Alabama Football Fall Camp Questions: Who is the STAR?

Alabama football fans would love to see a healthy Malachi Moore on the field this season for the Crimson Tide defense. Moore burst onto the scene in 2020, starting at the star position as a true freshman.

In Alabama’s defense, star requires a lot of versatility. The position demands the agility to cover running backs and slot receivers in space, as well as the physicality to guard tight ends and give run support in the box.

In this role, Malachi Moore was not just one of the best players on the Alabama defense, he was one of the best defenders in the country. He totaled 44 tackles in eleven games and was an absolute ball hawk, intercepting three passes and returning a fumble for a touchdown after stripping a Tennessee ball carrier.

His play drew comparisons to past playmaking defensive backs of the Nick Saban era, such as Minkah Fitzpatrick.

However, Moore missed the postseason of his freshman year with a back injury and never really returned to form. The All-American season that many pundits expected him to have in 2021 never happened. Malachi Moore totaled just 17 tackles despite appearing in every game. Rumors swirled that he was still dealing with injuries, but at times it seemed that Moore had just been surpassed on the depth chart.

Classmate Brian Branch is a larger, more physical version of Moore with a lot of the same instinctive traits. Branch enjoyed that breakout season in Moore’s place in 2021, racking up 55 tackles and leading the team in pass breakups.

Malachi Moore and Brian Branch have both shown the ability to be difference makers in Alabama’s defense. The question is, is there room for both players in the secondary? If not, will Moore be relegated to the bench once again?

Alabama Football: Room for Moore & Branch?

I believe both Moore and Branch can be impactful for Alabama football this season, largely due to their versatility. Both can play in the nickel as well as at safety. While the Tide is pretty solid at safety this year, it’s still nice for defensive coordinator Pete Golding to have this kind of positional flexibility to work with.

Coach Nick Saban has also made it clear that Branch can participate at cornerback if necessary. Alabama football may have some question marks at corner after losing two starters to the NFL, and the word is that LSU transfer Eli Ricks is slightly behind the curve in recovering from an injury and acclimating to the system. At minimum, the Tide will be young at the position, at least to start the year. Branch could be a saving grace if Alabama gets in a pinch.

I also think there are enough snaps for both Malachi Moore and Brian Branch in the slot. When Alabama brings in its dime package on passing downs or against an Air Raid offense like Mississippi State, we could see both on the field at the same time.

In the base package, Golding could rotate the two at star based on opponent and game situation. Branch may be slightly more adept at playing in the box and defending the run, as he is one of the nation’s best tacklers. Meanwhile, Moore has displayed more of a penchant for forcing turnovers, and has reportedly put on some offseason muscle in his own right.

However Alabama decides to deploy them, these are two of the best defensive backs in the SEC when healthy. It will be tough to keep either off the field, and I believe the star position will be a critical component of the Alabama defense in 2022.