Making the Leap: DB Earl Little II
Making the Leap is a series we’re bringing back over the next couple of weeks. This series highlights young Alabama football players — mostly second or third-year guys — who we expect to take a significant step forward in their development. That step could come by way of sliding into a starting job or simply emerging as a bigger contributor. Either way, Alabama should feel the added impact from every name on this list.
Today, we continue on with Earl Little II.
Earl Little II
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 6-1
Weight: 186 pounds
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Hometown/High School: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (American Heritage)
NIL Valuation: $82k
Going into last season, Alabama had a lot of experience returning in its secondary. Jordan Battle, DeMarcco Hellams, Brian Branch, Eli Ricks and Malachi Moore had all seen significant snaps in the SEC. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Khyree Jackson had also received plenty of playing time — especially McKinstry — during the 2021 season. In other words, last year’s group was loaded with guys who had been battle tested. Now, five of those seven players are gone, whether that be to the NFL or to another program.
McKinstry and Moore are both back, which is huge. Plus, Alabama has added two veterans from the transfer portal in Louisiana cornerback Trey Amos and UAB safety Jaylen Key to replenish some of what was lost. Throw in that Terrion Arnold got 549 snaps and seven starts a season ago, and there’s still plenty of college experience in the room. I’m most excited for two guys we have yet to see in a game though, which are Caleb Downs and Earl Little.
We’ve already covered Downs, a five-star freshman, extensively this offseason, so let’s turn our attention to other player I mentioned. Look, my two favorite signings from Alabama’s 2022 recruiting class were Little and Jihaad Campbell. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of intriguing additions in that group, but those two guys just looked the part with the way they played the game. We’ll get to Campbell in a later edition of “Making the Leap” though.
Little was unable to get on the field as a true freshman for two reasons: 1) all the returning experience in the secondary and 2) he was injured prior to arriving on campus, which slowed down early development. I’d actually argue the latter was a bigger factor in him not earning playing time in Year 1, as there were times last season where he skill set could’ve been useful. The Tennessee game, for example. Unfortunately, any chance of him getting involved went out the door after that shoulder injury.
Now, he looks healthy and ready to make an impact.
At one point not so long ago, Little was considered undersized. The Florida native only weighed 170 pounds as a high school senior, but he showed up to Tuscaloosa at an acceptable 180. Now, he’s even up to 186 to complement his 6-foot-1 length. Those measurements fall in an ideal range to play perimeter cornerback in Nick Saban’s defense, but that’s not where Little is expected to play. Instead, he’s projected to take over the Star role vacated by Branch. That position fits him like a glove, too.
Alabama’s Star has to be able to do a couple of things at a really high level. First, the player manning that spot needs to possess good short-area quickness. The Star is essentially a nickel corner in Alabama’s defense, so lining up over a quick, agile slot receiver requires enough keep up. Watch this clip of the defensive backs warming up before the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State and tell me who looks to have the quickest feet and best change of direction.
Little is No. 20.
In some ways, the Star is also a strongside linebacker replacement in Alabama’s defense, which is why it also requires someone who’s an effective run defender and edge blitzer. Little isn’t aligned like a strongside linebacker in the clip below, but watch how he’s willing to come up and play through the blocking slot receiver (Kobe Prentice). He probably would’ve made the tackle had Kendrick Blackshire not knocked him down.
Branch is a perfect representation of what the ideal candidate at Star should look like.
Little isn’t far behind though. In fact, I think he can give Alabama a little more as far as cover ability. Don’t get me wrong, Branch was plenty effective in coverage, but Little brings perimeter cornerback traits, which includes sticky man-coverage skills. Throw in his willingness to mix things up against the run and be an extra blitzer on occassion, and there’s no reason to think that Alabama won’t continue to get quality play out of its Star.
I love the way Little plays with a chip on his should, and I love his ability to generate game-changing plays. We saw a perfect example of that on display during the A-Day Game back in April.
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