Regardless of not having a highly regarded player’s coach in Jeremy Pruitt, Dylan Moses has made an impressive jump from his freshman to sophomore year at Alabama.
Hailing from Baton Rouge, La., he and Lyndell “Mack” Wilson help captain a defense that’s stifled opponents this month. The former five-star totaled seven tackles in the Crimson Tide’s win over Citadel and carries a team-high 61 stops through 11 regular season games.
Prior to last week, Moses entered Tiger Stadium for an emotional homecoming on Nov. 3 and quieted fans with a dominant performance. Behind him, Alabama shutout Louisiana State University, sacked quarterback Joe Burrow five times, surrendered 12 yards rushing and forced an interception.
Moses would record six tackles himself – including sharing one for loss. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, he stands among the team leaders in tackles for loss (nine) and sacks (3.5) while having one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one quarterback pressure.
According to an announcement from the Dick Butkus Foundation, Moses was selected on Monday as a finalist for the Butkus Award. Named after Pro Football Hall of Famer, Dick Butkus, the honor is bestowed upon the top linebacker in high school, college and among the professional ranks. Despite earning the award at IMG Academy in 2016, Moses looks to join former Tide stars Derrick Thomas, Rolando McClain, C.J. Mosley and Reuben Foster in capturing the award in college. Foster was the latest recipient during the 2016 season.
Congrats, Dylan Moses on being selected as a finalist for the Butkus Award!
? https://t.co/4ukfNjm2Xz#OutworkYesterday#RollTide pic.twitter.com/QLFVtpAozi
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 19, 2018
The other four individuals selected for Butkus Award finalist include Josh Allen of Kentucky, Devin Bush of Michigan, Tre Lamar of Clemson and Devin White of LSU. With Moses, the Tide carries one of college football’s best scoring defenses – allowing just 13.1 points per game.
He and Alabama will host Auburn this week for the annual Iron Bowl.
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.
