Alabama Football: Crimson Tide to bring back speed at linebacker

Alabama football will have a revamped defense in 2023, and could have young players in a lot of key roles. The Crimson Tide have the potential to be very athletic at linebacker.

Over the past two or three recruiting cycles, Coach Nick Saban has zeroed in on some of the best linebackers in the country. This modern brand of linebacker has the speed to chase down plays from sideline to sideline, and the physicality to blow up gaps and win between the tackles.

Alabama Football: Emphasis on speed

Redshirt sophomore Deontae Lawson, sophomore Jihaad Campbell, and JUCO transfer Justin Jefferson all figure to be in the inside linebacker rotation. This trio brings a lot of athleticism and versatility to the Alabama defense, and can be deployed in a variety of ways.

Ole Miss’ Quinshon Judkins was able to hurt Alabama with perimeter runs and sweeps. The Tide also struggled with run-first quarterbacks like LSU’s Jayden Daniels, struggling to find a spy athletic enough to keep up. The more speed a defense can field, the more impervious it is to these types of plays, and Alabama should be much faster at linebacker in 2023.

Deontae Lawson was heavily in the rotation as a redshirt freshman, and should take a big jump next season. He is the presumed returning leader of the inside linebacker room, and will be a lot more comfortable and confident after another offseason in the system.

Jihaad Campbell got spot snaps as a true freshman, and should take a leap as well. He was arguably the most versatile defender in the 2022 recruiting class, and was one of the highest-ceiling prospects in the cycle regardless of position.

Justin Jefferson will join the Crimson Tide as a junior in 2023, and should be ready to contribute immediately. While he is slightly undersized, Jefferson is probably the fastest linebacker on the team, having previously been clocked at a sub-4.4 40-yard dash.

Alabama Football: More on inside linebacker room

Rising junior Kendrick Blackshire will also be in the mix. While he may lack the speed to compete on the perimeter, he is a thumper in the box. Blackshire is easily the biggest and most physical returning member of the group.

Veteran Demouy Kennedy hopes to return from a serious knee injury and compete for minutes. Shawn Murphy is another quality inside linebacker that saw snaps in 2022. He will return as a redshirt freshman next year.

In time, incoming freshman Qua Russaw may be the best player to come out of this group. Russaw can also play on the edge, but I believe he will make his money as an inside ‘backer.

At his peak, the Montgomery product meshes the size and violent nature of Blackshire with the speed of Lawson. He looks to be the face of the linebacker room down the road, but if he is good enough to contribute in 2023 it will only help the Bama defense.

Alabama football is seeking to get back to a championship culture, and that starts on the defensive side of the ball. Dominant linebackers have been a staple of Nick Saban’s best squads, and the 2023 group could be a strength of the team.

The position has morphed over time as modern offensive schemes and rule changes have made it increasingly more difficult to play good defense.

Coach Saban seems to have found the sweet spot between speed and physicality.