Tag: Tim Smith

Projecting Alabama’s depth along the defensive line entering the 2022 season

Despite not having a proven star, Alabama has plenty of depth along the defensive line entering the 2022 season.

Football is back, Tide fans! Alabama will kick the 2022 football season off in one week and the anticipation continues to mount.

As is the case in most seasons, questions regarding the starting lineup for week one are dominating message boards and Twitter threads. Well, with the season just around the corner, I thought I would start dropping my educated projections of who you might see take the first snaps at each position group.

Some groups are obvious such as quarterback and linebacker, but nevertheless, we will take a look at each group and give a little insight into who you might see take the field against Utah State on Sept. 3.

Today we are going to take a look at a group that has plenty of depth but maybe lacks a bit of star power at the moment: the defensive line.

This list will be a touch different because I believe you are going to see several different packages on the defensive line for Alabama, so I will simply list all of the players who I project to have significant playing time.

Let’s roll!

5 Alabama players who could impact the Iron Bowl

5 Alabama players who could impact the Iron Bowl!

It’s hard to believe that we have made it to the last week of the regular season in college football. Like most seasons, it has completely flown by and we are all wondering where the time went.

On the more optimistic side, the last week of the season generally renews some of the nation’s most intense rivalries. Maybe the most intense of all is the annual matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers, in a contest known as the Iron Bowl.

With kickoff just a few short hours away, I thought we could take a look at five Alabama players who could make an impact on the outcome of the game. This week I am doing things a little differently. My list will not include the likes of Bryce Young or Will Anderson Jr., not because they won’t be impactful, but those guys are obvious choices and I wanted to dig a little deeper!

Let’s get started!

Grading Alabama’s defensive position groups at the halfway point

Let’s look at how the Alabama defensive position units have graded out at the halfway point of the season!

Unfortunately, we are already at the halfway point of the college football season. After last week’s loss to Texas A&M, Alabama sits at No. 5 in the country with a 5-1 record.

Since we have made it to the halfway point, it is time to give a midseason grade to each of the position groups. Yesterday we looked at the offensive position groups. Today we will look at the defensive position groups! Let’s get started!

Defensive Line B-

This group has been a little disappointing this season, but they have not been bad by any stretch of the imagination. Only one guy has been a consistent force on the defensive line for Alabama and that is Phidarian Mathis.

Mathis has racked up 3.5 sacks through the halfway point, which is a very solid number for an interior defensive lineman.

Some of the players such as Justin Eboigbe, DJ Dale, Byron Young, and even Tim Smith need to become more consistent players for the Tide.

Outside Linebackers A

Will Anderson has been an absolute animal for the Alabama defense. Anderon has three sacks on the season but is also third in the country in tackles for loss with 11.

Unfortunately, injuries have plagued the outside linebacker position opposite of Anderson. Christopher Allen’s season was cut short in the opener against Miami so Drew Sanders replaced the talented Allen. Then against Ole Miss, Sanders suffered a hand injury and is now week-to-week so to speak.

True freshman Dallas Turner has stepped up in the absence of Sanders and is doing a pretty good job.

The outside linebackers have been the most positive group along the defense this season.

Inside Linebackers C+

The lofty expectations for the Alabama defense heading into the 2021 season had a lot to do with the pair of inside linebackers that Alabama would have in Christian Harris and Henry To’oT’o.

Now that we are at the halfway point, it is safe to say those two players have not lived up to expectations. Now don’t get me wrong, they have flashed how great they can, but they both have also missed tackles and missed assignments. And they are both better than what they played so far.

Let’s see if they can turn this around in the second half of the season.

Cornerbacks B+

This group, much like the outside linebacker group, has really played pretty consistently all season. Josh Jobe has had the occasional penalty, but if we are being honest, in the pass and flag happy world in which college football is played, some penalties are to be expected.

Jalyn Armour-Davis has maybe been the surprise player of the season for the Tide. He is always in position and if he doesn’t make a play on the ball, he brings the receiver down quickly with no yards after the catch.

We have also seen the backups get a start this season in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Marcs Banks and they have proven to be valuable depth at the cornerback position.

Safeties / Stars C+

It is a common theme among the Alabama defense this season, the word inconsistent. Alabama returned plenty of experience in the back end of the defense and for whatever reason, they have simply not performed to their capabilities.

Jordan Battle isn’t an elite safety, he’s just steady. DeMarcco Hellams is constantly caught out of position and displays poor open-field tackling. Then you have Malachi Moore and Brian Branch who have yet to make a splash play from the star position.

The season is only half over, so that means there is plenty of time for each position group to correct its mistakes and get back to the Alabama defensive standard.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

2021 Jaguars roster cuts: Tracking Jacksonville’s moves on first cutdown day

Jacksonville had to cut its roster from 90 players to 85 on Tuesday, with the most notable casualty being Tim Tebow.

On Tuesday, Jacksonville had to make the first round of preseason cuts, bringing their roster down from 90 players to 85. The most notable casualty of the group was tight end, Tim Tebow, the former Heisman-winning quarterback turned professional baseball player who was attempting a return to the NFL.

Jacksonville has two more roster cutdown days before it gets down to the final 53-man roster. It must cut down from 85 to 80 on Aug. 24 before going all the way down to 53 a week later. That final cut of 27 players will be when the bulk of the notable cuts will occur.

Still, here’s a rundown of each player the Jags let go following the preseason opener.

Alabama football very early projected defensive depth chart for 2021

Here is a really early projection for how Alabama football’s defensive depth chart could shake out in 2021. Can the Crimson Tide repeat?

The time to celebrate another national championship under Nick Saban has come and gone. Now, it’s time to shift the focus to the fall of 2021, especially if Alabama is going to make another title push.

We started with a projected depth chart for the offensive side of the football on Saturday. Now let’s turn to the defensive side. Alabama will suffer the loss of Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II, Christian Barmore and potentially LaBryan Ray and Ben Davis.

With that said, there is still a ton of talent coming back on defense, which could be crucial with so much roster turnover on the offensive side of the ball. Check it out below.

*Note: True freshman 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.

Alabama DL Ishmael Sopsher entering transfer portal

Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Where will he end up next?

Alabama defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher has entered the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz with AL.com. The news about the redshirt freshman broke on Wednesday night.

Losing Sopsher is a hit to the Crimson Tide’s defensive front, but it isn’t devastating. After we saw true freshmen Jamil Burroughs and Tim Smith seeing reps against Georgia on Saturday, the writing was on the wall for the former top-50 prospect.

There had been some buzz surrounding Sopsher and his development during the offseason, but the 6-foot-4, 310-pound interior defensive lineman couldn’t turn success into on-field playing time. Now it looks like he’ll continue his collegiate career elsewhere.

Sopsher was rated as a four-star prospect. He was the nation’s No. 47 overall prospect, No. 5 defensive tackle and No. 3 player from the state of Louisiana, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Stay tuned for more updates on Sopsher’s transfer destination in the coming days or weeks from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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BAMA BEAT: Position breakdowns: Defensive line (Ep. 335)

Clint Lamb and Brett Hudson finish up the spring position breakdown series for the Alabama Crimson Tide with the defensive line.

Clint Lamb and Brett Hudson finish up the spring position breakdown series for the Alabama Crimson Tide with the defensive line. How good can the group be? Will Christian Barmore become a full-time wrecking ball? Is this the deepest position on the roster? All those questions answered and more!

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Getting to know Alabama’s signees: DT Tim Smith

National Signing Day has come and gone, and Alabama’s 2020 recruiting class is officially set. There were 25 total members (26, if you count North Carolina grad transfer tight end Carl Tucker) with talent across the board. In order for fans to get …

National Signing Day has come and gone, and Alabama’s 2020 recruiting class is officially set. There were 25 total members (26, if you count North Carolina grad transfer tight end Carl Tucker) with talent across the board.

In order for fans to get to know the Crimson Tide’s newest players, we have laid out a “get to know them” article for each member.

The next signee up is five-star defensive tackle Tim Smith out of Sebastian River High School in Florida.

