The Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to have a bounce-back season after failing to win 10 games in a season for the first time since 2007. That success might have to start with the linebacker position.
Kalen DeBoer Dives Into Why Alabama’s Linebacker Group Will Be a Force In 2025
Head coach Kalen DeBoer discussed the team’s linebacker group while speaking with CBS Sports’ Josh Pate. “That group all of a sudden, went from…probably a little more youthful…to being a rock solid group that we’re really counting on.”
DeBoer mentioned players like Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson, who really could have a hand in making the Tide formidable on defense.
A season ago, Lawson recorded 76 total tackles (the most among returning players), four pass deflections, and two sacks.
Jefferson recorded 61 tackles (second-most among returning linebackers), two sacks, and an interception.
Other players, such as Qua Russaw, will also get a chance to make a name for themselves this year.
Kalen DeBoer Needs an Answer In 2025
Again, the Crimson Tide underperformed in DeBoer’s first year at the helm in Tuscaloosa.
Now, it is not easy to replace the greatest head coach of all time, Nick Saban, but that is precisely what DeBoer had to do.
However, the team was unprepared to face multiple unranked teams in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
Both games resulted in losses, with the defense struggling to find an answer on that side of the ball.
Much of that concerns the linebacker position, which is where it starts and ends with most defenses.
In the SEC, where plenty of offenses love to stretch the field while churning out tough yards on the ground, the linebacker position is more vital now than ever.
It will be important for players like Lawson, Jefferson, and Russaw to step up, especially in those games against unranked opponents that might not seem the most troublesome.
KEEP READING: Kalen DeBoer Eyes Redemption in Florida State Opener: ‘We’ve Got to Be Better on the Road
After all, those games will end up making the difference between the Tide making the College Football Playoff and not.
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