Were it not for a generational Crimson Tide quarterback, former Alabama Football linebacker Will Anderson Jr. would be getting a lot more NFL Draft buzz.
Anderson Jr. is widely considered to be a top-5 defender in the school’s illustrious history, and is the only pass rusher whose name has been uttered in the same breath as the late great Derrick Thomas.
Over the last three seasons, he has been the most dominant defensive player in all of college football. And yet, he won’t even be the first player drafted from his own team. However, Bryce Young’s wizardry can’t take anything away from what Will Anderson Jr. can do.
Will Anderson Jr. was a 5-star recruit and the top-ranked weakside defensive end in the class of 2020. He lived up to the billing, starting his first collegiate game and every subsequent game of his career.
As a true freshman in 2020, it took Anderson Jr. just a few weeks to adjust to the speed of the SEC game. Once he caught on, he was nearly unblockable. The Terminator finished his first season in Tuscaloosa with 52 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks.
Will Anderson Jr. returned for his sophomore year and took his game to a new level, running roughshod over the college football world in 2021. He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and was a unanimous first team All-American, notching 102 tackles with an absurd 34.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks.
As a junior, Anderson Jr. saw his production take a dip. Still, he remained one of the top defensive players in the nation, both statistically and in terms of impact. Anderson Jr. swept the major defensive player of the year awards, repeating as a unanimous All-American and becoming the first player to repeat as the Nagurski winner. For the year, he recorded 51 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 10.0 sacks.
Anderson Jr. is a surefire first round pick, and is very likely to go in the top five. In fact, many pundits anticipate that he and Bryce Young could be the draft’s top two selections.
Will Anderson Jr. was a historically great college player, and Alabama Football fans will have the good fortune of watching him become a great pro.
Best of luck to 2023 NFL Draft entrant Will Anderson Jr.!