A brief write up from BOL's Chase Goodbread.
Of all the things Alabama did well defensively last season in compiling one of the top stop units in the nation, a dominant pass rush simply wasn't part of the makeup.
Unlike the season before when Wallace Gilberry anchored the rush with double-digit sacks, it only took five to lead the Crimson Tide in that category last season.
<!--Start upshaw 200 Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/885/817034.jpg', '817034.jpg', 0, 267, 200, 1, 'Courtney Upshaw is among UA\'s options for the Jack position.', 'T.G. Paschal', 1249840413000, 'upshaw 200', 885, 'Align=Right'));</script><!-- End upshaw 200 Image-->Enter Sal Sunseri, the new outside linebackers coach who came from the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
"Sal has a lot of experience. He's able to contribute in a different way," said UA coach Nick Saban. "The one thing that we needed was a really good pass rush coach on our team and that's something that Sal's really good at, so the combination of him at outside linebacker and pass rushing is good."
Sunseri worked with one of the NFL's elite pass rushers at Carolina in Julius Peppers. The 'Jack' position, an outside linebacker spot in UA's defense that is counted on heavily for pressure on the quarterback, hasn't yet been manned by a dynamic playmaker in Saban's first two seasons.
"That's a big emphasis for us. We've got to get a better pass rush," said defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. "That comes from two things - if you cover a little longer you give them a little more time to get there and if you get there faster you don't have to cover as long. ... For us, coach Sal's done a great job coming from Carolina where he worked with ... Julius Peppers. He's brought a lot of new ideas, a lot of new energy. That's traditionally been coach Saban's style of defense where we've been successful at [pass rushing]."
Options for the role under Sunseri include Don'ta Hightower, who has been shuffled between the Jack spot and his accustomed weakside position, as well as Courtney Upshaw, Eryk Anders and others. Last year's starter, Brandon Fanney, was dismissed from the team during the offseason, creating an open competition in fall camp for one of the defense's most critical components.
Meanwhile, Milton Talbert - a career defensive end - has also practiced with the Jacks in fall camp.
"We probably have a few more defensive linemen right now than maybe we had a few years ago," Saban said of Talbert's move. "So this Jack position sort of is a combination of a defensive end and an outside linebacker and we just always look for any defensive linemen types that may be athletic enough to play that. That's how Fanney ended up there ... And [Talbert has] done fairly well actually, at that position so it may be something that works for us down the road or we may move him back to defensive line, and that probably won't be decided until after the first scrimmage."
Of all the things Alabama did well defensively last season in compiling one of the top stop units in the nation, a dominant pass rush simply wasn't part of the makeup.
Unlike the season before when Wallace Gilberry anchored the rush with double-digit sacks, it only took five to lead the Crimson Tide in that category last season.
<!--Start upshaw 200 Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/885/817034.jpg', '817034.jpg', 0, 267, 200, 1, 'Courtney Upshaw is among UA\'s options for the Jack position.', 'T.G. Paschal', 1249840413000, 'upshaw 200', 885, 'Align=Right'));</script><!-- End upshaw 200 Image-->Enter Sal Sunseri, the new outside linebackers coach who came from the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
"Sal has a lot of experience. He's able to contribute in a different way," said UA coach Nick Saban. "The one thing that we needed was a really good pass rush coach on our team and that's something that Sal's really good at, so the combination of him at outside linebacker and pass rushing is good."
Sunseri worked with one of the NFL's elite pass rushers at Carolina in Julius Peppers. The 'Jack' position, an outside linebacker spot in UA's defense that is counted on heavily for pressure on the quarterback, hasn't yet been manned by a dynamic playmaker in Saban's first two seasons.
"That's a big emphasis for us. We've got to get a better pass rush," said defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. "That comes from two things - if you cover a little longer you give them a little more time to get there and if you get there faster you don't have to cover as long. ... For us, coach Sal's done a great job coming from Carolina where he worked with ... Julius Peppers. He's brought a lot of new ideas, a lot of new energy. That's traditionally been coach Saban's style of defense where we've been successful at [pass rushing]."
Options for the role under Sunseri include Don'ta Hightower, who has been shuffled between the Jack spot and his accustomed weakside position, as well as Courtney Upshaw, Eryk Anders and others. Last year's starter, Brandon Fanney, was dismissed from the team during the offseason, creating an open competition in fall camp for one of the defense's most critical components.
Meanwhile, Milton Talbert - a career defensive end - has also practiced with the Jacks in fall camp.
"We probably have a few more defensive linemen right now than maybe we had a few years ago," Saban said of Talbert's move. "So this Jack position sort of is a combination of a defensive end and an outside linebacker and we just always look for any defensive linemen types that may be athletic enough to play that. That's how Fanney ended up there ... And [Talbert has] done fairly well actually, at that position so it may be something that works for us down the road or we may move him back to defensive line, and that probably won't be decided until after the first scrimmage."
