Alabama’s defense played its best football together late in the 2021 season.
The Crimson Tide had several players that could have turned pro, but they decided to return to school for unfinished business in the fall. Will Anderson Jr., an outside linebacker, is excited about this group’s potential to rival Alabama’s 2016 defense. Coach Nick Saban saw a dominant team at Bryant-Denny Stadium for A-Day, and he knows what he has for the upcoming year.
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The Tide had shut down cornerbacks in 2016 with Marlon Humphrey, Anthony Averett, Tony Brown, and Levi Wallace.
Alabama’s secondary collected 13 of the team’s 16 interceptions, and Minkah Fitzpatrick led the group with six. Saban is seeing the competition mature the corner position for this season. Eli Ricks (transfer), Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Khyree Jackson are battling for two starting jobs. McKinstry and Jackson played on the first-team defense (White) in the A-Day Game.
Ricks lined up on the second-team unit (Crimson) last weekend.
All three players performed well in spring practice. Jackson totaled five tackles and two pass breakups. McKinstry had a pass breakup, and Ricks collected five tackles. None of them surrendered big plays in the passing game, and all finished tackles well.
The trio also did a great job playing the ball and the receivers on the field. It will be interesting to see who wins the starting roles, but Saban is pleased with how the competition has made each one better.
“Those guys are all competing,” Saban said about Alabama’s cornerback room after the spring game. “They are learning and becoming more consistent. I think all three of those guys are competing for starting positions. We had to put somebody on the second team. They needed to play a lot, and I wanted to see them play so they could get reps.”
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Saban said Ricks is continuing to pick up Alabama’s system. The former five-star comes over from Louisiana State University.
He spent two seasons with the Tigers – totaling 31 tackles, six breakups, and five interceptions in 16 games. He brings experience the Tide needs on the back end, but Saban sees Ricks making strides. Jackson is playing with better discipline and technique.
As a former junior college player, he got some experience in 2021 with the Tide.
The 6-foot-3, 197-pounder had two breakups in 12 games, but he possesses more confidence now. McKinstry had a good spring game, and he’s gotten better at keeping plays in front of him. Alabama’s secondary should bait quarterbacks into several poor decisions in the fall.
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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.
