BamaCentral 22 for ‘22: Who Will Alabama's Team Captains Be This Season?
After falling one win short of adding a 19th national title last season, Alabama will look to rebound and take the next step this year. The Crimson Tide returns a loaded roster, including reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young and a rebuilt offense as well as one of the most talented defenses in the Nick Saban era.
Alabama will open its season on Sept. 3 when it hosts Utah State inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. To help pass the time, BamaCentral’s Joey Blackwell, Tony Tsoukalas and Katie Windham will discuss 22 topics and questions concerning the 2022 season.
Following Alabama’s Leadership Lake Day, we continue our series by predicting who Alabama’s team captains will be this season.
Blackwell’s take
First things first: quarterback Bryce Young and outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. will both certainly be among this year's permanent captains, a feat that both accomplished in 2021 as sophomores.
Now with that dynamic leadership duo out of the way, let's take a look at who could compete for the final two spots.
Compared to last season, the 2022 Crimson Tide boasts a substantial increase in leadership. On offense, lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. and tight end Cameron Latu are the two names that appear most often when discussing leadership. On defense, two more players emerge in linebacker Henry To'oTo'o and safety Jordan Battle, with both players equally deserving a spot as one of the team's four captains.
This season, though, I'm predicting two from each side of the football. On offense, I'm picking the obvious selection in Young alongside Ekiyor. On defense, it's a much closer race behind Anderson, but I'm picking Battle to just edge out To'oTo'o for the leadership role.
Tsoukalas’ take
Assuming Alabama sticks to its usual model of four permanent team captains, half of the work is done here. Bryce Young will certainly repeat as a team captain as will Will Anderson Jr. Both our pretty obvious choices considering they are arguably the best players on their respective sides of the ball and already hold positions of leadership on the team.
It gets a little more interesting from there. Safety Jordan Battle, inside linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and defensive tackle D.J. Dale all return for their senior seasons and will be the leaders of their respective position groups. To’oTo’o is entering his second year as the signal-caller of the defense, which is a leadership role in itself. All three players regularly speak with the media and are good representatives of the university. While this isn’t usually an important factor when it comes time for fellow players to select permanent team captains, it can only be assumed that the trio demonstrate a similar presence in the locker room.
There are also a few worthy options on the offensive side of the ball, namely redshirt seniors Emil Ekiyor Jr. and Cameron Latu. Like the defensive trio I mentioned above, those two carry themselves well and will hold important roles next season.
Ultimately, I’m going to balance this out and pick two players on each side of the ball. On offense, Young and Ekiyor get the nod while Anderson and Battle round things out on defense. To’oTo’o is a close No. 5 for me.
Windham’s take
Let's get the obvious ones out of the way. Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. were both captains last season as true sophomores, and I can't see any reason while they won't get that honor from their teammates for the second year in a row.
While Young and Anderson were the two most talented players on the team, they were also praised by their teammates for their leadership last season. Another player who's leadership is often commended by his teammates is Henry To'oTo'o. Last season, he acclimated himself as a transfer in the heart of the Alabama defense as the starting inside linebacker. I believe he will build on that role and be named a team captain.
For that fourth and final spot, it comes down to Cameron Latu or Jordan Battle. Latu has put in the work in his five years in the program, starting out at linebacker before transitioning over to tight end and working his way up the depth chart. Battle has seen consistent playing time since he was a true freshman and could have left after his junior year to be a high NFL Draft pick. Instead he chose to return for his senior season to head up the back end of the Alabama defense. I think either player could be selected by their teammates as a captain for the 2022 season.
Previous Questions
Which Alabama Transfer Will Have the Best Season?
Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Which Alabama Records Will Bryce Young Break This Season?
Jake Crandall-USA TODAY NETWORK