Tim Smith, Defensive Tackle

Hometown: Sebastian (Fla.)

High school: Sebastian River

Size: 6-4, 320

Early enrollee: No

247Sports composite ranking: 4-star / No. 55 overall / No. 8 DT

247Sports ranking: 5-star / No. 28 overall / No. 5 DT

Rivals ranking: 4-star / No. 42 overall / No. 4 DT

ESPN ranking: 4-star / 83 overall grade / No. 13 DT

Commitment date: Aug. 7, 2019

Signing date: Dec. 18, 2019

Where does he fit in? Despite already being a top 100 recruit in the 2020 class, Smith’s name wasn’t getting mentioned enough when it came to big-time additions to the Alabama roster.

With his rise to five-star status in the 247Sports recruiting rankings, that all changed.

At 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, the Florida native is a force on the interior of the defensive line, but he’s also surprisingly athletic for a guy his size. In the Tide’s three-man front, Smith has the ability to play every position effectively, which should give him a chance to earn early playing time.

There will be significant competition, as Alabama’s 2019 defensive line class is both talented and now experienced, but Smith is the type of player who is capable of handling early reps.

Previous players:

QB Bryce Young

WDE Will Anderson

WDE Chris Braswell

ATH Drew Sanders

ILB Demouy Kennedy

RB Jase McClellan

RB Roydell Williams

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Alabama signee Will Anderson makes top 10 appearance in 247Sports rankings

The news keeps getting better for Alabama on Tuesday, as Crimson Tide saw two of its 2020 signees make sizable leaps in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. First, it was Tim Smith, who jumped from No. 82 overa#Alabamall all the way to No. 28. As if …

The news keeps getting better for Alabama on Tuesday, as Crimson Tide saw two of its 2020 signees make sizable leaps in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

First, it was Tim Smith, who jumped from No. 82 overa#Alabamall all the way to No. 28. As if that wasn’t enough, Will Anderson went from being rated as the No. 62 overall player to No. 5.

The news also meant that both players had earned a fifth star.

When looking at the 2020 signing class, the first thing that stands out is the amount of talent included in the defensive front seven.

With the news of Anderson and Smith, Alabama now has five different players in the front seven that are rated as a five-star prospect according to at least one major recruiting service.

  • WDE Chris Braswell (247Sports, Rivals)
  • WDE Will Anderson (247Sports, Rivals)
  • ATH Drew Sanders (247Sports)
  • DT Tim Smith (247Sports)
  • ILB Demouy Kennedy (Rivals)

Considering Alabama’s struggles on that side of the football in 2019, the addition of that caliber of talent is a welcomed sight for Tide fans.

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Alabama signee Tim Smith earns fifth star from 247Sports

Tim Smith, an Alabama signee in the 2020 recruiting class, has earned his fifth star according to the latest 247Sports rankings, which were revealed on Tuesday. It’s an impressive rise for the Sebastian (Fla.) defensive tackle. Coming into Tuesday, …

Tim Smith, an Alabama signee in the 2020 recruiting class, has earned his fifth star according to the latest 247Sports rankings, which were revealed on Tuesday.

It’s an impressive rise for the Sebastian (Fla.) defensive tackle. Coming into Tuesday, Smith had been rated as a four-star and the No. 82 overall player, so moving all the way up to No. 28 overall is quite the jump.

It’s not surprising, however.

Smith brings size (6-foot-4, 320 pounds), strength and burst that should help him see the field early in his college career.

He also has the versatility to play anywhere along Alabama’s defensive front, whether that’s as a zero-technique nose tackle or 5-technique defensive end.

The defensive front did lose Raekwon Davis, an interior defensive lineman, and two edge players in Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings. And while Smith probably won’t see many — if any — reps in space, he’s an athletic guy who can help immediately.

The Crimson Tide’s defensive line should much improved in 2020. It not only returns LaBryan Ray from injury, but there were also a lot of freshman, such as DJ Dale, Byron Young and Justin Eboigbe, to earn valuable experience in 2019.

Smith will be a much-needed presence, however. Whether that’s as a rotational depth player or maybe even more.

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