Alabama fans miss Christopher Allen, but they appreciate the rise of Drew Sanders.
The native Texan replaced Allen in week one against Miami and is growing at outside linebacker. Sanders earned five-star recognition in the 2020 signing class. He arrived on the Crimson Tide’s campus with Will Anderson Jr., Chris Braswell, and Quandarrius Robinson.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder got one diamond from Justin Smith (recruiting/scouting analyst) of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Sanders was regarded as an “immediate contributor and game-changer” on defense.
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He had good moments versus Florida, but Nick Saban saw relentless pursuit from Sanders last week.
Lane Kiffin brought a high-powered Mississippi offense to Bryant-Denny Stadium, but Sanders was one of the marquee components that assisted Alabama’s defense to a first-half shutout. His versatility to stop the run and affect Matt Corral in the pocket impressed fans.
Sanders prevented Jerrion Ealy and Snooper Connor from getting loose and helped limit the Rebels to 78 yards rushing on 34 carries.
He pressured Corral twice and had Ole Miss struggling on third and fourth downs, converting only seven of 19 attempts. Sanders collected five total tackles, including three solo stops.
He has started to find his rhythm in the last four matchups — posting 20 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and four quarterback hurries.
Sanders is sixth on the team for total tackles and tied for first in quarterback pressures.
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He will continue to improve, but Saban likes what he’s getting from him.
“He’s doing a good job,” Saban said of Sanders. “He plays the run well, and he’s a good pass rusher. The pass-drop stuff is what we are continuing to work with him on. He’s getting better at that. To play him and Will (Anderson) at outside linebacker allows us to do different things.”
We knew Sanders and Anderson would play together at some point. Both sophomores are holding it down, and fans are excited to see Sanders progress.
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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.
