The Extra Point: Non-QB Spring Football Position Battles
Spring football is off and rolling in Tuscaloosa, and while the attention of the national landscape is on the battle for who will be Alabama's signal caller in the fall, there are a few other position battles that will prove to be very important.
The most glaring position lacking experience in inside linebacker, with last year's starters in Henry To'o To'o and Jaylen Moody both graduating.
The likely starter at one inside linebacker position is Deontae Lawson, who has started multiple games in his Crimson Tide career filling in for injured teammates, but the other inside slot is wide open.
Head coach Nick Saban has raved in the past about young guns Jihaad Campbell and Shawn Murphy, and there's also been buzz about top JUCO transfer Justin Jefferson. There's also experience coming in with Georgia transfer Trezman Marshall, who was once a highly-rated recruit.
Another tight position battle will be that of safety, with Jordan Battle, Brian Branch and DeMarcco Hellams both moving on to the NFL.
The same all Alabama fans will be waiting to see at safety is 5-star freshman Caleb Downs, who enrolled early and got to participate in Sugar Bowl practice as well before the spring began. There are also options on the back end with third-year Kristian Story, as well as the possibility of Malachi Moore playing safety instead of STAR, where he's played much of his career.
There are plenty of other position battles outside of just those two, as this spring is shaping up to be an unpredictable and exciting one for Alabama football.
Check out the video above as BamaCentral's Blake Byler and Joey Blackwell discuss non-quarterback position battles at Alabama this spring.
See also:
How Jaheim Oatis' 100-Pound Weight Loss Led to Starting Role as Freshman
Alabama Football’s Next Set of Defensive Leaders Ready to Fill Important Shoes
