re: Dylan Moses???

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The linebackers unit for Alabama in 2019 was one of the weakest units on the entire team. A big reason for that was Dylan Moses suffering a season-ending injury less than a week before the Crimson Tide’s opener against Duke.

Now, the former five-star recruit is back. And just as he showed in his sophomore season in 2018, he is more than ready to fill the gap in the middle of Alabama’s defense.

Speaking on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Wednesday night, legendary USC quarterback and current analyst Matt Leinart had high praise for Moses, and thinks he’ll make a huge impact in his return from injury. Leinart also called him the fourth-best defensive player in college football.

“I talked to Steve Sarkisian, my former quarterback coach at USC just to catch up,” Leinart mentioned. “We talked about Dylan Moses. I just said, how much did you miss him last year. He said, ‘oh my gosh. There was a reason why we struggled defensively for Alabama’s standards. I think they gave up the most points per game since 2007. You go back to what he did two years, ago, 86 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, All-American candidate. He probably would have been an All-American last year, obviously, he suffered the injury.

“What they do defensively, they put a lot on their middle linebacker just like the quarterback has a lot of pressure in the complexities of an offense, they put a lot on their middle linebacker. Well, they played freshmen last year. He said Dylan Moses, by far and away, as far as being a leader just is outstanding. Not to mention, he’s just an absolute physical specimen in the middle. I’m just really excited he’s healthy, he’s back, he’s a tremendous football player. Watch, Alabama’s defense will greatly improve statistically. Because he’ll be healthy and back in the middle of that defense.”

The Baton Rouge, La., native chose to return to Alabama for a fourth year instead of declaring for the NFL draft despite being a top prospect at his position. Earlier this month, he was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

“The big thing with Dylan was he wanted to be a part of the team,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said in late-December. “He wanted to be a leader of the team, he wanted to come back and play well for Alabama and that was probably the deciding factor for him. Obviously, he’s a great player, he’s a good person and a good leader, and he can make a significant impact on making us better next year.”

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