One might look at this year’s Alabama football team and see some question marks; however, there is one player that no one needs to doubt next fall.
Dylan Moses is very excited and that is not good for opponents.
Quite a few Crimson Tide fans felt as though he should have been calling plays on the field last season, but the Baton Rouge (La.) native will have his chance. After earning All-Freshman Team honors for the Southeastern Conference in 2017, the former five-star took a big step in production as a sophomore – totaling a team-high 86 tackles and was among team leaders in tackles for loss (10) and sacks (3.5) through 15 games. He assisted the Tide to a conference championship and was a Butkus Award finalist, yet Moses wants it all as he’s a junior.
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The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder spoke to reporters on Monday on how Nick Saban recruited him to Alabama with the idea of him running the defense in mind. Now that Mack Wilson is pursuing the National Football League, the one that spurned Louisiana State University is the old man of the inside linebacker room.
“It’s crazy,” Moses said before practice.
“I remember when I first came in, I was a freshman – a puppy, having to sit back and watch the older guys and see how it’s done. Now that I’m the older guy in the room, it’s a great feeling.”
While he does not share the feeling alone – Joshua McMillon, the other old guy – Moses is the one with the physical and mental capacity that can get Alabama back to the College Football Playoff and win a national championship.
He is a firm mixture of former stars Rolando McClain (on-field), C.J. Mosley and Donta Hightower at Alabama and for Moses, he is prepared to erase the nightmare fans had to endure in January to start 2019 versus Clemson in Santa Clara, Calif.
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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.
