Alabama fans now add a new ESPN analyst to its hit list.
Will Anderson is considered by most as college football’s most dominant defensive player. He was a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy last year, but he was not invited to New York City for the presentation. Crimson Tide fans did not like it, but they are excited to see the junior outside linebacker pursue the award in the fall. Anderson has the Heisman as a primary goal, but Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo is not for defensive players getting the coveted bronze honor. He went on a rant via First Take, explaining why he will not vote for Anderson to win the Heisman Trophy. Russo says the honor is for offensive players in college football.
.@MadDogUnleashed thinks the Heisman award should only go to offensive players 👀
Agree? pic.twitter.com/GOz4smeHeW
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 20, 2022
“I am a Heisman voter, and I am not voting for Will Anderson for the Heisman Trophy,” Russo said. “I’m sorry, but I am not doing it. That is a quarterback award, it’s a running back award, and I don’t even like giving it to receivers. That is where I am going to go because, without the quarterback, you are not winning.”
RELATED: Mike Leach weighs in on Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher feud
Russo posed a question to David Pollack and Ryan Clark about who could Alabama not afford to lose between Bryce Young and Will Anderson. He insists that the Tide cannot win without Young, but it could be successful without Anderson.
“Young and Anderson can both have a big year, but Alabama could replace Anderson if he gets hurt,” Russo said. “If Young gets hurt, they can’t. They [Alabama] don’t have a quarterback to replace him to win a championship.”
Jalen Milroe is capable of leading the Tide to a championship if an opportunity came, but Young is a returning starter and reigning Heisman winner for a reason. Alabama could replace Anderson with Chris Braswell, Quandarrius Robinson, Keanu Koht, or Jeremiah Alexander, but would they have the same effect as Anderson? He’s the reason why the defense and team pulled through several close games in 2021. Anderson and the defense shut down LSU in the fourth quarter to earn a 20-14 victory.
Young had his worst completion percentage (49.0) of the campaign against Auburn, but Anderson and the defense allowed Alabama to hang in the game, force overtime, and get a 24-22 victory. Anderson kept the College Football Playoff National Championship matchup versus Georgia at 9-6 until the Tide became ineffective on offense. If Anderson got hurt, Alabama would be hard-pressed to find someone to consistently elevate the level of defensive performance. We will see how both former five stars look as junior and draft-eligible players. Young and Anderson will both be candidates for the Heisman in the preseason.
RELATED: Derrick Henry headlines Madden 23 ratings for running backs
Anderson looks to make Russo eat his words.
*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.
