Freshman linebacker Dylan Moses already turning heads at Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — By now, IMG Academy linebackers coach Tommy Langford is rarely surprised when he hears news on Alabama freshman linebacker Dylan Moses. Coaching Moses during the linebacker’s senior season of high school, he’s seen it all before.
The fact that Moses reportedly posted a 4.46 time in the 40 was old news.
“Yeah, we had that for him here,” Langford said unenthusiastically. “He did it at 6-3, 235 pounds, too.”
The rave reviews already coming out of camp are nice to hear, but they come as no shock to Langford either. The coach wasn’t even surprised to learn Moses has been practicing exclusively with the inside linebackers this spring, stating that’s where the former five-star recruit played primarily at IMG.
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There was one thing that gave Langford a slight pause, though.
Following the release of Alabama’s spring workouts, SEC Network analyst Booger McFarland responded to a tweet about Moses, stating “Moses has to play on the edge. Like Tim Williams or Ryan Anderson. Not instinctive enough to play middle.”
For once, Langford couldn’t believe what he was hearing regarding his former standout linebacker.
“Hold on a second, did someone say Dylan wasn’t instinctual enough to play inside,” Langford questioned, followed by a brief pause. “Huh. I mean, I wholeheartedly disagree.”
From there Langford explained that while Moses wasn’t the most instinctive linebacker he’s ever coached, instincts were still a vital part of his game. As far as Moses being exclusively an outside threat, that threw Langford for a loop as well. The coach pointed to the fact that Moses earned the high school Butkus Award during his senior season despite never playing on the edge at IMG.
“He’s got great instincts and a great nose for the football,” Langford said. “Before he came to us, that’s the only way he played. He was never schematic. Once he figured out the scheme with his instincts he won the Butkus Award.”
Langford can rattle off plenty of examples to prove his point. There was the time Moses was supposed to drop back on a Cover 2 defense but then identified a screen pass and blew it up at the line of scrimmage. There’s another play where Moses picked up on a gap in coverage before breaking out of his zone to knock down a pass. Langford has more, but for now, those will do.
Although, it doesn’t really matter where Langford or any other outside voice sees Moses at the next level. Alabama clearly sees him playing inside. While he has had some learning moments at the time during practice, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound true freshman already stands out among his fellow linebackers.
“First impression is he is an athletic guy,” Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans said. “That is obvious. All it’s really going to take is him improving as a player, and once he does that, the sky’s the limit.”
With starter Shaun Dion Hamilton still recovering from an ACL injury, Moses should get more opportunities to prove himself this spring. While Hamilton is expected to be ready in time for the Crimson Tide’s opener on Sept. 2, where he should start alongside Evans in the middle, the extra reps could prove beneficial to Moses if an opportunity arises later in the year.
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While earning early playing time was the goal when Moses enrolled in January, he and Langford did discuss the possibility of having to sit on the bench early in his career. Langford expects Moses to handle whatever is thrown at him and said a lack of playing time would only motivate the young linebacker that much more.
That was the case for Evans, who didn’t make his first start until his junior year last season.
“All it does is build character,” Evans said of waiting his turn. “You become unselfish. You become more about the team and when you have that type of mindset your individual success is going to come anyway when you are thinking about the team. Those things I have learned here overall under Coach Saban, I feel like those are the most important things you can take here and to the next level.”
If Moses is going to compete for early action, he’s going to have to earn it. So far, his teammates have already noticed his strong work ethic both on the field and in the weight room.
“He works hard and he’s a really smart kid,” Alabama tight end Miller Forristall said. “I like him a lot. In the fourth-quarter program, he worked really hard and he pushes you.”
Of course, that doesn't come as a surprise to Langford either. At this point, there's nothing he feels Moses can't do.
“I’m going to be shocked if he doesn’t get significant playing time,” Langford said. “And I won’t be surprised if he’s starting at some point next fall.”
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