We all miss football. While we might not have it at the moment, the promise of a 2020 season can be a welcomed distraction in these trying times. To help get through it, BamaInsider is answering 20 important questions concerning the 2020 football season.
Today Tony Tsoukalas and Tyler Waldrep will provide their opinions on who will be Alabama’s next breakout player on defense.
What you need to know
Alabama saw its fair share of departures on defense this offseason. The Crimson Tide will be without its top two leading pass rushers in Anfernee Jennings and Terell Lewis as well as four of its five starters from its nickel secondary in Trevon Diggs, Xavier McKinney, Jared Mayden and Shyheim Carter. That being said, the return of Dylan Moses at Mike linebacker should offer stability to the unit while other younger players continue to step up.
With four openings in the secondary, Alabama will need several players to take on increased responsibilities. Jordan Battle should follow up a successful freshman season by taking on a starting role at safety. Meanwhile, Josh Jobe filled in nicely for Diggs during the Citrus Bowl and should occupy a starting spot at cornerback.
Alabama will certainly need to provide more pressure to compensate for its inexperienced secondary. Defensive lineman Christian Barmore looked like the Crimson Tide’s most dangerous pass rusher at times last season, while LaBryan Ray returns after missing most of the year with a foot injury. Outside linebacker Christopher Allen is well-positioned for a breakout season heading into his redshirt junior year. Alabama also brought in several talented freshman pass rushers, including five-stars Will Anderson Jr. and Chris Braswell as well as four-stars Drew Sanders and Quandarrius Robinson.
Today, we present the two defenders we feel are the likeliest to break into starring roles.
Tony's take
Not too long ago Christopher Allen was Alabama's hottest pass-rushing prospect. The former four-star recruit created plenty of buzz during the spring of 2018 following his first season with the Crimson Tide. However, that progress was snuffed out after the outside linebacker suffered a torn ACL the following fall.
Allen was solid last season in his first year back from the injury, tallying 4.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and two quarterback hurries while playing behind Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder got a taste of first-team football during the Citrus Bowl where he filled in for Lewis tallying three tackles including one for a loss.
Before that game, BamaInsider caught up with Aaron Sutton, who coached Allen throughout his childhood back home in Baton Rouge, La. The current high school coach still talks weekly with his former protege and said he has noticed a vast increase in the linebacker’s knowledge of the game.
“He’s pretty much obsessed,” Sutton said in December. “Everything that he regurgitates back is strictly football. He was a great mind in high school, but it was still some non-football talk he communicated back. Now he understands leverage and how to use it on the field and how to communicate it back when we are breaking down film.”
It’s easy to get excited about all the talented pass rushers Alabama is bringing into the program, but considering the likelihood of a limited offseason, there are bound to be some growing pains among the newcomers. If Allen is able to add maturity to his natural raw power and athleticism, he should be a force for the Crimson Tide next season.
Tyler's take
Christian Barmore only saw 15 snaps against LSU, but he played well enough to receive the highest defensive grade on the team from Pro Football Focus (PFF). Against the Tigers, Barmore assisted on one sack and recorded a solo tackle. PFF also credited him with two quarterback hits and one hurry.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it appears Barmore might have used that performance as a bit of a springboard. Despite never playing more than 21 snaps before LSU, Barmore averaged 43.25 snaps in the four games that followed.
Barmore received the highest defensive grade on the team (82.2) for his performance in the Iron Bowl when he played what was then a season-high 43 snaps. PFF credited the defender with four quarterback hurries that day. Alabama’s own coaching staff named him as one of the defensive players of the week for the second week in a row.
Affecting the quarterback is where Barmore shines. He finished third on the team last season with 26 total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) according to PFF. Terrell Lewis (48 pressures) and Anfernee Jennings (44) played 483 and 652 snaps, respectively. Barmore only played 269.
The big question with Barmore is, can he continue to be productive if given a larger workload? The chart below suggests he can.
His numbers against Michigan took a turn for the worse, but I’d chalk some of that up to rust. Remember, this was Barmore’s first bowl game. Overall, his performance remained steady despite a much larger workload. That suggests Barmore could be about to make that leap to the next level.
