3 crucial defensive players for Alabama in the College Football Playoff…

| December 26, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Alabama’s three most important defensive players in the College Football Playoff vs Michigan

The Alabama football defense will have a significant challenge in the Rose Bowl.The Crimson Tide will face a Michigan squad that has a more balanced offensive approach than some of the SEC opponents Alabama has faced this season.

This season, Michigan had two players receive Heisman Trophy votes: running back Blake Corum and quarterback JJ McCarthy. Michigan is known for its defense, but as Alabama prepares to face the UM offense in the College Football Playoff on Jan. 1, here are three critical players for the Crimson Tide defense.

Dallas Turner

It’s no mystery who is driving Alabama’s defense. Turner was awarded SEC defensive player of the year following the conference championship game against Georgia, and he is a scary presence off the edge.

With Will Anderson gone to the NFL, Turner became the Tide’s primary pass-rusher this season. Throughout the 2023 season, he and teammates Chris Braswell and Justin Eboigbe have been tormenting quarterbacks.

“We just gotta bring our hard hats whenever we play them, and we just gotta be the more physical team,” Turner said as Alabama kicked off Rose Bowl practice. “We gotta practice like that throughout the week, pick up on every single tendency that they do as an offense”

 Turner and company will need to go after McCarthy if Alabama is to stop Michigan’s balanced offense.

Caleb Downs

In his first year at Alabama, the true freshman safety established himself as an important member of the secondary. He took over as starter in the season opener against Middle Tennessee State and has been there ever since.

He was named SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches and is a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Award, which is given to College Football’s outstanding freshman. Downs leads the Tide in tackles with 99 and has intercepted two passes this season.

 “He already knows what he needs to do as a player,” Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry said. ” He’s a good player who prepares properly and does everything correctly, so I’d just tell him to be himself.” That’s all I’d tell him in any game or whenever he asks me a question: simply be yourself. I know we have faith in him and that he will perform his job.”
Downs just replaced McKinstry as Alabama’s leading punt returner, bringing one all the way back for a touchdown against Chattanooga. The youngster will need to continue to step up in order to have a great game versus Michigan.

Deontae Lawson

Deontae Lawson, Michigan’s defensive signal-caller and inside linebacker, will play an important role in the balanced attack. He’ll also have to pay attention because restricting Corum will be a primary focus for the Crimson Tide.

This season, Alabama has seen strong linebacker play, most notably from Jihaad Campbell, who moved into the starting lineup while Lawson and Trezmen Marshall recovered from injuries. Lawson, on the other hand, is the group’s leader, ensuring that the defense is properly aligned.
So far this season, he has 61 tackles, with 5.5 for loss. He’s also had three sacks.

Lawson, as one of the team’s leaders, will need to perform admirably against Michigan.

Tags:, , ,

Related Posts

About The Author

alltimesportnews

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *