Alabama will look to repeat as national champions this year as it aims to add a 19th title to its trophy case. The Crimson Tide opens its season on Sept. 4 against Miami inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. To help pass the time until then, BamaInsider is delving into 21 topics and questions concerning the 2021 season.
Today, we continue our series by taking a look at Alabama’s potential permanent team captains.
Normalcy is beginning to creep in following one of the most challenging years in recent memory. After perfectly navigating a pandemic season, Alabama is experiencing a more traditional offseason this year. Last week, that involved the return of an annual right of passage as the Crimson Tide’s leaders mounted inner tubes and jet skies near Nick Saban’s lake house for the team’s Lake Day.
Alabama released a video of this year’s edition of the annual leadership event, featuring several stars, including Christopher Allen, Phidarian Mathis, John Metchie III, Chris Owens, Evan Neal, Brian Robinson Jr. and Bryce Young among others. Several of those players figure to be key voices inside the Tide’s locker room this season and are strong candidates to wind up as permanent team captains by the end of the year. Here’s a look at who could be the next players to cement their legacy at Alabama.
Chris Owens
Alabama’s last four starting centers have gone on to become permanent team captains. Assuming Owens lands the first-team role this spring, he is in a good position to follow the trend. The sixth-year senior was one of the team’s biggest voices during the Black Lives Matter movement last offseason and is one of the most respected players in the Tide’s locker room. With Alabama losing three starters from last year’s offensive line, Owens will be relied upon as a veteran presence as the Tide looks to rebuild the unit.
Evan Neal
Owens isn’t the only offensive lineman in contention for captain status. Evan Neal is entering his third season as a starter. Earlier this offseason, the junior spoke about the lessons he learned from the Tide’s three departing starters, Deonte Brown, Landon Dickerson and Alex Leatherwood.
“One thing I can say, playing with those guys, especially Landon, just showing me what it takes to be a leader, how to lead guys,” Neal said. “And a leadership position is a role that I do want to assume, but that’s not a role that is given. That’s something that has to be earned day in and day out, but I'm up for the challenge. Every day I'm just going to come ready to work.”
Christian Harris
Alabama’s strength this year figures to come on defense where it returns all but three of last season’s starters. Perhaps the most influential of those returners is Christian Harris, who projects to follow in Dylan Moses’ footsteps as the signal-caller of the unit at Mike linebacker. Even if Harris remains at Will linebacker, his veteran presence should serve as a guiding force next season.
“As far as taking the leadership role, I really am trying to focus on that this year,” Harris said this spring. “I think I had a little bit of a role last year but I really had a lot of guys like Dylan ahead of me and a lot of guys my freshman year that showed me a great example of what a leader should look like on this team so I’m just trying to pick up where they left off.”
Jordan Battle
Jordan Battle already looks the part of a team leader. The junior served was one of the leading forces last year and is one of the most comfortable players at the podium for interviews. That’s why it came as a bit of a surprise this spring when Saban appeared to challenge his leadership.
“Jordan Battle does a good job,” Saban said. “He plays a lot of good football, but it's kind of up to him as to how he wants to accept the role of leadership, how assertive he wants to be. People have to earn the right to be leaders.
“Now, they have to do things right themselves. They can't be late for meetings. They can't not do things exactly right. They have to set a good example for others. They have to care enough about other people to help them for their benefit, so that's his choice.”
With the departure of Patrick Surtain II, Battle is now the most experienced member of Alabama’s secondary. Like Harris, he figures to serve as one of the biggest voices on the field when it comes to setting up the Tide’s defense.
“Just leading these guys – we have a couple young guys that’s gonna be key players for us this year, and just got them on the right track and keep them focused, and allow them to lead others and get them on the same track as us,” Battle said of his leadership approach this spring. “Because we all want that same, that one common goal.”
Brian Robinson Jr.
After spending the majority of his college career in the shadows, Brian Robinson Jr. is finally set to step into a leading role. The fifth-year senior took advantage of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility waiver and returns as the most experienced option in what figures to be one of the nation’s deepest backfields.
While Robinson doesn't figure to take on the same bell-cow role as Najee Harris held last year, he is the early favorite to be the Tide’s leading rusher this season. On top of that, he should provide plenty of guidance to an otherwise young running backs room.
“As an older guy, one of the oldest guys on the team, it’s very important for me to step up and be a leader on this team,” Robinson said this spring. “I have a great impact on the people around me. I make sure everybody is living up and doing everything we’re supposed to do the right way so we can have a great team this year. And we don’t want to have a fall-off in leadership. We had great leadership on our team last year. So with it being a new year and new faces, new coaches, it’s very important to me to make sure I follow up with those leadership qualities.”
LaBryan Ray
If not for a series of medical setbacks, LaBryan Ray might be on his way to the NFL by now. Instead, the redshirt senior is in his fifth season with the program as he looks to lead an experienced defensive front. This spring, Ray stated that he has a lot of personal goals for his final year at Alabama. One of them is holding a bigger presence in the Tide’s locker room.
“It’s definitely important for me,” Ray said. “I definitely took my time and had to deal with a lot of things. I think now is the time to take it to the next level and be the leader that I should be.”
Phidarian Mathis
Like Ray, Mathis should also take on a veteran role in this year’s defense. The redshirt senior was one of Alabama’s most consistent defensive linemen last year, recording five tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks while breaking up three passes and forcing a fumble. He brings plenty of energy on the field and is one of the more respected players on the roster.
