Dylan Moses on Alabama LB Will Anderson: "I Expect Great Things From Him"
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Game week for the University of Alabama has arrived, and with that, so has the depth chart.
Two Crimson Tide newcomers on defense will make their way into the team's starting lineup come Saturday night in Columbia against the Missouri Tigers.
Freshman Will Anderson was listed as the starting Jack linebacker and freshman defensive back Malachi Moore was recorded as the starter at the Star position alongside Brian Branch, another talented freshman.
"Both players have had really good camps," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said on Monday during his weekly press conference via Zoom. "They’re very good competitors. Football is important to them. They’re smart. They were able to learn and grow in the system very quickly. And we needed some players to come through as young players in certain positions and these two guys certainly did that and did a very good job.
"So I’m sure this first game is going to be a challenge in terms of their opportunity to go out there and stay focused on doing their job and we’re going to help them every way that we can so that they can play well."
Anderson arrived in Tuscaloosa back in January, and since then, has garnered palpable buzz throughout preseason camp, earning first-team reps in both scrimmages and practices.
You can color redshirt junior linebacker Dylan Moses impressed with the 6-foot-4, 235 pound freshman.
"Oh man, he's a really great player, athletic, strong," Moses said on Monday. "He actually reminds me of myself when he first came in just with being already physically ready to be on the college level.
"So I expect great things from him this year."
Sophomore defensive tackle DJ Dale believes Anderson has the 'it' factor.
“Yes, most definitely [he will play early on]," Dale said last week. "He’s a guy who came in confident, willing to learn, compete, he listens. He’s got it.”
Coming out of Dutchtown High School in Hampton, Ga., Anderson finished his stellar senior campaign with 22 sacks and 15 tackles for loss on his way to becoming one of the premier outside linebackers in the 2020 recruiting cycle.
"Drew Sanders and Will Anderson both have shown some promise," Saban said last month. "They’re still working through understanding exactly what to do and how to do it, but they’re both guys that I think can probably contribute to the team."
