Five defensive players who need to play well in Friday’s scrimmage
Nick Saban and the Alabama football team will hold its first scrimmage of the spring on Friday afternoon before having the weekend off for Easter.
Coach Saban and the Tide generally don’t allow much information to be released from the closed scrimmages but there are always some little hints sprinkled throughout Coach Saban’s comments afterward.
With the scrimmage just a few hours away, Roll Tide Wire thought it would be a good idea to look at five players from each side of the ball that need to step up and perform well in the first game-like situation of the spring.
Here are five players from the defense:
Chris Braswell
Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Sports
Senior outside linebacker Chris Braswell has waited his turn and now it is his time to shine. Braswell has always been on the light side but enters the scrimmage as one of the heaviest EDGE players on the roster. If Braswell can prove that the extra weight has helped in his run support, he could be in for a big season and that starts in Friday’s scrimmage.
Terrion Arnold
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
We all know that Kool-Aid McKinstry will be locking down one side of the field at corner, but redshirt sophomore Terrion Arnold still has a lot to prove. Arnold, now with starting experience, has an opportunity to prove that he can also be a lockdown corner for the Tide.
Malachi Moore
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
If you would have asked fans about Malachi Moore in 2020, they would have said this is a guy who will go on to be a first-round pick. But after several injuries and what seemed like regression, Moore is back for his senior season in Tuscaloosa. Rumors are that Moore is making the move from STAR to safety, which may be better suited for his skill set. Wherever Moore lines up, it’s important that he performs at a high level.
Quandarrius Robinson
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Senior outside linebacker Quandarrius Robinson has a great opportunity this spring to solidify his role in the Alabama defense. Dallas Turner is out this spring recovering from surgery and now Robinson will be one of the handful of players receiving reps in his absence. Let’s see if the senior can prove to be a valuable piece of the defense or not.
Kendrick Blackshire
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The lone returning player at inside linebacker that has starting experience for Alabama is out this spring as Deontae Lawson is recovering from surgery. Therefore, the competition at inside linebacker is heated. Alabam brought in Trezmen Marshall from Georgia and Justin Jefferson from JUCO and young players such as Shawn Murphy and Jihaad Campbell are all in the mix. Junior Kendrick Blackshire is now at a crossroads. It is time for Blackshire to show that he can be an impact player for the Tide in the middle of the defense.
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