Getty Athlon Sports' Mitchell Forde says freshman on Alabama's defense will be getting meaningful snaps in 2023
The incoming Class of 2023 will get plenty of burn on the defensive side of the football for Alabama this fall — at least according to Athlon Sports’ Mitchell Forde, who foresees Crimson Tide freshman defenders getting ‘meaningful snaps’ in 2023.
“While it’s difficult to pinpoint which ones will be able to hit the ground running at the college level, look for some true freshmen to get a chance to play meaningful snaps right away,” Forde wrote.
Safety Caleb Downs, cornerback Desmond Ricks, defensive lineman James Smith, and EDGE Qua Russaw represent the four 5-star recruits Nick Saban landed for his historic recruiting Class of 2023.
Forde believes the transfer portal should also bear fruit for Alabama during Kevin Steele’s third run with the team and second stint as defensive coordinator. “Alabama added a pair of experienced linebackers in Georgia transfer Trezmen Marshall and junior college product Justin Jefferson, both of whom could be in line to make an immediate impact,” he wrote.
With all of that said, it isn’t always going to be easy for the vaunted Crimson Tide defense in 2023, Forde concedes. “Given all the new faces, there could be some growing pains for the Alabama defense,” he prefaced before saying, “but it will be one of the most talented units in the country, and Saban has proven that he knows what to do with talent, particularly on that side of the ball.”
Alabama Should Improve in Key Area in 2023
As Forde notes, Alabama should improve in one key area during the 2023 season: penalties. The Crimson Tide averaged 8.3 penalties per game during the 2022 season.
“It’s well established by now that Saban doesn’t like to lose and is a master motivator,” Forde wrote. “He’s surely been using the offseason to drill a sense of urgency into his players. That should translate to clear on-field results in at least one area: penalties.”
Less penalties, and subsequently, more discipline, Forde says, may have changed the fate of the 2022 season altogether. “A little bit more discipline should help the Crimson Tide cut down on that number,” he prefaced before writing, “That alone might have been enough to turn the team’s two 2022 losses, which came by a total of four points, into victories.”
Alabama ranked behind only Syracuse in penalties per game in 2022. Utah State, the Crimson Tide’s Week 1 opponent, also had 8.3 penalties per game.
Tommy Rees Brings Optimism to Alabama
The hiring of Tommy Rees is something that brings optimism to the Crimson Tide offense despite the departure of the program’s only Heisman quarterback in history, Forde writes.
“While Alabama will certainly miss Young — the quarterback position has to be considered the team’s biggest question mark right now — having a new offensive coordinator to tailor the offense around whoever wins the competition for signal-caller could be a good thing,” he said.
After resurrecting a Notre Dame offense in 2022 that lost Tyler Buchner due to injury, Rees could do more with a quarterback room as talented as Alabama’s, Forde notes.
“Rees will be operating with a whole lot more talent this season than he’s ever had at his disposal, so there’s at least reason for optimism that he can enliven the Alabama offense.”