Jase McClellan viewing matchup with home-state Texas as 'just the next game'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Jase McClellan was responsible for Alabama’s longest play of its 20-19 win over Texas last season. The then-junior running back found a hole between right tackle JC Latham and tight end Cameron Latu, burst through it and out-ran the Longhorns’ defense for an 81-yard touchdown that gave the Crimson Tide a 10-3 lead late in the first quarter.

A native of Aledo, Texas – located outside of Dallas and three hours north of Austin – McClellan had a number of supporters in the crowd at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium that afternoon.

“It was a wild reaction from my family because there were a whole bunch of them at the game, being that I’m from Texas,” McClellan said on Tuesday. “But that was just a great feeling.”

McClellan is one of two senior running backs on Alaama’s 2023-24 roster, along with Roydell Williams. But the former has more career touches after finishing the 2022 season as the Tide’s second-leading rusher behind Jahmyr Gibbs, a first-round pick in April. With Gibbs no longer in town, McClellan has stepped into the No. 1 back role in a loaded UA backfield.

He will be facing his home-state team for a second season in a row this Saturday when No. 11 Texas makes its first trip to Tuscaloosa in over 100 years. McClellan said he grew up in a family with a lot of Longhorn fans, but that didn’t sway his decision to go to school in Austin.

“My family was Texas fans,” McClellan said. “That’s somewhere they wanted me to go coming out of high school, but I didn’t see myself going there. My cousin (Jonathan Gray) actually played for them, so he tried to get me to go there, but I wasn’t feeling it.”

McClellan was the No. 6 overall player in the state of Texas during the 2020 recruiting cycle, per the On3 Industry Rankings. The nation’s 47th-best prospect, McClellan was actually committed to Texas’ top rival, the Oklahoma Sooners, before flipping his pledge to Alabama and ultimately signing with the Crimson Tide. With that in mind, he views this week like any other.

As for his family, however….

“It’s just the next game,” McClellan said. “I’m from Texas, so a lot of Texas people feel a little way about it. I’ve got a lot of family watching.”

McClellan, the other Alabama running backs and the Tide’s offensive line will face a stout Texas defensive front this week that welcomes back three starters from last year’s squad. The Horns only allowed 27 yards on the ground to Rice this past week and finished second in the Big 12 in rushing defense, surrendering an average of 125.69 yards per carry in 2022.

Prior to the top-15 matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium, McClellan discussed facing UT.

“Something big that they harp on is not letting a lot of run yards getting played on them,” McClellan said. “They play more coverage now, but guys, they try to stuff the box. That’s something they harp on. So just try to get runs on them. That’s a big thing we’re working on.”

Another point of emphasis for Alabama’s backfield is to improve in pass protection. The Crimson Tide gave up two sacks in the season opener against Middle Tennessee, but one of those was due to the running back not being able to pick up the blitzing Blue Raider defender.

“More attacking the guys coming in the hole rather than sitting there and waiting for them,” McClellan said. “There’s things we can improve on, but that’s what we’re working on this week as we look at film.”

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