With the Reese’s Senior Bowl scheduled for next Saturday in Mobile, Ala., the rosters for both North and South have been released. The University of Alabama is well represented for this year’s venue as four marquee Crimson Tide standouts are among the participants for South.
After arriving on campus as a five-star in 2014, Da’Shawn Hand has been an impact player under head coach Nick Saban. The 6-foot-4, 288-pound defensive end had 27 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 11 games. He missed three matchups due to a medial collateral ligament injury in his knee; however, he stepped up in the College Football Playoff.
Hand was credited with six tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and a pass breakup versus Clemson and Georgia as the Tide won its second national championship of the playoff era.
He was by far the biggest surprise for Alabama’s defense, but Levi Wallace was ready for the moment. A former walk-on, he started all 14 games and collected 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, 15 pass breakups (team-high) and a defensive touchdown.
While his best game overall came against Ole Miss – two interceptions – Wallace’s skill set as a technician in coverage allows him to excel in both press and zone schemes. He assisted the Tide’s secondary in limiting Tigers’ wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to 31 yards on five receptions.
In following behind strong offensive linemen, Bradley Bozeman showed his worth at center during the last two seasons. He cleared the way for 37.1 points, 444.1 total yards offensively and 251 rushing yards per game in 2017. Bozeman guided the Tide to 6.6 yards per play and blocked for 36 rushing touchdowns. He opened running lanes for Damien Harris to have a second straight 1,000-yard season, while navigating Harris, Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarbrough to at least 500 yards.
It may not be stated much, but JK Scott’s departure could serve as the biggest loss for the Tide moving forward. He was nothing short of dependable in his tenure, and he became the first player in school history to record 10,000 yards. His ability to flip the field and dictate games on special teams was noticed in his freshman season, but it really hit home in the 2017 campaign.
He averaged 43 yards a punt on 54 tries, with 31 of his boots not being returned. Scott dropped 27 of his punts inside the opposition’s 20-yard line and had 17 kicks travel in excess of 50 yards.
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 @CoachingMSmith.
