Alabama Football: Statement game for Will Anderson Jr.

Alabama football’s Will Anderson has been far and away the nation’s best defensive player in 2021. He constantly applies pressure to opposing passers, and he finished the regular season with an NCAA-leading 14.5 sacks.

He has even been the subject of some Heisman Trophy conversations. These talks are rarely taken seriously when they involve defensive players, but Anderson is a different breed.

Anderson’s speed off the ball is his biggest advantage. When offensive tackles overcompensate to try to prevent Anderson from beating them on the edge, he is adept at countering with an inside move. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is also pretty good at scheming for Anderson, regularly using stunts and twists that free up the electric pass rusher.

Alabama football: Anderson leads stingy run defense

The Alabama run defense also starts with Will Anderson and the other outside linebackers. They have been very good at ‘contain’ this season, which is not only to keep mobile quarterbacks in the pocket, but also to funnel running plays to the interior of the line. This is the bare minimum of their job description, and they often do much more (Anderson in particular).

The Alabama outside linebackers are frequently able to collapse the tackle box and get instant penetration off the edges, blowing up running plays before they even get started. Will Anderson’s quickness is what makes this possible, and what makes him the national leader in tackles for loss (28.0).

Because he is the nation’s best pass rusher, he doesn’t get enough credit for the complete player that he is. He spearheads the Alabama run defense and is one of the primary reasons it has been so successful.

Anderson has beaten double teams (and sometimes triple teams) all year. Keep an eye on Anderson when opposing offenses try to kick him out with a pulling guard and run underneath him; he is often in the backfield so quickly that he beats the pulling lineman to the point of attack. Here, he either engages the blocker far earlier than the offense would like, creating a pileup behind the line of scrimmage, or beats the block and makes the TFL outright.

Alabama football: Anderson makes the whole defense better

As talented as he is, Anderson’s biggest contribution to the Alabama defense might be elevating the play of those around him. Only a true sophomore, he has assumed the role of the vocal and emotional leader of the defense. From his play on the field to his press conferences, Anderson can hardly contain his passion for the game at times.

Additionally, his play attracts so much attention from opposing blockers that he has freed up several other Tide defenders to make plays, most notably freshman Dallas Turner. Turner is enjoying a breakout season opposite Anderson, and the two talented edge rushers each contribute to the other’s success.

Interior defensive linemen Byron Young and Phidarian Mathis have also quietly put together very impressive campaigns while Anderson takes all the headlines.

Will Anderson singlehandedly changes games because he can impact everything opposing offenses want to do. Teams have tried multiple different ways to neutralize Anderson, such as stacking tight ends and H-backs over him or chipping him with running backs, often to no avail. It will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs approach the Bednarik award finalist.