Alabama Football: Secondary will go from weakness to strength

Alabama football will rely on the secondary in 2021

In the 2020 offseason, Alabama football lost four of their five starters in the secondary. With minimal experience, the Tide began the year with a weakness at this position. However, it will be a strength in 2021.

Alabama is returning almost every defensive back from the 2020 roster. The only starter leaving will be Patrick Surtain. He was the best corner in college football, but the unit around him improved as the season progressed.

That improvement starts with Malachi Moore. The true freshman was great as a slot corner, and his role will increase in 2021.

Players like DeMarco Hellanms and Jordan Battle also thrived in 2021. Daniel Wright was the starter at safety, and his return will bring depth to the position.

Across from Surtain, Josh Jobe was a key piece of the defense. He had his weaknesses, but the experience from last year will help Alabama football next season.

So, it all comes down to who replaces Surtain. A secondary unit is only as strong as the weakest link, and that means that someone has to play outside corner at a high level. Alabama has some players on the roster with minimal experience, but they are also bringing in an elite recruiting class. Khyree Jackson and GQ McKinstry have the talent to perform, and they will be in the mix over the summer

Jackson has experience at a junior college, and Saban usually wants his JUCO transfers to contribute early. For this reason, don’t be surprised if he starts by the end of the regular season. However, this battle will be fought out for months.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that Alabama’s secondary will be better in 2021 than 2020. It’s hard to believe a unit can improve while also losing one of the best corners Alabama football has seen. That being said, the unit will improve at four of the five positions with more experience in the system. As Moore gets more reps, he will become the next stud of the Alabama football secondary. As a senior, Jobe will be ready to take over.

At this point last year, the secondary was a key concern. Now, that is no longer the case.