G
Google News
The good news for the Alabama defense is that it returns four players -- linebackers Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses, safety Deionte Thompson and defensive end Raekwon Davis -- who intercepted passes during the 2017 season.
The bad news for the Alabama defense is that of the seven defensive backs who picked off passes a season ago, only one -- Thompson -- is back for another go in the Crimson Tide secondary.
Between them, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, Levi Wallace, Hootie Jones, Anthony Averett and Tony Brown contributed 11 interceptions to UA's total of 19 last fall. With all six of those players moving on, never in the Nick Saban era at Alabama has the defensive backfield been faced with replacing as much takeaway production.
Lost in the departures at safety, cornerback, star and money, though, is that it was Wilson who actually led the Crimson Tide in interceptions in 2017. In pacing UA in picks, Wilson became the first Crimson Tide linebacker to pull the trick since 1990, when John Sullins tied cornerback Efrum Thomas with three interceptions.
Despite missing the better part of four games due to a foot injury, Alabama's next great inside backer managed to pick off four passes as a sophomore, with his final theft of the campaign ending with Wilson, whose 2017 interception total represents a single-season standard for UA linebackers, in the end zone against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
Speaking of memorable interceptions, with UA on the ropes in a 20-7 game in the third quarter, Davis' gather of a deflected pass from Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game should have its own special place in the Bryant Museum. Without it, there's a good chance Tua Tagovailoa to Devonta Smith doesn't happen. Before Davis' big play, there was an interception by another Alabama defensive lineman, Da'Ron Payne, that put the Crimson Tide's elephant-sized foot squarely on the neck of Clemson in New Orleans.
In terms of the spots most often associated with interceptions, the following are players with legitimate game experience that Alabama brings back: Wilson, Moses and Thompson. That's it.
As for candidates most likely to fill in around Thompson in the secondary, first-team spots in the spring were manned by Trevon Diggs and junior college transfer Saivion Smith at corner; with Xavier McKinney at the safety position opposite Thompson; and Shyheim Carter at star. As for the dime, reserve safeties Daniel Wright, Jared Mayden, Keaton Anderson, who missed all of spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery, and Kyriq McDonald are possibilities for sub package roles.
Interception total for the nine defensive backs outlined in the previous graph against FBS competition during their UA careers (including Smith's one-year stint at LSU in 2016): zero, as in nada, nil, zilch. In case you're wondering, Thompson's lone interception came against FCS foe Mercer last November.
All of this is why -- in addition to Smith -- the possibility of another newcomer or two impacting the rotation in a system that regularly employs nickel and dime packages isn't all that farfetched.
Leading the group of fresh faces that recently made their way on campus was Patrick Surtain Jr., the nation's top corner prospect for the 2018 recruiting cycle, according to the 247sports.com Composite rankings. He will be joined by Josh Jobe, a versatile defensive back who could play anywhere in the secondary, and fellow four stars Jalyn Armour-Davis and Eddie Smith in looking to make an immediate impact.
Plenty of candidates from which to choose, beginning with a linebacker duo of Wilson and Moses that have every-down capabilities and extending to the defensive backfield, where an inexperienced -- albeit talented -- lot will be counted on to get the job done for a defense that ranked sixth against the pass among all FBS units last season.
Who ya got?
Continue reading...
The bad news for the Alabama defense is that of the seven defensive backs who picked off passes a season ago, only one -- Thompson -- is back for another go in the Crimson Tide secondary.
Between them, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, Levi Wallace, Hootie Jones, Anthony Averett and Tony Brown contributed 11 interceptions to UA's total of 19 last fall. With all six of those players moving on, never in the Nick Saban era at Alabama has the defensive backfield been faced with replacing as much takeaway production.
Lost in the departures at safety, cornerback, star and money, though, is that it was Wilson who actually led the Crimson Tide in interceptions in 2017. In pacing UA in picks, Wilson became the first Crimson Tide linebacker to pull the trick since 1990, when John Sullins tied cornerback Efrum Thomas with three interceptions.
Despite missing the better part of four games due to a foot injury, Alabama's next great inside backer managed to pick off four passes as a sophomore, with his final theft of the campaign ending with Wilson, whose 2017 interception total represents a single-season standard for UA linebackers, in the end zone against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
Speaking of memorable interceptions, with UA on the ropes in a 20-7 game in the third quarter, Davis' gather of a deflected pass from Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game should have its own special place in the Bryant Museum. Without it, there's a good chance Tua Tagovailoa to Devonta Smith doesn't happen. Before Davis' big play, there was an interception by another Alabama defensive lineman, Da'Ron Payne, that put the Crimson Tide's elephant-sized foot squarely on the neck of Clemson in New Orleans.
In terms of the spots most often associated with interceptions, the following are players with legitimate game experience that Alabama brings back: Wilson, Moses and Thompson. That's it.
As for candidates most likely to fill in around Thompson in the secondary, first-team spots in the spring were manned by Trevon Diggs and junior college transfer Saivion Smith at corner; with Xavier McKinney at the safety position opposite Thompson; and Shyheim Carter at star. As for the dime, reserve safeties Daniel Wright, Jared Mayden, Keaton Anderson, who missed all of spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery, and Kyriq McDonald are possibilities for sub package roles.
Interception total for the nine defensive backs outlined in the previous graph against FBS competition during their UA careers (including Smith's one-year stint at LSU in 2016): zero, as in nada, nil, zilch. In case you're wondering, Thompson's lone interception came against FCS foe Mercer last November.
All of this is why -- in addition to Smith -- the possibility of another newcomer or two impacting the rotation in a system that regularly employs nickel and dime packages isn't all that farfetched.
Leading the group of fresh faces that recently made their way on campus was Patrick Surtain Jr., the nation's top corner prospect for the 2018 recruiting cycle, according to the 247sports.com Composite rankings. He will be joined by Josh Jobe, a versatile defensive back who could play anywhere in the secondary, and fellow four stars Jalyn Armour-Davis and Eddie Smith in looking to make an immediate impact.
Plenty of candidates from which to choose, beginning with a linebacker duo of Wilson and Moses that have every-down capabilities and extending to the defensive backfield, where an inexperienced -- albeit talented -- lot will be counted on to get the job done for a defense that ranked sixth against the pass among all FBS units last season.
Who ya got?
Continue reading...
oke2: 
