Alabama football

The Crimson Tide were so close to making the Playoff this season despite having two losses, and head coach Nick Saban even said after the Sugar Bowl win that ...

[Brian Branch](https://theathletic.com/college-football/player/brian-branch-QHcwcAcsC83YSJMt/) exiting early to the [NFL](https://theathletic.com/nfl/) from the star spot, four of the five starting defensive back positions change over. He’s a great player, and a smart one too, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he put himself in position to have a contributing role on the team right away. There’s not a lack of candidates for the positions. Alabama had an issue with that in the two seasons prior to his arrival. [was the crown jewel of the No. He has shown flashes of being a difference-maker in the middle. It’s just an example of the ample depth the Crimson Tide have at outside linebacker. It can be argued that no school in the country has recruited edge players better than Alabama over the past few years. Oatis has the potential to be a star. The Crimson Tide were so close to making the Playoff this season despite having two losses, and head coach Nick Saban even said after [the Sugar Bowl win](https://theathletic.com/4048202/2022/12/31/bryce-young-alabama-sugar-bowl/) that the performance was proof of how well his team was capable of playing. The transformation he’s done to his body is truly remarkable. The run defense fell off in 2022, dropping from fourth nationally in yards per game to 35th.