The highlights , for those who don't subscribe:
1. Will Anderson, Christopher Allen and Chris Braswell and the rest of the outside linebacker crew are going to wreck shop.
Anderson and Allen closed the 2020 season strongly. In the spring, Braswell amped his game up as well. There’s a lot of talent in that group and it’s poised to break out in a major way. No one is predicting Alabama will reach the 50-sack barrier, but the quarterback pressures are going to present a major problem for opposing offenses.
2. The expectations are high for sophomore quarterback Bryce Young.
3. Bryant-Denny Stadium will be at capacity.
4. Evan Neal could be the best offensive lineman in the country.
A scout this offseason told me that Neal is a top 10 talent for next year’s NFL Draft. The move from right to left tackle happens all the time in college football, and it’s happened frequently at Alabama too
. He’s down 15 pounds from his playing weight a season ago, making him a little lighter on his feet at 345 pounds.
5. Henry To’o To’o is going to bring a lot to the defense, including raising the play of Christian Harris.
Now with To’o To’o transferring from Tennessee to Alabama, the Crimson Tide linebacking unit can lay claim to being the best in the country. From that inside duo to Anderson and Allen, and the depth all around, this year’s group is absurdly talented.
6. Alabama is on schedule to be the first SEC team to repeat as conference champions since the Crimson Tide went back-to-back-to-back from 2014 to ’16.
7. Alabama extended its own record before the season even starts.
When 63 of the 65 coaches voting in the coaches poll put UA at No. 1, it continued a remarkable streak that began in 2008. At some point in every season since then, the Crimson Tide have reached No. 1 in the polls. That’s a total of 14 years.
8. Brian Robinson waited for his turn, and that time has arrived.
After waiting behind
Damien Harris and
Josh Jacobs and
Najee Harris, Robinson, the Tuscaloosa product, is set to have a big season behind a talented offensive line. Robinson has 1,361 career rushing yards in four years, but he returned for a fifth season having yet to reach 100 carries in a seas
on.
9. It will look a little different than what Kyle Pitts did at Florida, but Alabama has tight end weapons of its own.
Jahleel Billingsley, after being held out of the first few preseason camp practices, is back on the field and back on track. Saban called out his leadership, though, wanting him to set a better example for his teammates. But the fact remains that Billingsley will be a major weapon at tight end this season after flashing with 18 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Cameron Latu could be a weapon too.
10. Alabama returns to Gainesville for only the second time in the Nick Saban era.
11. Nick Saban turns 70.
Saban was a spry 55 when he came to Tuscaloosa with the reputation as a nomad coach who couldn’t stay in one place too long. That reputation has been put to bed, as the seven-time national championship coach is entering his 15th season as coach of the Crimson Tide.
12. Despite being a tactic used against Alabama to negative recruit, once again there are freshmen who will play major roles on this year’s team.
wide receiver
Agiye Hall , two other freshmen who could make an impact in the return game in JoJo Earle and Ja’Corey Brooks.
Then there’s the guy with the best name on the team:
Kool-Aid McKinstry is putting himself in position to earn valuable playing time in the secondary. There’s also offensive tackle
JC Latham, who is competing at right tackle and certainly appears to be the future.
13. A year after a record-tying six players were picked in the first round of the NFL Draft, how many first-rounders from Alabama could there be next spring?
Neal, Metchie, Christian Harris, To'o To'o, Jobe, Billingsley could be a few
14. Unless a shocking upset occurs, Alabama is going to extend its winning streak over Tennessee to 15 this season.
15. This year’s defense is set up to turn other teams over with great frequency.
It starts with the quality of players on the edge. Anderson and Allen are going to terrorize quarterbacks this year. Because of that, it’s going to create a lot of havoc. Whether it be strip sacks and forcing the ball out early to create more opportunities for interceptions, Anderson and Allen are where it starts.
The guys up the middle will contribute too, and the back end of the defense will have opportunities to make lots of plays.
16. The defense will face two of the nation’s top quarterbacks in D’Eriq King and Matt Corral.
King is going to test the discipline of the defense from jump in the first game of the season as Alabama faces Miami in Atlanta. Though he’s coming off a torn ACL in the bowl game, he’s a true dual-threat quarterback, the kind of which has given the Alabama defense problems before. King enters the season with career totals of 7,611 yards and 73 touchdowns passing and 1,959 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing.
17. The defensive line should have a good rotation to keep it fresh.
18. The streak of not losing to an unranked opponent is still going strong.
19. Name, image and likeness is all the rage in college football.
Young has deals approaching $800,000 despite not yet starting a game at quarterback.
20. First-year offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will hold his own.
He’s not Steve Sarkisian, who has a reputation as one of the brightest play-callers in the college game after his stock took a hit when he was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. But O’Brien, who is going from the Houston Texans back to the college game, will more than hold his own as a play-caller with Young and a strong running game. We’re all anxiously waiting to see how he’ll use Young, but remember, this is the same guy who had Deshaun Watson in Houston. He’ll figure out a way to maximize Young’s talents.
