Alabama football has seen plenty of players improve
While Alabama football began the season as the favorites to win a national championship, there was still room for improvement. There are plenty of new faces on offense, and the defense lost a few crucial leaders. Losing Chris Allen early in the year hurt as well, so the Tide needed players to step up.
Not all goals have been achieved, but some players have improved drastically this season. Whether they lacked a large role or simply did not have the skills to play this well before developing them, they burst onto the scene in 2021.
With that in mind, here are Alabama football’s most improved players so far this season.
Brian Robinson, RB
Robinson has always been a quality back, but he was buried on the depth chart. He is averaging just under 20 carries per game, and he already has his season-high for yards. He’s one or two games away from having more receptions in 2021 than he had his entire collegiate career before this season.
Robinson has always had the talent, but he’s still improved with this new role. He deserves recognition for this.
Phidarian Mathis, IDL
Mathis has been a part of the rotation with the defensive line, but he has also played behind some behemoths. With Christian Barmore now in the NFL, Mathis has stepped in and been a sneaky contributor on defense. His stats don’t jump off the page, but his presence is felt in every game.
Mathis is second on the team in sacks this season, but he gets pressure on other plays as well. He has the only forced fumble, and he can destroy the interior of an offensive line. Alabama football loves to rotate bodies, but he still crushes it.
Javion Cohen, LG
Due to the depth on the offensive line last year, Javion Cohen had only a handful of reps last year. In 2021, he easily earned the starting job. The offensive line has plenty of issues, but Cohen has been solid as a run blocker and a pass blocker.
When we discuss potential moves to upgrade the offensive line, Cohen’s name is not mentioned. He fully deserves to be the starting left guard, and Alabama has a solid player at this key position.