LaBryan Ray has accepted the baton, and with the University of Alabama football program losing players on its defensive front to the National Football League after this season, the sophomore is ready to become the next “physical freak” in a long lineage of great players.
He arrived on campus in 2017 as a five-star prospect and one of the top players in the state of Alabama, hailing from James Clemons High School in Madison, Ala.
An injury sidelined him down the stretch last season, but Ray has bounced back and is providing the Crimson Tide with one of its more productive contributors through 12 games this year.
The 6-foot-5, 294-pound edge rusher accounts for 35 total tackles – including 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
He also chimes in with two pass breakups and two quarterback pressures.
Ray is starting to peak at the perfect time as Alabama gets prepared for postseason action, beginning with its meetings versus Georgia next weekend in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He has been exceptional in the last two weeks — posting 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one quarterback pressure combined in the Tide’s victories over Citadel and Auburn.
Ray chose to hand his letter of intent to Nick Saban over Gus Malzahn and his passion over the weekend proves he understands what this rivalry means.
The talented defensive end shared a team-high nine tackles with linebacker Dylan Moses, while recording one sack and one tackle for loss in a 52-21 win for the Tide.
Under the guidance of defensive line coach, Craig Kuligowski, Ray has grown in stuffing the run as well as affecting the passing game. His technique has improved and he’s earned more reps in practice as a trusted rusher.
In a conversation with former Tide star Rudy Griffin, the defensive coordinator of Hewitt-Trussville High School told yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine that Ray “reminds him of Terrell Suggs” (Baltimore Ravens) in terms of a quick-twitched rusher.
He is setting the stage for an epic junior year, and for the Bulldogs’ offensive line, it will have much on its hands when Ray comes to attack Jake Fromm next week.
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.
