One stat shows how significant a leap Yhonzae Pierre has taken for Alabama this year

Losing a starting outside linebacker, one who many thought would probably be your best pass rusher this season on a defense that struggled a year ago to get consistent pressure without blitzing, is the type of injury that could deal a significant blow to a title contender.

That's exactly the situation Alabama was facing when third-year Wolf LB Qua Russaw went down with a broken foot during Alabama's 24-21 win over Georgia at the end of September.

It was going to need fellow third-year Wolf LB Yhonzae Pierre, known as having elite pass-rushing potential, but who had shown little in terms of setting an edge, to morph into an every-down player. That became doubly true due to the season-ending neck injury suffered by sixth-year senior Jah-Marien Latham, who was moved to the Wolf LB room to help improve Alabama's edge-setting in the run game.

Pierre has more than delivered for the Crimson Tide.

He's shown the ability to be a three-down player, drastically improving as a run defender while also displaying the pass-rushing prowess that had the coaching staff so excited about him to begin with.

Pierre had his breakout performance three weeks ago in the Third Saturday in October against Tennessee. He finished with three sacks, the first three-sack performance by a Tide defender in four years.

Despite opening the season as a backup and more of a situational player, Pierre now leads the Crimson Tide in sacks. He also, per PFF data, leads the SEC in QB pressure rate for an EDGE defender:

Yhonzae Pierre is wrecking havoc on opposing quarterbacks

Alabama is intimately familiar with how good some of the players beneath Pierre on that list are at rushing the passer, most notably Missouri's duo of Damon Wilson II and Zion Young, who terrorized Ty Simpson in Columbia a few weeks ago.

That speaks to how impressive Pierre has been, though, that he ranks ahead of both of them. It should also strike fear into opposing offensive coordinators as Russaw nears a return to the lineup.

Pierre may hang on to the starting role even when Russaw gets back. It would be hard to put him back on the bench with as well as he has played. But if Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack are smart, they'll figure out ways to get both the talented EDGE players on the field at the same time and turn them loose on opposing quarterbacks.

That could be the key to unlocking the Crimson Tide's pass rush and letting the defense take the next leap that could catapult this team toward a National Championship.