Defense overview

Statistically, Alabama wasn’t really all that bad in 2019, as offenses continue to run wild under lax rules that make it possible. But too many times, Alabama couldn’t get that one key stop it needed. Nowhere was that more evident than against LSU, a game that probably ended Alabama’s hopes at making the playoff well before Auburn came along and finished them off. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is under the microscope for sure this season, because Alabama has all the pieces it needs.

Injured players return at linebacker and the defensive line is as deep as it has ever been. Alabama also made a significant change in the coaching staff, bringing in Freddie Roach to help the line change its perspective. The big questions are in the secondary, where there is plenty of raw talent but also where graduation and the NFL Draft claimed a few bounties. It’s imperative for the front seven to pick up the slack, especially with Alabama getting a little less explosive under center on offense.

DEFENSIVE LINE

This is probably the deepest unit Saban has had at Alabama, although it is not without questions. Having LaBryan Ray back at the tackle/end combo position is a huge plus, as the line seemed to fall apart a bit after Ray’s foot injury in 2019. Ray’s very return was in question for awhile given the nature of the injury, so this was a huge boon.

Christian Barmore will probably start opposite Ray, although he could move inside and start at nosetackle, too. Barmore is arguably Alabama’s most disruptive and flexible lineman since Marcell Dareus, as his motor allows him to defy tidy descriptions regarding his abilities. He’s the only proven pass-rusher on the roster, although Ray was making strides there as well.

If Barmore stays at end, D.J. Dale will again start in the middle. Dale got off to a strong start in 2019 but by the end was having to sit against pass-happy teams as the physical toll seemed to be too much for the true freshman. It’s for that reason that having Phidarian Mathis available to back up all three positions is a huge plus. Mathis was one of Bama’s most productive players last year when analyzed for statistical impact, perhaps not in his own numbers but rather the effect he had on teammates when he was in the game.

Byron Young and Justin Eboigbe both struggled as true freshmen, rarely making an impact, and Eboigbe fought nagging leg injuries on top of it. Bama is expecting big things from both, and the frustration at their development (or lack of it) may have played a huge role in Roach’s hiring. Stephon Wynn Jr. has remade his body and now figures in as a reserve both inside and outside.

Braylen Ingraham played sparingly down the stretch and was also thought to be in the mix, but word has leaked out that he may be considering opting out. One of the more intriguing names is Ishmael Sopsher, a big-bodied inside player who finally got on the field late in the year. He has a ton of potential, but may be on a path similar to Barmore, where it took him a year or two to find his way.

True freshmen Jamil Burroughs, Tim Smith and Jah-Marien Latham round out a unit that goes four teams deep. Burroughs is probably the most ready out of that group, but a better bet is that all will redshirt. Walk-on L.T. Ikner, who came from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, was once a quality recruit out of Daphne and might find a role. There is a lot of untapped potential in this group, and they need to show it quickly.

LINEBACKERS

Alabama went from having veteran outside linebackers and green inside linebackers in 2019 to the opposite in 2020. The big news is the return from injury of MLB Dylan Moses, who will step directly back into his old role, and of role player Joshua McMillon, who will probably be the top backup at weakside linebacker and play situationally at outside linebacker as well. Both are seniors, and the on-field leadership both will bring will be welcomed.

Christian Harris appears to have held off McMillon at weakside linebacker, but Harris needs to continue to develop, especially in interior run defense. He made great strides from his high school senior year, when he basically played a rover LB/safety hybrid, to weakside linebacker on an SEC team last year, but there were times he looked either lost, physically overmatched or both.

Backing up Moses will be Shane Lee, who was good as a run plugger in 2019 but had all kinds of struggles in pass defense. Brandon Ale Kaho has added about 20 pounds since the end of 2019 and could find a role at either position as a coverage linebacker. Probably the biggest surprise of camp so far has been Jalen Moody, who went from being well on the outside of the playing rotation to being in the thick of competition.

Alabama lost Markail Benton to transfer over the summer, not good news from a pass defense standpoint as Benton had the speed to keep up with backs out of the backfield. Having Harris and Kaho available, along with the return of Moses, is crucial. True freshmen Demouy Kennedy and Chris Braswell are both talented, but blocked at the moment from getting a lot of playing time. Kennedy looks like the next great middle linebacker for Alabama, while Braswell out to end up on the weakside eventually. As for outside linebackers, it’s now or never for both projected starters.

