Jordan Battle emerging as a leader on Alabama defense

Prior to this season, Nick Saban said he wanted to see safety Jordan Battle become a leader for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Evidently, Battle has taken the words of his head coach to heart.

“He’s done really well,” Saban said in his press conference Saturday. “He’s been the leader back there … makes all the calls, he’s very smart. Him and Demarcco [Hellams] both were playing really, really well. They’re both smart, they both know the system and don’t make many mistakes.

“Jordan Battle has been a real leader in the back-end. He’s done everything that we’ve asked, and he does it in the way that we like for him to do it. I’m very pleased with the progress that he’s made.”

This season, Battle is entering his third season with the Crimson Tide. With so many weapons lost from their tremendous 2020 offense, the Alabama defense, led by Battle, will attempt to pick up the slack. 

In the past, Saban’s Crimson Tide have had impressive combinations of leadership and ability at the safety position. This season, Battle can join the ranks of players like Xavier McKinney and Landon Collins in that regard.

Alabama safety Jordan Battle on opening vs. Miami

Alabama safety Jordan Battle, who’s from South Florida, spoke about whether the game will have some extra juice to it for him.

“It’s the same feeling for every game,” Battle said, via Rivals.com’s Alabama football YouTube page. “But being out of Miami, it’s gonna be a great experience. My hometown team. It’s gonna be a great game, and a great one for the fans as well.”

In addition, Battle was asked whether it was tough for him to choose Alabama over staying home and playing for the Hurricanes. 

“Miami is a great school, Coach Diaz is a great guy. But Coach Saban came along and recruited me very well,” Battle said. “He’s a DB coach. A DB guru. So, that’s what made me choose Alabama.”

Of course, Battle’s decision to choose to play for Saban’s program doesn’t need an explanation. The defensive back’s ring from winning the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship speaks loud enough.

Although Battle was ejected from said game due to targeting, his contributions throughout the season were invaluable. In 2021, he projects to take on an even bigger role inside the Crimson Tide’s defense. 

If Battle can help lead the Alabama defense to another victory-filled season, he could join former Alabama safeties Xavier McKinney and Landon Collins as high picks in the NFL Draft. In addition, Battle is among the top talents in the SEC, as Pro Football Focus ranks him in the Top 10 among draft-eligible prospects.

As Alabama attempts to win back to back championships, their chances improve by leaps and bounds with an impressive leader like Jordan Battle on their squad.