After linebacker losses, Alabama football shuffles the depth chart in preparation for a championship run. Dylan Moses to have an expanded role.
Alabama football has gone from the deepest, most talented linebacker corps in college football to a depleted group, not lacking in talent but with damaged depth. Not many college football teams could rebound from the extended loss of four key linebackers. Not many college football programs have talent equal to Shaun Dion Hamilton, Mack Wilson, Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis. For at least another month Alabama football must adapt to the loss of those key players.
Hamilton will not play football for the Tide again. Wilson, Miller and Lewis each have a chance to return for any CFB Playoff games. In the interim, younger and less experienced players must deliver against Mississippi State, Auburn and Georgia.
Post-LSU Linebacker Depth Chart
JACK Linebacker: Anfernee Jennings; Chris Allen (true freshman)
SAM Linebacker: Jamey Mosley; Mehki Brown, Josh McMillon
MIKE Linebacker: Keith Holcombe; Dylan Moses (true freshman)
WILL Linebacker: Rashaan Evans; Dylan Moses
Other options: Vandarius Cowan (true freshman); Ben Davis (redshirt freshman) and Markail Benton (true freshman who is yet to play). Until Monday, Davis and Benton were scout team players.
Allen, Brown, McMillon and Cowan have limited game experience. Only Jennings, Mosley, Holcombe and Evans have played enough to be considered regulars in the defensive rotation.
New roster rotations must consider more than the Tide’s base 3-4 defense. Alabama football is typically in Nickel more than Base. Add Dime and the Dime Rabbits group and there are four linebacker lineups to be re-structured.
Shaun Dion Hamilton was the defensive front-seven ‘play-caller.’ Either Holcombe or Evans can handle that duty but Holcombe is the better fit since Evans is not always lined up as an inside linebacker.
Holcombe will take Mack Wilson’s role as the ‘Mack’ in the Dime rabbits package with Evans and Moses working at the ‘Buck’ as edge rushers. Holcombe has plenty of experience. He is smart and tough, though he may not be quite as strong as Hamilton and Wilson against running plays.
Where will the new linebacker roster struggle?
Leadership should be fine with Holcombe and Evans. The new risk for the Tide is depth, both in game fatigue and injury risk. As the younger players develop, Alabama football linebacking success will be determined by the play of Jennings, Evans, Holcombe and Moses. Keeping them fresh is a potential problem.
A new injury to Evans or Holcombe would be devastating. Moses could fill in for either of the two but behind him, the talent-level and game experience takes a deep drop. Cowan has a big upside but he has only seen limited snaps in two games. Alabama football could be one injury away from Tony Brown being moved to linebacker.
Next: Where 5-Star Linebackers wait their turn
The post linked above was written before the start of fall camp. It reviewed the Alabama football history of exceptional linebackers and suggested which young bull might be next. Less than four months later, most of the young cadre no longer have to wait for their turn.