer on the final drive against Auburn. "I think he'll be fine," Saban said today. "We don't think he has a significant problem. I think those things are a little bit painful, especially when you first get them. It was late in the game when it happened. He just never really had an opportunity to go back in. We'll see more tomorrow and how he moves around in practice, but we feel like he'll be fine for the game." Ingram said after the Auburn game that he'll be "all right" after suffering the injury, which took him out of a drive where Alabama turned primarily to his backup Trent Richardson. Auburn held Ingram to 30 yards on 16 carries, which was his worst total since last season's Sugar Bowl.

2009: Great vision and quick feet allow him to burst through hole or maneuver even in heavy traffic. He also has good lower body strength and stays low to the ground. Scouts have questioned his ability to pick up the blitz in pass protection. Ingram gets a great percentage of his yards after contact.

2009 Preseason: Alabama running back Mark Ingram performed quite well as a true freshman last season, racking up 728 yards on 143 carries (5.1 ypc) and a team-high (and Alabama freshman record) 12 touchdowns. He was a freshman All-SEC and should lead the way for the Tide's powerful rushing attack. The fact that Nick Saban isn't afraid to play his young players certainly helped Ingram last season, but it may ironically cut into his carries this season with newcomers Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson in the backfield mix. The talented depth doesn't end there for Saban as Roy Upchurch and Terry Grant will also be given long looks.