Will Alabama's defense be better than it was last year?

Will Anderson is a significant part of the Alabama defense. Some might say he’s the most important player, regardless of position or team, in all of college football.

Just last season alone, he accounted for 30.7% of the Crimson Tide’s sack production and 27.7% of the tackles for loss. He was also one of only two Alabama defenders to break the 100-tackle mark alongside off-ball linebacker Henry To’o To’o. More importantly, he sets the tone for how to handle your business the right way.

Anderson is a leader in the locker room and on the field. His opinions matter, his voice matters.

On Monday, the star pass rusher shared one of those opinions to reporters. Even though the Crimson Tide just fielded a borderline top-10 defense nationally in 2021, Anderson thinks this next defensive unit can be even better.

“I think we are capable of being better than we were last year,” Anderson told reporters. “I think, starting towards the end, we started to gel a little bit more. But I think we just want to roll that over to the spring. I think that’s one of the biggest things, just keep gelling, keep working together, everybody playing together, everybody playing faster and physical.”

Here’s how Alabama’s defense looked statistically in 2021:

• Scoring defense: 20.1 ppg (No. 18)
• Total defense: 304.1 ypg (No. 7)
• Run defense: 86.0 ypg (No. 4)
• Pass defense: 218.1 ypg (No. 50)
• Sacks: 57.0 sacks (No. 1)
• Third-down: 31.25% (No. 7)

Yes, there’s some room for improvement in there, but Alabama’s defense was rock solid last year, especially down the stretch. As Anderson pointed out, the unit improved as guys got more comfortable. Now, he’s of the belief that this next group can be even better. Is he right though? Can Alabama’s defense build on last year’s performance?

You bet they can. And here’s why:

Alabama will field a perfect blend of experience and talent at all three levels.

Overall, the defense returns 13 players who earned one or more starts in 2021, plus it adds another player with double-digit career starts in Eli Ricks. Three of the four Alabama defenders who started all 15 games will be back with the lone departure being linebacker Christian Harris.

Is that not enough for you? OK, well of the 11 players who started in the national title game against Georgia, nine of them return. All those numbers above classify as “significant” returning experience.

That said, any success from the defense must go beyond experience.

Talent also has to factor into the equation. Fortunately for Alabama, coach Nick Saban has been stockpiling that for years. In fact, all of that experience we were discussing above brings talent to the table, and it’s the combined strengths of those players that will ultimately make the biggest difference.

First off, Anderson and Dallas Turner will team up to create college football’s best pass-rushing tandem.

The two combined for 26.0 sacks and over 100 pressures last season. With other outside linebackers such as Chris Braswell ready to provide quality snaps in the rotation, opposing offenses will have a hard time keeping their edges in check and their quarterbacks clean.

Now, there isn’t an established interior pass rusher ready-made to complement the edge guys, but there are plenty of potential options. Rising junior Tim Smith is one to keep an eye on, but even if he continues at his current pace, the belief is that Alabama will be able to identify at least one.

Plus, this front should be able to maintain that top-5 ranking in run defense from last season. Balance.

On the second level, Alabama returns its field general in To’o To’o. His presence allows any and all effective communication that we saw from the Tide’s defense towards the end of last year to continue. In other words, don’t expect those same early struggles we saw against Florida and a few other teams.

Yes, To’o To’o losing his running mate in Harris hurts, but Alabama has viable replacement options in Jaylen Moody, Deontae Lawson and maybe even five-star freshman Jihaad Campbell. Once again, the experience with To’o To’o and Moody meets the other-worldly talent in Lawson and Campbell. It’s a perfect setup.

Let’s hope opposing offenses aren’t banking on things lightening up on the back half of Alabama’s defense either. Not only should the Crimson Tide be able to generate plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but they’ll also have the playmakers on the back end to capitalize on any of those forced errors by the pass rush.

Alabama’s returning defensive backs have combined for 14 interceptions over the last two seasons. Ricks will also bring five of his own for a total of 19. The heart and soul of the group, senior safety Jordan Battle, has returned three of his four career picks for scores.

This is a unit with a plethora of ball skills and game-changing abilities to go along with versatility and depth.

Add in the last crucial element — maintaining continuity in the play-calling with fourth-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding returning — and it’s easy to see why there’s so much hype surrounding Alabama’s defense. That side of the ball has all the necessary ingredients for success. They just have to execute to their abilities, they have to buy in.

Anderson understands the need for those things.

“One of the biggest things that we came to an agreement about when we all met was just everybody being bought in and everybody being committed,” Anderson said back in March. “Nobody is looking to take the short road out. We know what we did last year, we know what we have to work on, so everybody is bought in and committed to what we have to do.”