As we prepare for the start of Alabama’s 2022 season, the staff for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will be previewing position groups in preseason camp.
The Crimson Tide returns veterans, young players, and depth at every position.
Alabama’s focus is to return to the College Football Playoff and win a national championship. Coach Nick Saban is pursuing the eighth national title of his career and seventh for the Tide. He wants to see excellence on both sides of the ball, and the season begins on Saturday, Sept. 3.
We now turn our attention to Alabama football’s inside linebacker room.
Alabama’s Inside Linebacker Room
-Returners: Henry To’oto’o (Senior), Jaylen Moody (Senior), Demouy Kennedy (Junior) Deontae Lawson (Sophomore), Ian Jackson (Sophomore), Kendrick Blackshire (Sophomore),
-Newcomers: Jihaad Campbell (freshman), Shawn Murphy (freshman)
-Expected starter: Henry To’oto’o, Jaylen Moody
Summary:
Alabama’s starting mike linebacker from last season, Henry To’oto’o, is back, but there are some questions surrounding who will line up beside him.
To’oto’o led UA in tackles with 113 in 2021. He also had 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The California native was named to the All-SEC second team for his performance as a junior.
The betting favorite to play alongside To’oto’o is Jaylen Moody, who is returning for his redshirt senior season after removing his name from the transfer portal. Moody primarily contributed on special teams last season. He finished the year with 11 tackles, one interception and one pass deflection.
There is not much experience behind Moody and To’oto’o but plenty of depth. Demouy Kennedy is expected to be the oldest reserve as he heads into his junior season. Kendrick Blackshire is entering his sophomore season at UA while Deontae Lawson and Ian Jackson are returning as redshirt freshmen.
Kennedy played in 15 games last season. Blackshire saw playing time in nine games in 2021 while playing on special teams. Lawson played in four games and Jackson did not see playing time.
The Crimson Tide welcomes two freshmen inside linebackers in Shawn Murphy and Jihaad Campbell. Both were rated as five-star recruits coming out of their respective high schools. Murphy is considered an old-school linebacker, who hits with a lot of force. Campbell is a hybrid linebacker, who excelled at making plays in space at the high school level.
Alabama has unproven depth at inside linebacker heading into this season. Fortunately for the Tide, their starting inside linebacker group appears to be healthy heading into their first game.
Related preview stories
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
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.
