Remember all the negative reactions from Alabama’s 2018 signing class?
The theme was the coaching staff did not recruit hard enough and how this group did not meet Nick Saban’s or the fans expectations of being a No. 1 class. Well, after Saturday’s scrimmage, the sixth best class in the nation has quickly grown in importance following a serious injury.
While it will be without Terrell Lewis (knee) for some time, sophomore outside linebacker Christopher Allen went down with a knee injury. He had missed a couple days of practice and was absent during the media viewing period of the scrimmage. According to Saban, Allen’s injury will need surgery and he will “probably be out for the season.”
Hailing from Baton Rouge, La., Allen arrived at Alabama in 2017 as a five-star.
He played in seven games, totaling six tackles (one for loss), two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. The 6-foot-4, 242-pounder was projected to have a strong season and be one of the primary guys at jack linebacker. With him out, the team turns to a trio of freshmen – Eyabi Anoma, Jarez Parks and Cameron Latu – a former five-star (Ben Davis) and a veteran in Jamey Mosley to pick up the slack.
Mosley, who came to the Tide as a walk-on in 2014, totaled 13 tackles with 1.5 coming for loss and one sack in 13 games. The redshirt senior was referred to as a “technician” via Tosh Lupoi, the program’s first-year defensive coordinator. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 239 pounds, Mosley dropped some weight to become a faster edge rusher and he’ll be needed to bring pressure.
It’s now or never for Ben Davis.
He was highly regarded as the nation’s top inside linebacker in 2016; however, he has yet to see much action since arriving. Whether it takes a certain thing to happen for him to be engaged or he’s now feeling the pressure to emerge, this would be Davis’ moment to stand out.
As for the three freshmen, all of them will get playing time.
Depth was an issue at linebacker in 2017 and with the injury bug biting once again, Saban has to rotate players around to fill holes. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this situation but aside from Anfernee Jennings and Christian Miller, there isn’t much to trust at outside ‘backer.’
Jokes have always been made about Alabama football being the “next man up”, and yet the statement has become a reality in the last two years. For the 2018 class, their time is now.
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.
