Robert Foster has been one of the first players in line, back among the top wide receivers during drills through Alabama's first four spring practices.

After catching just five passes as a redshirt junior last season, the former five-star recruit is being depended on to play a much bigger role this year and to get back to being the impact player he was in 2015 prior to suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

The early feedback has been good.

"I think he's playing better than he did a year ago," Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "and hopefully he will continue to improve and have a role on the team. I think we need for him to do that."

One of the Tide's fastest players, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Foster ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds during Alabama's spring testing last year.

Aided by that speed, Foster was emerging as the Tide's top wide receiver in 2015, catching 10 passes and two touchdowns in the first two-and-a-half games before suffering that season-ending shoulder injury.

Though he was back healthy last year, Foster ended up being just a little-used backup behind starting wide receivers Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and Gehrig Dieter.

Now, Stewart and Dieter are gone and sophomore Trevon Diggs, who caught 11 passes at wide receiver last season, is currently playing cornerback.

It creates a big opportunity for Foster, one of the few veteran and experienced options among Alabama's wide receivers.

Only three Tide receivers have more than five career catches, not including Diggs. Foster is one of them.

"Certainly a guy who would be a real plus for us because of the speed that he has, the vertical ability that he gives us on the outside," Saban said.