Alabama spring grade out: Linebackers
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Linebackers
Alabama finished its spring camp last month revealing an early preview of what to expect in the coming season. We will break down each position, sharing what we saw and what to expect for this year. Today we continue our spring evaluations with the linebacker position.
Biggest thing we learned: Rashaan Evans ready to break out
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans might have only made his first career start during the Peach Bowl last season, but what the senior lacks in experience he more than makes up in confidence. A former five-star recruit, Evans has long played a backup role behind several talented linebackers, including last year’s Butkus Award winner Reuben Foster.
This offseason, Evans proclaimed he would not only help fill in for Foster in the middle of the Tide’s defense but also follow in the footsteps of his former Auburn High School teammate by earning the Butkus Award himself. In February Evans posted “I’ll win the Butkus Award” on his Twitter account. When asked about the tweet this spring, he said he isn’t backing down from his prediction.
“Absolutely,” Evans responded when asked if he still stands by the prediction. “I believe in that tweet and I’m going to keep it up for the rest of the season.”
Evans backed up his strong words with a solid camp capped off with six tackles and two sacks during the A-Day scrimmage. Despite only starting two games last season, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound linebacker saw plenty of playing time, finishing eighth on the team with 53 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss while tallying four sacks.
Filling in for injured Shaun Dion Hamilton in the Peach Bowl, Evans tallied nine tackles and a sack while helping Alabama limit Washington to 194 yards of total offense. During the national championship game against Clemson he recorded a career-high 11 tackles with half a sack.
With Hamilton projected to be healthy to start the season, the two linebackers should man the middle of Alabama’s front seven next season.
“Just being able to have that experience, being able to play on a big stage that I did, being able to be around good mentors like Reuben Foster, who left,” Evans said. “Just being able to be around those things, man, it helps me a lot this year, so now I know whenever it comes again I’ll be ready.”
Biggest spring concern: How will the Tide replace three key contributors from last season?
Foster isn’t the only key hole Alabama will have to replace at linebacker. The Tide will also be without second-round pick Ryan Anderson and third round-pick Tim Williams next season. The duo combined for 35 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks last season. In fact, Alabama will be without its top four pass-rushing options in Anderson, Williams, Foster and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.
The good news for the Tide is that it has a few young talents poised to step in and fill those voids right away. While Evans appears primed to fill the open spot in the middle, Christian Miller, Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Hall will compete for the two outside positions.
Miller had four tackles and two sacks during A-Day, while Jennings finished with three tackles and a sack. Hall did not record a tackle during the scrimmage but made one of the most athletic plays during the game, jumping in front of a screen pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa before returning it 60 yards for a touchdown.
Biggest spring surprise: Keith Holcombe makes the most of his opportunity
Hamilton was forced to sit out spring camp while still recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the SEC Championship game against Florida. While the middle linebacker is expected to return to the field this summer and be 100 percent for the Tide’s season opener against Florida State on Sept. 2, his absence helped create an opportunity for Keith Holcombe during camp.
Holcombe didn’t waste his chance to practice with the first team, tallying a game-high 10 tackles including two sacks during A-Day.
“I’m very excited to have this opportunity here. I feel more comfortable in playing my role, making the calls, having guys ask me questions. It’s kind of crazy, like the new guys coming in asking me questions, because I remember when I was doing the same thing a couple years ago when I was in their role. But I mean I think I’m stepping up to the plate the right way for my new role, and I’m really enjoying this opportunity here.”
Holcombe will most likely be bumped by Hamilton whenever he returns back to the field, but the extended playing time this spring should only help build more depth for the Tide moving forward. Holcombe, a two-sport star at Alabama, had to miss the baseball season after he had surgery to repair an injured labrum in April. He should however be ready to go come football season in the fall.
Looking ahead: Tide will once again have talent and depth at the position
Holcombe won’t be the only linebacker adding depth to the Tide’s reserves this season. Alabama also saw strong springs from sophomore Mack Wilson and freshman Dylan Moses. Wilson had five tackles including one for a loss during A-Day, while Moses tallied four tackles in the scrimmage.
An early enrollee, Moses enters the program as one of the top prospect in the nation, rated as the No. 2 outside linebacker and No. 37 player overall in the 2017 class. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound freshman turned plenty of heads this spring coming in as one of the Tide’s most physically imposing players.
“First impression is he is an athletic guy. That is obvious,” Evans said. “All it’s really going to take is him improving as a player, and once he does that, the sky’s the limit.”
Alabama will also see the arrival of four-star linebackers Markail Benton, Vandarius Cowan and Chris Allen this summer.
“We have a lot of guys that can contribute,” Evans said. “Even though Shaun (Dion Hamilton) is out, I think it’s going to put more pressure on the guys that are younger to just step up. And even when Shaun and I leave, it’s going to be the same thing, they are going to have to be the guys who lead, so I think it’s a good situation for everybody because it is allowing those guys to get the feeling of what it’s like to be a starter and be a leader.”