Alabama Football: Tide’s report card vs. Mississippi State

Alabama football’s report card vs. Mississippi State

Cornerbacks: B-

Alabama’s secondary has plenty of experience, but they’ve made too many mental errors against previous opponents. This is partly because of the scheme and miscommunication, but the secondary has taken a step back in almost every category. They struggle to tackle in open space, and the corners have yet to prove that they can lock down top-level receivers.

Expect for younger corners to see more reps. They have raw talent, but they are lacking awareness in the scheme. If Alabama can simplify it, they may have a positive impact moving forward.

Still, the starters stayed the same, and an early interception by Josh Jobe helped the Tide get off to a strong start. There were some bad penalties later in the game, but the group played a lot better against the Bulldogs than they did against the Aggies.

Safeties: B+

Alabama lost Malachi Moore on the first drive against Texas A&M, and he was looking to bounce back after that. The slot corner/safety hybrid adds versatility to the secondary, but there are still concerns with the overall unit. Players have yet to take a step forward, and there have been too many opportunities to make a play that were not executed.

Jordan Battle had a pick-six in the first quarter that helped separate them early. He had great vision on the play and closing speed. He also snagged an interception late in the game, so he bookended his night with two great plays.

Daniel Wright saw a bigger role this week. He played better than he did as a starter last season, which was encouraging. DeMarcco Hellams was available, but there seems to be a change to the number of reps each player is getting.