Honestly, last week might have just been a rough moment for Keith Holcombe.
He has always shown dependability on special teams and is a quality rotational piece at linebacker; however, Holcombe just seemed out of his element against Mississippi State.
While this in no means is a bash to Holcombe, who could come out and perform very well at Bryant-Denny Stadium versus Mercer, the Alabama coaching staff must identify a player it can trust when it comes to getting the best guys on the field at linebacker for next week’s Iron Bowl.
Seeing how he possess a high ceiling and more athleticism, the Crimson Tide have been impressed with freshman Dylan Moses throughout the season. Hailing from Baton Rouge, La., the five-star prospect came to life against LSU with 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Moses has the ideal stamina to attack offensive linemen at the point, dissect the flow of plays and created havoc in the backfield – while standing at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds. Regardless of his youth, it would make more sense to have someone that’s better fit for the matchup with Auburn.
This week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban discussed how the injuries at the position in question have allowed for Moses to get more opportunities on defense.
“Dylan Moses has done a really good job for us,” Saban said. “I think getting the additional reps in practice has really helped his confidence, and hopefully we’ll get to play him a little bit more and he’ll continue to develop because we don’t have a lot of depth at the position.”
Before signing in January, Moses was listed at No. 5 on the ESPN 300 network.
He has recorded nine tackles to pair with his production mentioned earlier, and was also credited with a forced fumble in the Tide’s season opener against Florida State. Even with the excitement of possibly getting Christian Miller back, it will be imperative to continue developing Moses.
“He’s certainly a guy that certainly has the potential to be a very good player for us, when he gets the knowledge and experience that he needs to go out and play with confidence,” Saban said.
His first step in gaining that confidence will be to read his keys and perform his job in front of the home crowd against the Bears on senior day.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
