re: About Dylan Moses.

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As time ran down in the fourth quarter Saturday, a teammate walked over and gave Dylan Moses a congratulatory hug on the Alabama sideline.

Another player did the same. A coach did as well.

In a blowout 56-0 win over Mercer, Moses was the star.

Making his first career start, the former five-star recruit recorded 11 tackles, 10 solo stops, four tackles for a loss and an interception. And the true freshman may have solidified his standing as Alabama's new starting "Mike" linebacker.

"He played phenomenal," safety Hootie Jones said. "I ain't seen no freshman since I've been here play like he was playing tonight."

Moses stepped in at the position previously occupied by Shaun Dion Hamilton after Keith Holcombe started and struggled during the Crimson Tide's win over Mississippi State last week.

Yes, this was FCS opponent Mercer. But you could see how talented and freakishly athletic this Louisiana native is.

Moses made plays all over the field throughout the game.

He delivered a big early shot on Mercer quarterback Kaelan Riley, had eight tackles midway through the second quarter and then secured the interception on an errant throw from Riley shortly before halftime.

Moses then added three more tackles and two more stops for a loss early in the second half and finished with that impressive stat line despite only being on the field for a small portion of those final two quarters.

"I think Dylan's got a lot more confidence," coach Nick Saban said. "I think this last week (against Mississippi State) was a little much for him. But this week, he was better in practice. He had a better understanding. We simplified things a little more. This was a little bit easier preparation from that standpoint. And I think the knowledge and experience that he gained out there today will help his development in the future, and I thought he did a good job today. I know he had quite a few tackles and was very active in the game, and that's going to be important for us down the road."

Alabama star senior inside linebacker Rashaan Evans was impressed.

Evans was among those that congratulated the freshman and told him that he played a great game. In addition, Evans said to Moses that he'll now be depended on to build on this. Because, based on what he did Saturday, Moses will likely be playing a lot moving forward.

"Basically, he showed that he can play to the highest level," Evans said. "I'm just proud of him. And I feel like now he can just build off that and play good ball."

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