The A-Day game for Alabama Football will kick off six days from today. While the spring game is far from a conclusive indication of what the team will look like in the fall, fans are hoping to find out a little bit more about their Crimson Tide next Saturday.
One thing Tide fans may come to realize is that the secondary could be very good, despite being made up of a lot of new faces.
Alabama Football senior defensive back Malachi Moore figures to be one of the leaders of the unit.
Moore has taken a long and winding path to reach his senior year, and I expect his patience and hard work to pay major dividends in 2023. He is one of the most experienced players on the defense, having appeared in 39 career games. Moore has tallied 92 career tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions, 16 pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two touchdowns.
The versatile defensive back has primarily played the star in his career with Alabama Football. He started at the position as a freshman in 2020 and was a highly productive playmaker. In the two years since, he mostly played behind Brian Branch, who has since departed for the NFL Draft. All indications point to Moore moving to safety this fall to help replace longtime starters Jordan Battle and DeMarcco Hellams.
While Moore is disruptive as a blitzer from the nickel, he may be more natural as a deep safety. Constantly playing in the box isn’t necessarily his forte, and it does not always accentuate his instincts in the open field.
If Malachi Moore can remain healthy in 2023, there doesn’t appear to be anything that could stand in the way of a breakout season to rival his freshman campaign.
As a senior, his leadership in a young and raw secondary will be invaluable. If he reaches his potential, his play on the field could mean even more to Alabama Football.