One of the biggest storylines heading into Arkansas’ game this week against Alabama is Drew Sanders playing against his former team.
Sanders transferred from Alabama earlier this year after starting three games for the Tide as a sophomore. He entered Tuscusloosa as a five-star recruit out of Denton, Texas, in 2020. If it weren’t for injuries and the never-ending depth of players on Alabama’s roster, Sanders was expected to be one of the next best linebackers to come out of Alabama.
“Drew was a good player when he was here,” Alabama coach, Nick Saban, said about his former player. “Unfortunate injuries. And he’s certainly playing well for (Arkansas). It’s good to see that he’s doing a good job for them. We’re happy for him and his family.”
Now Sanders is one of the best defensive players in the country playing in Fayetteville. He’s helped turnaround the pass rush struggles Arkansas faced last year with 5 1/2 sacks in his first three games.
And with the hype good production comes the hype. Mel Kiper recently named Sanders as the best inside linebacker on his NFL draft board.
A big game against Alabama could turn Sanders into a top-10 NFL prospect for the 2023 draft.
Sam Pittman will ensure Sanders won’t get overwhelmed in any way with the hype of the game, keeping things simple during preparation this week.
“I would assume for him it would be somewhat some familiarity with what Alabama’s doing,” Pittman said about preparation for Sanders this week facing his old team.
“There’s gotta be something in there. We’ll try to downplay that. It is just about shedding blocks and tackling, and doing his assignment. He’s probably been somewhat through that, but nothing like this week. He’s a mature guy. I would assume it won’t affect him too much.”