TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Get used to seeing a No. 2 Alabama jersey on the field more moving forward — at least on the defensive side of the ball. Freshman defensive back Patrick Surtain II spent time with Alabama’s first-team secondary the past two practices and could play a key role in the Crimson Tide’s ability to slow down an Ole Miss offense which ranks No. 2 in the nation through the air.
During practice, Surtain lined up opposite of Saivion Smith at cornerback as Trevon Diggs moved inside to the Star position. When Alabama worked out of the dime formation, McKinney dropped down to the Money position and was replaced by Shyheim Carter at safety.
“I think what we’re trying to do is get guys experienced for the future,” Saban said. “Whether we have matchup issues in the future that we’d like to be able to use different players against or if we have somebody missing and we need to adjust in the back end.”
Inserting Surtain into the lineup gives Alabama five defensive backs at 6-foot-1 or taller in its nickel package, something that might be useful against a tall Ole Miss receiving corps. Moving Diggs to the Star position will also match him up against Rebels slot receiver A.J. Brown, who leads the team with 15 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns over the first two games.
“Both those guys have done well at whatever position they’ve played,” Saban said. “And think this is the biggest challenge they’re going to have to date in terms of the quality of receivers that we’re going to have to play against and the scheme that they use and the quarterback that they have and the balance they have on offense.”
Previously, Carter served as the Star in Alabama’s nickel package. Wednesday, Saban called the 6-foot, 195-pound junior a “Jack of all trades,” stating that his versatility allowed the team to make necessary moves in the secondary.
“He’s played every place in the secondary, and he’s smart,” Saban said. “He understands the scheme really well. Sometimes he gives us a little bit of an opportunity to have some diversity in how we play players, and that’s why we’ve been able to change up a little bit.”
If Surtain does get the start Saturday, it will be quite the debut test. Ole Miss is currently averaging 407.5 yards per game through the air and is fresh of a putting up an eye-popping 76 points against Southern Illinois. The Rebels not only feature a quartet of talented receivers but also have one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks in Jordan Ta’amu, who has completed 69 percent for 784 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception.
Surtain, the No. 1 cornerback in the 2018 class, saw a significant uptick in reps last week as his snap count rose to 61, nearly doubling the 32 snaps he took during Alabama’s season opener. The former five-star took advantage of his extended time on the field, allowing just one completion against the five balls that came his way.
Surtain leads all Alabama freshmen with 93 total snaps and a 70.9 season grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He has been targeted nine times this season, allowing just three completions for a total of 34 yards.
"Patrick has done a nice job and really made a lot of progress,” Saban said last month. “We were playing him at Star and corner a little bit earlier on. We tried to zero him in a little bit more, just playing corner and he's done a nice job. I have confidence that if he has to go in the game and play, that he'll be able to do a good job for us."
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