Can we see Alabama football have a defense with insane sack numbers and forcing turnovers again?
Kane Wommack, the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator, is focused on doing it. The 37-year-old takes the stage on defense after spending three years as a head coach at the University of South Alabama. He has an opportunity to unleash everything he wants to do, creativity wise, that he could not do for the Jaguars. It took some time for players to understand the verbiage, terminology, and framework of his 4-2-5 defense, but Wommack sees guys up front that are ready to take off in fall camp.
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He highlighted several names on Thursday that have emerged as potential pass rushers.
Wommack has creative blitz looks in his arsenal, but he wants Alabama to affect quarterbacks with four down linemen.
“You look at pressure a number of different ways,” Wommack said.
“Some of it is natural. It is can we go four down and be able to create pressure on the quarterback off the edge. We are very focused on takeaways here and creating takeaways. You create takeaways by creating pressure on the quarterback. There were 751 takeaways in the NFL last season, and out of the those the vast majority came from pressure on the quarterback. Whether they hit the quarterback, got hands on the quarterback, or they were able to put him into an uncomfortable position where he forced a throw, and for us, I think we have some guys naturally that can do it off the edge.”
Wommack named Jah-Marien Latham and LT Overton as defensive linemen, but he likes what he’s seeing at outside linebacker.
“I think I have seen a lot out of that wolf room right now,” Wommack said.
“Keanu Koht, Qua Russaw, and Quandarrius Robinson are doing some great things. You also have some younger guys like Yhonzae Pierre that are starting to step up. Keon Keeley comes off the edge and Jordan Renaud. … I have really been pleased with the rush we have been able to create.”
Multiple pass rushers made Alabama’s defense elite from 2015 to 2017.
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Opposing offenses were terrified because they could not place all focus on one player for the Tide. Jonathan Allen, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Da’Ron Payne, Quinnen Williams, Ryan Anderson, Tim Williams, Rashaan Evans, Christian Miller, Anfernee Jennings, Reuben Foster, and Reggie Ragland all created nightmares for quarterbacks. Alabama has the depth on this front to generate the same results. Wommack likes this unit, but we will see how it continues to progress in preseason camp.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