Today Tony Tsoukalas and Tyler Waldrep will provide their opinions on who will be Alabama’s next breakout player on defense.
What you need to know
Alabama saw its fair share of departures on defense this offseason. The Crimson Tide will be without its top two leading pass rushers in Anfernee Jennings and Terell Lewis as well as four of its five starters from its nickel secondary in Trevon Diggs, Xavier McKinney, Jared Mayden and Shyheim Carter. That being said, the return of Dylan Moses at Mike linebacker should offer stability to the unit while other younger players continue to step up.
With four openings in the secondary, Alabama will need several players to take on increased responsibilities. Jordan Battle should follow up a successful freshman season by taking on a starting role at safety. Meanwhile, Josh Jobe filled in nicely for Diggs during the Citrus Bowl and should occupy a starting spot at cornerback.
Alabama will certainly need to provide more pressure to compensate for its inexperienced secondary. Defensive lineman Christian Barmore looked like the Crimson Tide’s most dangerous pass rusher at times last season, while LaBryan Ray returns after missing most of the year with a foot injury. Outside linebacker Christopher Allen is well-positioned for a breakout season heading into his redshirt junior year. Alabama also brought in several talented freshman pass rushers, including five-stars Will Anderson Jr. and Chris Braswell as well as four-stars Drew Sanders and Quandarrius Robinson.
Today, we present the two defenders we feel are the likeliest to break into starring roles.
Tony's take
Not too long ago Christopher Allen was Alabama's hottest pass-rushing prospect. The former four-star recruit created plenty of buzz during the spring of 2018 following his first season with the Crimson Tide. However, that progress was snuffed out after the outside linebacker suffered a torn ACL the following fall.
Allen was solid last season in his first year back from the injury, tallying 4.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and two quarterback hurries while playing behind Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder got a taste of first-team football during the Citrus Bowl where he filled in for Lewis tallying three tackles including one for a loss.
Before that game, BamaInsider caught up with Aaron Sutton, who coached Allen throughout his childhood back home in Baton Rouge, La. The current high school coach still talks weekly with his former protege and said he has noticed a vast increase in the linebacker’s knowledge of the game.
“He’s pretty much obsessed,” Sutton said in December. “Everything that he regurgitates back is strictly football. He was a great mind in high school, but it was still some non-football talk he communicated back. Now he understands leverage and how to use it on the field and how to communicate it back when we are breaking down film.”
It’s easy to get excited about all the talented pass rushers Alabama is bringing into the program, but considering the likelihood of a limited offseason, there are bound to be some growing pains among the newcomers. If Allen is able to add maturity to his natural raw power and athleticism, he should be a force for the Crimson Tide next season.
Tyler's take
Christian Barmore only saw 15 snaps against LSU, but he played well enough to receive the highest defensive grade on the team from Pro Football Focus (PFF). Against the Tigers, Barmore assisted on one sack and recorded a solo tackle. PFF also credited him with two quarterback hits and one hurry.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it appears Barmore might have used that performance as a bit of a springboard. Despite never playing more than 21 snaps before LSU, Barmore averaged 43.25 snaps in the four games that followed.
Barmore received the highest defensive grade on the team (82.2) for his performance in the Iron Bowl when he played what was then a season-high 43 snaps. PFF credited the defender with four quarterback hurries that day. Alabama’s own coaching staff named him as one of the defensive players of the week for the second week in a row.
Affecting the quarterback is where Barmore shines. He finished third on the team last season with 26 total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) according to PFF. Terrell Lewis (48 pressures) and Anfernee Jennings (44) played 483 and 652 snaps, respectively. Barmore only played 269.
The big question with Barmore is, can he continue to be productive if given a larger workload? The chart below suggests he can.
His numbers against Michigan took a turn for the worse, but I’d chalk some of that up to rust. Remember, this was Barmore’s first bowl game. Overall, his performance remained steady despite a much larger workload. That suggests Barmore could be about to make that leap to the next level.
