Roll Tide Wire takes a look into projecting the Alabama Crimson Tide’s defensive depth chart for the 2021 college football season.
We continue to work our way through the college football offseason, but spring practice is just around the corner. Alabama’s annual A-Day Game is tentatively set for April 17, so practices should start in a few weeks.
We wanted to go ahead and dive into a pre-spring depth chart for the Crimson Tide. First, it was the offensive side of the football, but now we shift focus towards the defense. It wasn’t as effective of a unit as the offense, but it returns a large majority of its starters.
Enjoy!
*Note: True freshmen are listed at the bottom of their respective position groups. Once we start to get an idea of where they could land on the depth chart in Year 1, we will make adjustments.
So far, Notre Dame has been able to prevent the complete annihilation many said Alabama would deal it.
So far, Notre Dame has been able to prevent the complete annihilation many said Alabama would deal it. But with this being the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff Semifinal, moral victories don’t count for much. The actual winner of this game gets to play for the whole thing, and that’s all that matters. That being the case, the Irish will have to figure out how to erase their 28-7 after three quarters quickly.
When the Tide took the ball to begin the second half, many expected them to play similar to how they came out in the first quarter. Surprisingly, they ended up punting for the second straight possession, only getting as far as the Notre Dame 37-yard line. That gave the Irish a chance to eat the clock en route to a key touchdown drive. Instead, Ian Book threw a rare interception to Christian Harris while still in Irish territory.
Alabama only was too pleased to take advantage of a short field. They overcame a holding call, the first penalty for either team, and found themselves with a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Mac Jones only needed one more play to hit DeVonta Smith for his third touchdown of the game. Those two are not Heisman Trophy finalists for nothing.
The Irish’s comeback chances took a major hit on their next drive. Book was sacked by the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Christian Barmore for a 14-yard loss. Worse yet, he was injured on the play. With their starting quarterback headed to the medical tent, the Irish were forced to turn to Drew Pyne, who surely did not want to have to enter the game in this situation.
We are 8 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.
There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of months, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.
So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.
With it now being Sept. 18, we are officially 8 days away from the start!
Sophomore linebacker Christian Harris and John Metchie III are both currently wearing the No. 8 for Alabama. In the past, it’s been worn by other players such as Robert Foster, but the most notable player to wear the number for the Crimson Tide is none other than Julio Jones.
Despite statistics maybe pointing in another direction, Jones is considered the best wide receiver in school history.
Alabama linebacker Christian Harris (8) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins (4) in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday January 1, 2020. Mickey Welsh / Mongomery Advertiser
2020 Alabama football schedule
Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!
Sophomore linebacker Christian Harris 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 anywhere from 2-4 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 inside linebacker Christian Harris out of Baton Rouge (La.).
Christian Harris, Linebacker
Alabama linebacker Christian Harris (8) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins (4) in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday January 1, 2020. Mickey Welsh / Mongomery Advertiser
Analysis: Christian Harris was pressed into action earlier than many had anticipated due to injuries with Joshua McMillon and then soon thereafter Dylan Moses, and while his first season wasn’t perfect, there’s a lot to be excited about for the future.
Moses returns from his season-ending knee injury and will automatically slide back into his starting role as the Mike linebacker in Alabama’s defense, McMillon will return for 2020 as well, but it’s still unknown who will assume the starting role at the Will spot next to Moses.
The main competitors for Harris include McMillon, Ale Kaho and potentially Shane Lee (although he fits more of the mold of a true Mike). With the flashes Harris showed during Year 1, however, it will hard to unseat him with a year of added experience and another offseason under his belt.
At 6-foot-2, 244 pounds, Harris has a perfect combination of size, speed and athleticism needed to excel as a both a run-stopper and in pass coverage. Expect a major leap out of the Louisiana native in 2020.
Cecil Hurt and Clint Lamb, through TideSports.com and The Tuscaloosa News, produce a podcast called “The ‘Bama Beat”, which features all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide. In this episode, Lamb and Brett Hudson …
Cecil Hurt and Clint Lamb, through TideSports.com and The Tuscaloosa News, produce a podcast called “The ‘Bama Beat”, which features all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In this episode, Lamb and Brett Hudson continue on with the pre-spring position breakdowns for the Alabama Crimson Tide. This week, it’s the inside linebackers, a position where Lamb and Hudson both believe there can be significant improvement compared to last season.
Dylan Moses will be the headliner, but who will start next to him? Find out their thoughts!
