re: Official In-Season Practice, Injury Reports and Press Conferences Thread: 12-0

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2. Ryan Anderson is coming of age

Ryan Anderson was a two-star prospect at the beginning of his high school career. That's where we ranked him. Then he just kept getting better. Every time I saw him in high school, he was more impressive. Then he had a dominating senior season and a dominant performance at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and eventually he earned his way all the way up to a five-star ranking.

To me, he was , the dominating pass-rushing threat for Alabama of that previous season. With the five-star ranking for Anderson, I was basically saying I thought he could be a first round draft pick. When Upshaw didn't get drafted in the first round, I had some doubts about the ranking.

Anderson redshirted his first year at Alabama. The only feedback I heard on him from his first year was "short arms." But just like in high school, Anderson has gotten better every year. Significant incremental steps have taken us to what Anderson is today: a guy leading the nation's best defense and best team in tackles for loss.

He may not have the first step of Tim Williams, the size of Jonathan Allen or the hit stick of Reuben Foster but Anderson is every bit the football player of all of those guys. His physicality has translated to the college game and it will do so in the NFL as well. Suddenly there's a chance he may sneak into the first round and make that five-star rating right after all.

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