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Editor's Note: With preseason practice less than a week away, BamaInsider is previewing the upcoming Alabama football season by looking at each position group on offense, defense and special teams. This installment is on the defensive line.
Offense | Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers & Tight ends | Offensive line
Where Alabama stands
Teams don’t usually withstand losing two of their three starting defensive linemen. However in the famous words of former Crimson Tide defensive end Jonathan Allen, “Alabama does.” The Tide’s top pass-rusher from last season is now in the NFL along with fellow starter Dalvin Tomlinson. However, Allen’s confident demeanor has carried over to this year’s unit.
“I think it starts out with an attitude at first,” Alabama defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand said this spring. “How you attack things, the intensity and just having a mindset that you’re not going to be stopped, no matter who it is or who is in front of you. And then after that just the technique and everything.”
Hand, the former No. 1 rated recruit in the 2014 class, will look to fill in for Allen at defensive end, while Isiah Buggs, the No. 1 JUCO player in this year’s class, will replace Tomlinson on the other side. The two new starters will be anchored by a familiar face in the middle, as Da’Ron Payne returns for his junior season.
Alabama also returns 6-foot-7 sophomore Raekwon Davis, who appears to have slimmed down in order to play on the outside this season, as well as redshirt freshman Quinnen Williams. Seniors Joshua Frazier and Jamar King will add depth and experience to the unit, while four-star freshman LaBryan Ray, the No. 1 rated player in Alabama, provides another pass-rushing threat.
Where Alabama would like to be
While the talent is there, Alabama appears to be lacking the same depth it has had across the defensive line in recent years. The Tide has had a total of four defensive linemen drafted in the past two NFL Drafts, with each player selected in the first two rounds. Alabama has done well to recruit around that, but the toll of losing top-end talent to the next level might be starting to show.
Asking anyone to step in and fill the void left behind by Allen is a lot to ask. Although at 6-foot-4, 288 pounds, Hand looks built to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Playing all 15 games in a reserve role last season, Hand tallied two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss while hurrying the quarterback five times.
After years of waiting behind Alabama’s many stars, the Tide will need the former five-star recruit to rise to his potential this season. News of Hand's arrest for DUI on Saturday comes as a blow to his role as a leader on this season's defense. Alabama will need him to step up and atone for his lack of judgment in fall camp.
* Tony's Take: Hand's arrest is Alabama's first major distraction
Davis is another interesting prospect who the Tide might rely on next year. Brought in as a raw prospect last year, the Meridian, Miss., native has developed nicely in his second offseason with the Tide. Listed at 6-foot-7, 306 pounds, Davis can play either on the edge or as a defensive tackle. Alabama will need him to continue to grow and master the playbook. If he can do that, his versatility should go a long way toward building depth.
Biggest question
Can Alabama continue to get to the quarterback next season? The Tide led the nation in sacks the past two years with 54 last season and 52 in 2015. Maintaining that success could be a challenge considering Alabama will be without its top for sack leaders from last year.
Allen led the Tide with 10.5 sacks last year and was followed by linebackers Tim Williams (nine sacks), Ryan Anderson (nine sacks) and Reuben Foster (five sacks). Together the quartet combined to total 62 percent of Alabama’s sack total. Due to the Tide’s 3-4 defense, the bulk of Alabama’s sack totals generally come from its linebackers.
That being said, Allen has led the Tide in sacks the past two seasons. Even more impressive, he did that despite being double teamed on several occasions. If Alabama is going to replicate its recent success, it will need to find a defensive lineman that can both provide pressure and draw added attention in order to free up the rest of the front seven.
Projected depth chart
DE
1. Da'Shawn Hand, Sr., 6-4, 288 pounds
2. Quinnen Williams, R-Fr., 6-4, 285 pounds
3. Jamar King, Sr., 6-4, 290 pounds
DT
1. Da'Ron Payne, Jr., 6-2, 308 pounds
2. Josh Frazier, Sr., 6-4, 315 pounds
3. Phidarian Mathis, Fr., 6-4, 306 pounds
DE
1. Isiah Buggs, Jr. 6-5, 293 pounds
2. Raekwon Davis, So., 6-7, 306 pounds
3. LaBryan Ray, Fr., 6-5, 272 pounds
Prediction
Alabama will still finish in the top 10 in sacks next season. This sounds like an easy prediction, but consider this: the past two seasons are the only times the Tide has finished in the top 10 in sacks under head coach Nick Saban.
As mentioned before, Alabama will have a lot to replace and less experience in its depth. However, the tide Tide has taken a more aggressive approach toward getting to the quarterback much in part to the rise of spread offenses. With not much depth in the secondary, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt can’t afford to give opposing offenses too much time in the pocket. Expect Alabama to implement more blitzes this season in order to prevent passers from settling their feet in the pocket.
