He had a dominant freshman season, but Malachi Moore has resurged as a leader in Alabama’s secondary.
Moore, a native of Trussville, Ala., has battled a couple of injuries but is now healthy and strong. The 6-foot, 198-pounder performed at ‘Star’ and safety in spring practice; however, two players entered the NCAA transfer portal before A-Day — causing Moore to return to Star in the spring game. As a former Freshman All-American, Moore created havoc at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
RELATED: Five takeaways from Alabama’s spring game
He led the Crimson defense in tackles (nine), totaling three for loss and three sacks.
Moore’s quickness off the edge allowed him to get home in sacking quarterback Jalen Milroe. He recorded a pass breakup and forced Milroe into tossing an interception to Kristian Story. The senior guided the Crimson team to a 30-21 victory, earning the Dixie Howell Memorial Award for Most Valuable Player. He came in the same class as Brian Branch in 2020, but Branch’s departure to the National Football League opens the door for Moore to become the leader on the back end of the defense.
Moore credits the success Alabama’s defense had in the spring to Kevin Steele, the Crimson Tide’s new defensive coordinator.
If you want to know how much Kevin Steele has impacted the Alabama defense since his return to the program, listen to Malachi Moore.
Steele tried to recruit Moore to Auburn in the 2020 cycle while he was a defensive coordinator.@TDAlabamaMag pic.twitter.com/DlMv1XGYT2
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) April 23, 2023
“I love Coach Steele,” Moore said after the A-Day game. “He comes in, and even before the scrimmage, he has just had me ready to play. He talks about the Bama Standard, and he wants to be physical, tough, and have relentless effort to the ball. I love how he preaches that to us, and I think everyone on defense has taken hold of it.”
Moore has stepped into a leadership role as he takes the performance of the secondary seriously.
In this clip, you can see why it’s huge for Alabama’s secondary to have Malachi Moore back as a leader.
It means something to him to lead this group. He takes it personal.@TDAlabamaMag pic.twitter.com/mCElcUnzxq
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) April 23, 2023
“That is our secondary,” Moore said about Alabama’s defensive backs taking the role seriously. “The way we see things, we should be the leaders of the defense because Coach Saban is our position coach. I have been preaching to the guys that we have to set the tone for the defense and the team. We have to be the ones to get everyone to pick it up and be on the same page.”
Alabama has had some great defensive backs as team leaders, and Moore may be the next one.
He has the opportunity to be an All-American in the fall and a top-10 NFL Draft pick next spring.
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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.
