Nick Saban highlights what it takes to play Star in Alabama’s defense

The Alabama defense has been one of the program’s top calling cards ever since Nick Saban took over as the head coach back in 2007. There have been years where the unit didn’t play up to the team’s incredibly high standards, but for the most part, the Crimson Tide have been able to rely on that side of the football.

One of the positions that has modernized Alabama’s defense over the last decade-plus is the Star defensive back. While speaking to the media following Wednesday’s practice, Saban went into detail about the sort of qualities his coaching staff looks for when trying to identify potential candidates to fill the Star role.

“Star is really a Sam linebacker, but they’ve got three wideouts or more in a game. So you’re playing on a wide receiver,” Saban said. “That guy’s versatility is different than a linebacker playing that position where could never play a guy man-to-man, but he is the Sam linebacker in essence.

“So it takes a guy that’s a good tackler. He’s tough, he’s a good blitzer, but he’s got good enough block protection on the perimeter that when they throw smokes and bubbles, he can win as well as being very instinctive in reading run-pass. But then he’s got to have enough cover skills to be able to cover slot guys.

“So that’s kind of what we look for. Sometimes that guy’s a corner, sometimes it can be a safety. Brian Branch did a great job doing that. Minkah [Fitzpatrick] was great when he was here doing it, as well as playing other positions. But I’m just saying those guys are typically the type guys you look for.”

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Reading Saban’s summary of the position, Alabama fans probably have a better understanding of why the team didn’t counter Tennessee’s vertical passing attack from the slot with a third perimeter cornerback. Yes, I know Vols receiver Jalin Hyatt went for 207 yards and five touchdowns on only six catches. And yes, I understand a player with a more long speed could’ve helped mitigate some of that success.

People forget that Tennessee was also having success on the ground though.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker was causing problems on unscripted runs, and the running back combination of Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small was averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Alabama already had light numbers in the box, so moving Branch to safety for DeMarcco Hellams and replacing him with a third outside corner could’ve been even more problematic.

Alabama was in trouble either way.

Sure, it might not have looked as ugly by taking a “death by 1,000 cuts” approach, but that would’ve allowed Tennessee to control the game clock and keep Alabama’s offense off the field while still scoring at a high rate. Plus, it would’ve looked like physical domination. Saban found his defense in a no-win situation, and I’m sure he’s taking a closer look at that this offseason.

That said, those wide-split, personnel-exploiting offenses may not create as many issues this season.

Yes, Alabama is having to replace its ideal Star in Branch. He brought all of those qualities Saban mentioned above. Branch has been arguably the most reliable tackler of the Saban era, and he was effective at creating havoc in the backfield (14 tackles for loss, three sacks in 2022). Plus, he had the size, short-area quickness and overall cover ability to hang with slot receivers or flexed tight ends.

Branch is likely to be a Day 1 pick in a couple of weeks due to his impressive skill set. Yet, I still like some of the candidates on Alabama’s roster. The most notable of those candidates being second-year defensive back Earl Little II, who spent most of his freshman season dealing with an injury. He’s actually got a couple of traits that remind me of Branch.

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Not only is he an aggressive, tenacious defensive back, but he’s brings perimeter corner athleticism. Branch had the ability to play on the outside too, but I think Little has a little more long speed. Plus, he’s got that short-area quickness and sticky cover style that make him a perfect fit in the slot. Really, there’s a lot to like about his game.

We don’t know for certain that Little will be the starter, but Saban did reveal that Little lined up at Star during Alabama’s first scrimmage this past Friday. Saban also mentioned that Terrion Arnold and Malachi Moore got reps there too, but Arnold has mostly been playing outside with Moore seeing a majority of his action at safety.

So let’s imagine a scenario where Little is at Star against an offense like Josh Heupel’s at Tennessee. That already provides more long speed against those field-stretching slot options, but Branch wasn’t the problem in that matchup. The Vols often used Hyatt in motion to force the opposite safety (Hellams) to roll down and replace Branch in man coverage.

So how does Alabama counter that moving foward?

Well, I think the defense is better equipped to handle such a situation with Caleb Downs. The five-star freshman has a similar tone-setting style to Hellams as a run defender. Plus, he’s got some Star-like qualities. In fact, I wouldn’t rule out Downs playing some Star. We think he’ll line up at safety though, as he brings high-level range and cover traits, especially in man.

So you’ve now got a Star with a little more long speed and a safety who’s a lot more effective in coverage than Hellams. Those two things alone would’ve solved a lot of Alabama’s issues against the Vols last season. Granted, you might still see Moore (who gave up three catches for 105 yards and score) playing over the slot with six defensive backs on the field, but there might be ways to protect him.

Either way, the combination of Little and Downs could be key in any wide-split matchups this season.

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