Alabama player snapshot: No. 31 Will Anderson Jr.

Freshman OLB Will Anderson Jr. is the next man up on Alabama football’s player snapshot, which highlights each scholarship player.

As we continue through the offseason, Roll Tide Wire has decided to bring fans a quick snapshot of each scholarship player listed on Alabama’s 2020 football roster.

Each day, we’ll release two player profiles giving fans a glimpse into the players who will be available this upcoming season. Whether that’s size, classification, hometowns or recruiting rankings coming out of high school, we’ve got you covered.

Also included in each article is a quick recap letting you know what to expect from that player for the upcoming 2020 season and beyond.

Next up on the list is freshman outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. out of Hampton (Ga.).

Will Anderson Jr., Outside Linebacker

Alabama football
Nov 30, 2019; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban prepares to take the field for the game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Height: 6-4 / Weight: 230

Class: Freshman

Hometown: Hampton (Ga.)

High School: Dutchtown High School

HS ranking (247Sports): 5-star / No. 17 overall / No. 1 WDE / No. 4 GA

HS ranking (Rivals): 5-star / No. 22 overall / No. 1 WDE / No. 5 GA

Analysis: It’s almost a forgone conclusion at this point that Will Anderson Jr. is going to contribute to Alabama’s pass rush in 2020. The edge player out of Georgia is one of the best pure pass-rushing prospects in the country, and the Tide have a glaring hole at outside linebacker.

Will he start right out of the gate? More than likely not, as he’ll have to compete with several other impressive freshmen on top of players such as King Mwikuta, Kevin Harris II and Jarez Parks. But expect contributions early and often in passing situations.

Anderson still has some work to do getting stronger at the point of attack if he wants to be a complete, every-down edge player, but with his known willingness to learn and grow, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to do just that.

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