Today, we continue our series by taking a look at Alabama’s potential permanent team captains.
Normalcy is beginning to creep in following one of the most challenging years in recent memory. After perfectly navigating a pandemic season, Alabama is experiencing a more traditional offseason this year. Last week, that involved the return of an annual right of passage as the Crimson Tide’s leaders mounted inner tubes and jet skies near Nick Saban’s lake house for the team’s Lake Day.
Alabama released a video of this year’s edition of the annual leadership event, featuring several stars, including Christopher Allen, Phidarian Mathis, John Metchie III, Chris Owens, Evan Neal, Brian Robinson Jr. and Bryce Young among others. Several of those players figure to be key voices inside the Tide’s locker room this season and are strong candidates to wind up as permanent team captains by the end of the year. Here’s a look at who could be the next players to cement their legacy at Alabama.
Chris Owens
Alabama’s last four starting centers have gone on to become permanent team captains. Assuming Owens lands the first-team role this spring, he is in a good position to follow the trend. The sixth-year senior was one of the team’s biggest voices during the Black Lives Matter movement last offseason and is one of the most respected players in the Tide’s locker room. With Alabama losing three starters from last year’s offensive line, Owens will be relied upon as a veteran presence as the Tide looks to rebuild the unit.
Evan Neal
Owens isn’t the only offensive lineman in contention for captain status. Evan Neal is entering his third season as a starter. Earlier this offseason, the junior spoke about the lessons he learned from the Tide’s three departing starters, Deonte Brown, Landon Dickerson and Alex Leatherwood.
“One thing I can say, playing with those guys, especially Landon, just showing me what it takes to be a leader, how to lead guys,” Neal said. “And a leadership position is a role that I do want to assume, but that’s not a role that is given. That’s something that has to be earned day in and day out, but I'm up for the challenge. Every day I'm just going to come ready to work.”
Christian Harris
Alabama’s strength this year figures to come on defense where it returns all but three of last season’s starters. Perhaps the most influential of those returners is Christian Harris, who projects to follow in Dylan Moses’ footsteps as the signal-caller of the unit at Mike linebacker. Even if Harris remains at Will linebacker, his veteran presence should serve as a guiding force next season.
“As far as taking the leadership role, I really am trying to focus on that this year,” Harris said this spring. “I think I had a little bit of a role last year but I really had a lot of guys like Dylan ahead of me and a lot of guys my freshman year that showed me a great example of what a leader should look like on this team so I’m just trying to pick up where they left off.”
Jordan Battle
Jordan Battle already looks the part of a team leader. The junior served was one of the leading forces last year and is one of the most comfortable players at the podium for interviews. That’s why it came as a bit of a surprise this spring when Saban appeared to challenge his leadership.
“Jordan Battle does a good job,” Saban said. “He plays a lot of good football, but it's kind of up to him as to how he wants to accept the role of leadership, how assertive he wants to be. People have to earn the right to be leaders.
“Now, they have to do things right themselves. They can't be late for meetings. They can't not do things exactly right. They have to set a good example for others. They have to care enough about other people to help them for their benefit, so that's his choice.”
With the departure of Patrick Surtain II, Battle is now the most experienced member of Alabama’s secondary. Like Harris, he figures to serve as one of the biggest voices on the field when it comes to setting up the Tide’s defense.
“Just leading these guys – we have a couple young guys that’s gonna be key players for us this year, and just got them on the right track and keep them focused, and allow them to lead others and get them on the same track as us,” Battle said of his leadership approach this spring. “Because we all want that same, that one common goal.”
Brian Robinson Jr.
After spending the majority of his college career in the shadows, Brian Robinson Jr. is finally set to step into a leading role. The fifth-year senior took advantage of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility waiver and returns as the most experienced option in what figures to be one of the nation’s deepest backfields.
While Robinson doesn't figure to take on the same bell-cow role as Najee Harris held last year, he is the early favorite to be the Tide’s leading rusher this season. On top of that, he should provide plenty of guidance to an otherwise young running backs room.
“As an older guy, one of the oldest guys on the team, it’s very important for me to step up and be a leader on this team,” Robinson said this spring. “I have a great impact on the people around me. I make sure everybody is living up and doing everything we’re supposed to do the right way so we can have a great team this year. And we don’t want to have a fall-off in leadership. We had great leadership on our team last year. So with it being a new year and new faces, new coaches, it’s very important to me to make sure I follow up with those leadership qualities.”
LaBryan Ray
If not for a series of medical setbacks, LaBryan Ray might be on his way to the NFL by now. Instead, the redshirt senior is in his fifth season with the program as he looks to lead an experienced defensive front. This spring, Ray stated that he has a lot of personal goals for his final year at Alabama. One of them is holding a bigger presence in the Tide’s locker room.
“It’s definitely important for me,” Ray said. “I definitely took my time and had to deal with a lot of things. I think now is the time to take it to the next level and be the leader that I should be.”
Phidarian Mathis
Like Ray, Mathis should also take on a veteran role in this year’s defense. The redshirt senior was one of Alabama’s most consistent defensive linemen last year, recording five tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks while breaking up three passes and forcing a fumble. He brings plenty of energy on the field and is one of the more respected players on the roster.
