Alabama Crimson Tide Spring Preview: Linebackers

In the first installment of my pre-spring preview, I look at Alabama's linebacker corps.

New Additions

Vinnie Sunseri: 5'11", 193 pounds, true freshman

Trey DePriest: 6'2", 223 pounds, true freshman

Losses

Chavis Williams: 6'5", 220 pounds, graduated senior

Ed Stinson: 6'4", 252 pounds, moved to defensive end

The linebacker position was expected to be a team strength in 2010, but ended up being a bit of a liability.  Dan'ta Hightower was still recovering from knee surgery and was slow to pick up the change to mike from the will position.  Courtney Upshaw was injured in the first game and struggled until the bowl game.  Nico Johnson also appeared to be slowed by injury.

Alabama enters spring looking to find a new sam and improve at every position and develop depth.

The middle of the field will most likely continue to be manned by a combination of Dan'ta Hightower, junior Nico Johnson and true sophomore CJ Mosley.  The Tide staff mixed and matched these players according to the situation and may continue to do so.  Nico and Dan'ta were more physical against the run game, while CJ Mosley was better in coverage.

Dan'ta Hightower struggled for the first half of the season.  He wasn't as quick as before the injury, and many began to wonder if he was capable of returning to form.  Later in the season, he became noticeably more mobile and may continue to improve this spring.

After an excellent start as a freshman, Nico Johnson suffered through a bit of a sophomore slump.  His troubles were exacerbated by an injury to his arm that required a bulky arm brace.  He seemed to return to form in the bowl game, with the brace now gone.

CJ Mosley will attempt to follow up a freshman All-American season.  He was Alabama's best linebacker in coverage and was making tackles sideline to sideline.  With some added weightroom work, he should be able to improve his physical play against the run and become a more complete player.

If Mosley can be more of an every-down player, it could give Hightower the chance to move around to different positions like he was doing early in 2009 before his injury.  

Inside linebacker Chris Jordan initially won and then lost a starting job this past year, and subsequently was injured, missing much of the second half of the season.  Jordan is a mainstay on the kick coverage teams and is a physical tackler.  Look for him to make one final push for regular playing time in his final season.  A move to sam linebacker wouldn't be out of the question. 

Sophomore inside linebacker Pete Smith is built like a fireplug.  At 6’ 1” and 250 pounds, he would be classified as a run stopper.  His best chance to get noticed is to get onto special teams and deck somebody.  That wouldn't surprise me at all, because watching him in high school all-star games, his main talent seemed to be hurting people.  I like that about him.

The jack linebacker position will thankfully be manned another year by Courtney Upshaw. Upshaw might have become the fourth junior to leave for the NFL had he not played injured for the entire regular season.  In the bowl game, he looked healthy and absolutely dominated Michigan States left tackle and was instrumental in sending two of their quarterbacks to the sideline. 

If healthy, Upshaw could give Alabama the big time rush threat that fans have been hungry for since Nick Saban arrived.  It's important that they find a defensive end to take up blockers, and if they do, Upshaw could have a great year in front of him. 

Ed Stinson began 2010 as the No. 2 jack linebacker and started several games early in relief of Upshaw, but did not impress. He was eventually moved to defensive end. In his place, Alex Watkins finally got an opportunity to play.  

Watkins reminds many fans of 2009 jack linebacker Eryk Anders.  He is similar in size (6'3", 232) and may be faster than Anders.  He has played on special teams for several years, but 2010 was his first significant game action, and he gained momentum as a speed rusher.

This spring will be Watkins last in Tuscaloosa and will be his most important, as he will have an opportunity to play a significant roll as a senior. 

Since both Upshaw and Watkins will be seniors next year, the third-team guy will get plenty of attention. 

Currently there are a number of candidates to be next in line for the jack spot.  One big one is Adrian Hubbard.  Towering at 6' 7" and 255 pounds, Hubbard is an impressive physical specimen, and his work in the weight room could be critical this winter.  

Junior jack linebacker Glen Harbin has not played thus far at Alabama and may be a candidate for attrition.  Of course, I said the same thing about Corey Reamer.

The departure of Chavis Williams leaves an open spot at the sam linebacker position.  The open spot is once again most likely Jarrell Harris's job to lose.

Unfortunately for Harris, to date he has mostly lost.  He started out last season as the starting middle linebacker, moved back to sam, lost out to Chavis Williams and once again did not get much playing time aside from special teams.  Like Watkins, this spring will be a last opportunity for Harris to find stardom at Alabama.

Behind Harris it's unclear who else will compete outside.  Alex Watkins has also played sam, and he may move back there if an effective No. 2 can be found at jack.

Sophomore Jonathan Atchinson has been improving, according to Internet scuttlebutt, and may be another challenger for the sam spot.  

True Freshman Trey DePriest enrolled in January and will be on the field for spring drills.  DePriest is one of the nation's top linebacker recruits, so it will be interesting to see how he competes on the next level.  Thus far at Alabama, Nick Saban has shown no shyness whatsoever about putting true freshman in the game at linebacker.

Sophomore Tana Patrick may play at inside or outside.  He may have been a little slower to develop physically, but certainly was considered a big talent when he signed.  He played only sparingly in 2010, and special teams would also be his key to getting on the field more.

True Freshman Vinnie Sunseri, like DePriest, enrolled in January.  He is rather small at 5'11" and 193 pounds, but he is tough, knows the game and is just an outstanding football player.  His production far outweighs his measurables.  It's likely he will redshirt to add bulk and may move to safety as well.

Overall Alabama returns a wealth of talent and experience this spring, and the fireworks should be spectacular to watch.  While 2010 was marked with instability, Alabama should find a consistent rotation this spring that will carry them through next year.