C.J. Mosley was a quiet weapon on the Alabama defense for his first two years at school. While he opened eyes with big plays, like two interceptions in 2010, his freshman year and one in the BCS National Championship in 2011, he was never an in-your-face, vocal player.

No, those jobs were reserved for players like Dont’a Hightower and Mark Barron, who led a defense that were tops in the nation in every significant defensive category. But Hightower and Barron, along with three others from that unit, are gone, selected in the first 35 selections in the 2012 draft, leaving an opening on Alabama’s defense that Mosley has begun to fill.

“He’s a guy who is a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident,” safety Robert Lester said. “Last year he was kind of timid and not really after it, but he’s a guy who has really taken charge of the defense; he knows what is going on. He wants to go out there and make plays, and that’s what he has been doing.”

Mosley was named to Alabama’s leadership team after his breakout freshman year but wasn’t ready to take the reins just yet. He learned from Hightower, Barron and other defensive leaders like linebacker Courtney Upshaw and nose tackle Josh Chapman.

“Last year, he was more of a guy who just always came out and competed and played his best instead of talking a lot, because we had guys like Dont’a and Mark, so he didn’t have to do it,” Dee Milliner said. “Now, we look up to him as a leader because he’s been out there three years, been playing, been doing great. We look forward to him when he’s talking to us.”

While taking on a more outspoken role in the locker room, Mosley has continued to excel on the field. He is a perfect four for four in 2012 on the coaching staff’s players of the week. He leads the team in tackles and is only building his reputation as a playmaker.

Mosley returned both of his interceptions for a touchdown his freshman year and added another against Michigan late in the first half that all but shattered what confidence the Wolverines had left.

His big-play ability gives him the credibility he needs to take charge of Alabama’s defense. Players see someone who performs at a high level week in and week out, and they are naturally drawn to respect what he has to say.

“He understands that we need him to lead because we have a lot of young guys that have to fill some spots,” guard Chance Warmack said. “So he’s talking more and he’s demanding more from our defense. And guys are listening because they respect what he does on Saturday.”

Pass defense was his strong suit early in his career, but he often found himself subbed out in run situations. He and Nico Johnson played the same position, swapping in and out depending on the down and distance.

But as he gains more experience, Mosley has found himself on the field more, even in running situations. He feels that run defense is where he’s made the most improvement during his Crimson Tide career. What was once a weakness in his skillset has slowly but surely become just another one of his many strengths.

“He’s learned since he’s been here to fit the run a little bit better and does a good job in that regard,” head coach Nick Saban said. “He’s gotten a little bigger, a little stronger. He’s always been a really good athlete and a space player. With all the spread-out formations that we’ve played against to this point, he’s had a lot of opportunities to make plays, and he’s made a lot of plays.”

He follows an impressive list of inside linebackers that have played at Alabama under Saban but is well on his way to being one himself. Now he finds himself as one of the older players on a young defense, and he has stepped up in a big way. But he doesn’t just want to be known as a great linebacker.

“I just want [people] to remember that as much as I was a great player on the field, I was also a great player and person,” he said. “Just me staying humble and just thanking God every day for the position I’m in. And giving me the ability to play at the level I play. Hopefully it’ll keep going up. I just want people to know that even though I’m a great player, I’m a great person, too.”