Alabama Football looking to turn defensive weakness into strength

Alabama football fans are concerned about this year’s defensive secondary, but Nick Saban can take a weakness and turn it into a strength.

Since the arrival of Nick Saban at the University of Alabama, we have all come to expect Alabama football to field a relentless, suffocating, savage-like defense. Defensive talent and depth have never really been an issue. Alabama lost a record six defensive backs to the 2018 NFL Draft. Not a single true starter from last season’s secondary returns. However, there’s one thing that is certain. Coach Nick Saban can take what may be a perceived weakness, and turn it into an absolute strength.

Last year’s Alabama football defense sat atop the nation in almost every statistical category. This was largely due to having what was one of the best defensive backfields in Crimson Tide history. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, Anthony Averett, and Levi Wallace, just to name a few, were an offensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. Fast forward to today. Those young men are all gone. Nick Saban is looking to retool and reload.

Defensive backs were a priority of 2018 recruiting class.

Alabama signed the top high school cornerback in Patrick Surtain Jr. Also signed was the top JUCO cornerback in the country, Savion Smith. These young men, along with Jalen Armour-Davis, Eddie Smith, and Josh Jobe, are as talented a group as you’ll find anywhere in the country.

The departures from last season’s defense didn’t necessarily leave the cupboards bare. Due to injury and other factors, several young men were called into action. These same few will again be counted on this year. Deionte Thompson, Xavier McKinney, Daniel Wright, and Shyheim Carter are all out to prove that they have what it takes to keep the Tide defense rolling. Deionte Thompson in particular, played exceedingly well when given the opportunity last year. He will be counted on to become a leader on the field and to help bring along what is one of the youngest secondaries in the SEC.

Nick Saban hands on with DB coaching at Alabama.

The secondary has been and always will be Coach Nick Saban’s area of expertise. He, along with new DB coach Karl Scott, will have to piece together an entirely new group. Throughout what we’ve seen of fall camp, the secondary looks to be heading in the right direction. Can these young men pick up right where last year’s squad left off? Can they be counted on to trust the process? To do all the little things right that have made Alabama football so successful in the past?

September will be here before we all know it. At Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL, against a potent Louisville offense, we will soon find out just how solid this year’s secondary can become.