Nick Saban signed four incredible talents at outside linebacker for Alabama football in 2020, including a trio of five stars.
Fans of the Crimson Tide were excited over the arrivals of William Anderson, Drew Sanders, Chris Braswell, and Quandarrius Robinson.
Anderson and Sanders got the bulk of the conversation, but it was the native Georgian who received an opportunity to dominate as a true freshman. Anderson posted 52 tackles (9.5 for loss), seven sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble through 13 games. He won a few individual awards, including the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year honor.
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Some want to see Sanders take the next step, but A-Day showed us another prepared linebacker.
Braswell did not play at all last season. A former five-star from St. Frances Academy, he was awarded one diamond from Touchdown Alabama Magazine’s independent recruiting rankings.
The grade meant Braswell would be an “immediate contributor and game-changer” on defense.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder was a menace off the edge in high school.
He played with great speed, burst, explosiveness, power, leverage, and technique. In facing Mater Dei High School, Braswell got the better of Bryce Young. He sacked the five-star quarterback twice and stripped the ball from him. His familiarity with Young came to fruition in Bryant-Denny Stadium last week. Braswell beat the first-team offensive line and got to Young for three sacks.
He totaled three tackles for loss and one forced fumble, which Jaylen Moody recovered for a touchdown.
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Braswell finished with five total tackles and captivated the fans’ attention. He filled in for Will Anderson at jack linebacker and impressed the coaching staff. According to Coach Saban, Braswell did enough on A-Day for the staff to find him a role on defense.
“Chris really did a nice job for us last year on the scout team,” Saban said. “He’s made a lot of progress, showed some ability to pass rush, really challenged our offense daily, so he was ready to step up. He did a nice job all spring. I think he’s got a much better grasp of the defense, and I think he will be a guy that will certainly add depth to the position but I also think with his pass-rush ability, he will be a guy that we try to find a role for.”
Opposing offenses dealt with Anderson and Christopher Allen in 2020.
With the rise of Braswell, Saban can have the best nickel and dime defenses he’s ever had at Alabama. He was excited about the defense all spring because he knows how elite this group can be. The Tide is set to have a resurgence on defense, and Braswell wants to be a part of it.
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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.
