Atlanta general manager Terry Fontenot picked up the same vibe from Jase McClellan when he welcomed the Alabama running back to the Falcons during the 2024 NFL Draft that he got when he did the same with Crimson Tide safety DeMarcco Hellams during the 2023 draft.
“You are chilling,” Fontenot told McClellan on April 27. “You Alabama guys are so composed, man. This is the same as DeMarcco’s call last year. Just real chill, man, real laid back.”
More stories on the NFL
Atlanta chose Hellams in the seventh round in 2023, and by the end of his rookie season, the safety was a starter in the Falcons’ secondary.
McClellan joined Atlanta in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, and Fontenot expects the running back to become a contributor, too.
“We look at hit rates on everything,” Fontenot said during his post-draft press conference. “What’s the hit rate at this point? What’s the hit rate on this? You were talking about taking quarterbacks in the third and fourth (rounds), and, man, that’s not a good hit rate. There’s different hit rates for every position. The hit rate on running backs late is really good, so we’re excited about him. Excited about the makeup.
“We like taking players from Bama. We took one last year, and it worked out pretty good.”
McClellan enters the NFL after leading Alabama in rushing in the 2023 season. He ran for 890 yards and eight touchdowns on 180 carries and caught 15 passes for 137 yards as a senior. During his Crimson Tide career, which included a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the 2021 season, McClellan had 1,981 yards and 18 touchdowns on 355 rushing attempts and 409 yards and six touchdowns on 40 receptions.
“A natural runner,” Fontenot said of McClellan. “Physical, strong back that’s three downs in terms of what he can do in the pass game. He can pass protect; he can catch the ball. Very excited about him. Another top makeup guy.”
McClellan joins a running-back depth chart in Atlanta that already has two young-but-established ball-carriers on it.
The Falcons used the eighth pick in the 2023 draft on Bijan Robinson. He ran for 976 yards and four touchdowns on 214 carries and caught 58 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.
Tyler Allgeier was a 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie for Atlanta in 2023, then had 683 yards and four touchdowns on 186 carries and 18 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown working with Robinson in 2024.
The Falcons have three other running backs on their offseason roster. Avery Williams missed the 2023 season because of a knee injury after working as Atlanta’s punt and kickoff returner in 2022, Carlos Washington Jr. spent his rookie season on the Falcons’ practice squad in 2023, and Robert Burns was on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad last season.
“I think it’s a great opportunity just to learn and work with some other great running backs,” McClellan said. “Just feed off each other, get better.”
McClellan will be on the spot to extend a streak for Crimson Tide running backs that dates from Nov. 17, 2007. That’s when the most recent conference or postseason game for Alabama was started by an eligible running back who did not go on to carry the football in an NFL regular-season game. That day, Terry Grant served as the Tide’s starting running back in a 17-12 loss to Mississippi State.
Since then, the only Alabama games started by running backs who have not had a rushing attempt in the NFL are two non-conference contests started by Grant and Roy Upchurch and the games started by McClellan and Roydell Williams. Williams has transferred to Florida State for the 2024 season. McClellan is on deck to keep the streak going with Atlanta in 2024.
McClellan made his first start against Southern Miss on Sept. 25, 2021. He started against Tennessee and Austin Peay in 2022 and 12 games in 2023. McClellan sustained a foot injury in the Iron Bowl that caused him to miss the SEC Championship Game last season. He returned for the Rose Bowl, but Williams started the final two games of the season.
McClellan is seeking to join a list of running backs that includes Glen Coffee, Kenyan Drake, Jalston Fowler, Jerome Ford, Jahmyr Gibbs, Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Josh Jacobs, Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Bo Scarbrough and T.J. Yeldon.
McClellan will get to work at the Falcons’ rookie minicamp on Friday through Sunday.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.