He did not have the full grasp of Alabama’s defensive system last year; nevertheless, the five-star talent of Will Anderson Jr. allowed him to record a strong freshman season.
The native Georgian stood among the team leaders in tackles for loss (10.5), sacks (seven), and quarterback pressures (eight) while earning Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-American honors. Anderson’s explosiveness made him an exciting player for Crimson Tide fans, as he helped the program win a national championship.
As a sophomore, he is set to accomplish more.
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He added eight pounds in the summer, moving his frame to 6’4″ and 243 pounds. According to Pete Golding, he wants to see Anderson continue to develop his consistency and anticipation.
During Sunday’s presser, Nick Saban explained why he ‘loves’ working with the marquee pass rusher. Anderson is multiple preseason All-American teams and award watch lists.
“I think Will was very productive last year because he was a good pass rusher, and he’s an unselfish player,” Saban said. “He’s the kind of person that he’s not satisfied with where he is. He sets a good example for everyone on our team.”
Regardless of not understanding the playbook, Anderson still had a massive impact in 2020.
Now that he knows what to do, opposing teams have more to be afraid of. Brian Branch, a sophomore defensive back, shared on Twitter about Anderson becoming one of the greatest linebackers in school history. After what we saw in year one, he’s on his way to achieving it.
One thing fans would like to see is Anderson break the single-season sacks record. Derrick Thomas has owned the feat since 1988 at 27 sacks. Alabama has not seen a pass rusher of his caliber in a long time; however, Anderson has the potential to do it.
Everyone is looking forward to him taking the next step.
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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.
