Alabama OLB Will Anderson Jr. earns FWAA Freshman of the Year Award
Coaching changes and how it impacts recruiting at Alabama
Alabama’s crowded trophy case made room for one more honor Monday as linebacker Will Anderson Jr. earned the Shaun Alexander-FWAA National Freshman Player of the Year Award. Anderson is the third recipient of the award, joining Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (2018) and Memphis running back Kenny Gainwell (2019).
“I just want to thank my coaches and my teammates for believing in me, giving me confidence,” Anderson said during the virtual award ceremony Monday night. “Looking up to all those older guys, Dylan Moses, Christian Harris, their confidence gave me confidence. They believed in me. They believed in the young buck. When I saw their confidence I just grew as a freshman.”
Anderson started all 13 games for Alabama, leading the nation’s freshmen with seven sacks while also tallying 52 tackles including 10.5 stops for a loss. He also led the Tide with eight quarterback hurries and also forced a fumble.
Despite his success, Anderson did not record his first sack until the eighth game of the season. From there, he recorded at least one sack in four straight games, including two in the SEC Championship Game against Florida.
“I’ve grown a lot,” Anderson said. “My confidence has grown. I think the more I studied and the more I talked to coaches and teammates and got with them, I think that helped me a lot.”
Anderson, a former five-star recruit, came to Alabama as the No. 1 weakside defensive end and No. 22 overall player in the 2020 class. During the award ceremony, defensive coordinator Pete Golding commended his linebacker’s driven approach, stating that Anderson embraced Alabama’s process before even stepping foot on campus.
“Not one time throughout Will's recruiting process did he ever ask how much he was gonna play as a freshman. He wasn't worried about how many linebackers were on the depth chart. Because Will's the type of guy that's gonna come in and work harder than everybody else. He practiced like he plays. He’s got a passion and love for the game that I haven’t seen as a freshman.
"To be able to come in to a place like Alabama, prepare the right way every day. I think a lot of our older guys in the program were actually looking up to Will with how he took on the lead, from his preparation to how much film he studied, how long he was in Coach Sal (Sunseri’s) office… This young man only knows one speed, and it’s full speed.”