Christopher Allen finally had some flashes in 2019, but he has typically been more effective in limited snaps. The shock of camp has been the emergence of fifth-year senior Ben Davis at strongside linebacker after four years spent buried on the depth chart. Davis started to make a little noise in 2019, and it seems to have carried over and then some. It remains to be seen which one will come off the field in nickel alignment.

True freshmen Drew Sanders and Will Anderson Jr. have displaced more veteran players as the backups, and both will push the upperclassmen in front of them for starting jobs. Anderson in particular is drawing comparisons to superstars, with some saying he’s the closest thing Alabama has had to Derrick Thomas since DT left campus in the 1980s.

King Mwikuta showed enough late last year to play through a redshirt, and he’s likely the top veteran at either outside position. Jarez Parks and Kevin Harris II are holdovers still fighting for a role (although Parks is another rumored to be on the opt-out list), while true freshmen Quandarrius Robinson and Jackson Bratton round out the list of those battling. Bratton can also play inside if needed. Inside linebacker is Golding’s position group, so there will be extra scrutiny on the performance of this unit.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Alabama could be just fine here or could be in for a world of hurt. It likely will come down to the prowess of the new safeties, who don’t bring a lot of experience to the table. Daniel Wright has been around for awhile, a fixture on special teams, but injuries and a suspension slowed his move up the depth chart. This is do-or-die time for Wright, who is not the most physical of safeties and needs to prove he can handle the greater workload.

Jordan Battle looked like the next great Alabama safety at times during his freshman campaign in 2019, but other times he looked a step behind. Battle’s physical abilities ought to have him in good shape to grab a starting role.

At cornerback, Josh Jobe finished the 2019 season on a high note and should have one cornerback position locked down with Patrick Surtain Jr. returning to take the other. Surtain is the only full-time starter returning to the secondary. Beyond these four, it’s not just a mix of young names, but of players that can play multiple positions.

JUCO transfer Ronald Williams Jr. figures to be the starting Star safety, but he’s also in the mix at cornerback. Jalyn Armour-Davis has prototypical big-corner size and appears to have fully recovered from a knee injury suffered earlier in his career. Brandon Turnage, Eddie Smith and Marcus Banks are three holdovers who could all see time at either corner or safety. DeMarcco Hellams was a special-teams fixture as a true freshman and could also challenge for time as a run-support safety.

Of the incoming freshmen, two in particular – Brian Branch and Kristian Story – are worth watching closely. Branch has been running with the A-group for much of fall camp, while Story is an explosive athlete who could play offense as well as defense. Jahquez Robinson and Malachi Moore round out the new arrivals. Expect some switching early on until Alabama gets what it thinks is its best group on the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS

It’s hard to accurately peg Alabama’s special teams because injuries and general ineffectiveness have belied the talent on hand in recent years. The best news so far in fall camp has been the return of Will Reichard at placekicker, with reports that he is hitting long kicks accurately. Reichard’s return gives Alabama real depth at placekicker, as Joseph Bulovas returns after having started for most of the last two years.

It’s not yet clear how Alabama will handle kickoff duties, as Reichard is too valuable to gamble on contact. He was injured last year trying to do double duty as the team’s punter, so a scenario where Bulovas kicks off and Reichard handles all scoring chances would not be a surprise, even though Bulovas lacks Reichard’s leg strength.

The real question is at punter, where Alabama has six options (seven if you count Reichard, which we don’t). It’s not possible to talk about punter without first addressing Skyler DeLong‘s situation, painful as it may be. DeLong had good camps both of the last two years, won the job both times, and then performed horribly in game action, eventually losing the job to Mike Bernier (twice) and Ty Perine, who returns for 2020.

But DeLong and Perine appear to have competition at the moment in the form of true freshman walk-on Sam Johnson, an Oak Mountain alum who reportedly handled some of the punting in the first scrimmage. Perine, who came to campus as a kicker/punter combo player (and is still listed as such on the roster) had a costly drop of a snap against LSU last year and after that, wasn’t really the same player. Bernier beat him out over Christmas 2019 for the right to punt against Michigan, and now Johnson may lead him in the competition with DeLong in third.

Jack Martin and Tripp Slyman are also battling for the job, with Slyman in the mix at placekicker, too. And then there is Air Force transfer Charlie Scott, who was the Falcons’ main punter for three seasons and averaged 40.8 yards per kick from 2017-2019. He also happens to be the younger brother of J.K. Scott, arguably the greatest punter in Alabama history.

As far as the return game goes, the disposition of Keilan Robinson throws a wrench in things a bit, but in general, Jaylen Waddle is going to be the man to watch on both kick and punt returns. Brian Robinson Jr. could end up being his compatriot on kickoff returns.

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