The 2010 Replacements for Alabama's Departing Football Players, Chapter Four

How do you replace an All-American linebacker that won the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker? With another All-American in the waiting who will also be in the hunt for the next Butkus Award. There, that was simple wasn't it?

Not that you can replace everything at once, but Donta Hightower will more than likely slip right into Rolando McClain's spot and the results should be very pleasing for the Tide fans.

They were supposed to be brother All-Americans and the best linebacker duo in all of college football, but early last season Donta went down with a knee injury that prevented that from happening.

Watching him run and work out with the team prior to the national championship game, it's clear he'll be ready to go by spring.

Yes, Rolando was more than a great linebacker, he was another coach on the field. Some say he was an extension of Saban himself as if they were telepathically connected. That will be the hardest thing for a few games for Hightower to do, but after a few games many expect him to fill that role too.

Hightower played and thrived as a true freshman and learned the mind games and the physical demands of the game early on. His size and speed are world class and he doesn't make mental mistakes.

Mark my words, this is another Butkus winner in waiting.

As for backups, Alabama has the deepest pool of first class talent at the linebacker spot in the country. That's why last year when we plugged others into Hightower's slot, the defense never lost a step and actually improved over the defense the year before.

Comparing the departing with the replacement, McClain was 6'4" and 258 pounds and Hightower is 6'4" and 256 pounds. Scary close, huh? And Hightower's a step faster to boot.

This is just another example of Alabama opponents hoping that the defense drops down a few notches with all these departures, but they'll wind up being very disappointed that it never happened.

Thanks for reading, and chapters one through three that covered the defensive line are up on the site as well if you missed them. Next up are more defensive replacements.