The Alabama Crimson Tide football roster is loaded with talent for the upcoming 2024 season. By having a team full of high-quality players, head coach Kalen DeBoer should have an easy transition as he enters his first season with the program after spending the last two years with the Washington Huskies.
DeBoer is known as an offensive mastermind, so plenty of focus has appropriately been on starting quarterback Jalen Milroe and the rest of the Crimson Tide offense. However, some fans wonder how the Alabama defense will perform without legendary head coach Nick Saban, who worked closely with the team’s defense.
It will be interesting to see how the defense performs, but if there’s one thing Alabama doesn’t have, it’s a lack of talent. A recent ranking by Pro Football Focus of the top-10 linebacker units in all of college football for the upcoming 2024 season has the Crimson Tide linebackers ranked No. 6 in the nation.
“Alabama brings back both starting linebackers from a year ago in Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell. Lawson ranked seventh among FBS linebackers last year with an 88.1 pass-rushing grade. Campbell finished ninth in the SEC with 0.57 yards allowed per coverage snap.
“Jeremiah Alexander is also expected to move from edge defender to an off-ball role this year. The redshirt sophomore was a top-15 overall recruit in the class of 2022.”
As mentioned by Pro Football Focus, the linebackers who are expected to serve in key contributor roles are all returning players. The experience they have will be a big factor in the success of the unit and the defense as a whole.
Linebackers are tasked with various responsibilities and are viewed as some of the most versatile playmakers on the defensive side of the game. For the Crimson Tide to have an overall unit ranked No. 6 in the country, Alabama fans should not be too worried about how the team will perform when Milroe and the offense is off the field.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.
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