For the most part, the linebackers, led by juniors Denzel Devall and Dillon Lee, won their battle, knocking O.J. Howard and the other tight ends off the line, although former defensive lineman Dakota Ball held his own.
Next to the outside linebackers, the inside linebackers ran through individual drills, led by Trey DePriest and Reggie Ragland, followed by Reuben Foster and Shaun Dion Hamilton. Each is working to earn his spot in the rotation for the 2014 season, and each is expected to help fill the gap left by former captain and two-time All-American C.J. Mosley.
Collectively, the unit has been tasked by head coach Nick Saban with the restoration of the team’s defensive identity, which he said was lacking ?in 2013.
“Defensively we probably weren’t quite as good as we were last year as we were in the past,” Saban said. “We’re in a little bit of a rebuilding situation, even though we played a lot of young players that have the right ? attitude and character to improve and be more consistent players. There still is some question marks about how our defense comes together.”
Much of the weight of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of senior linebacker Trey DePriest, tapped by Mosley as a team leader and his replacement at the end of last season. Saban also said he sees leadership potential ?in DePriest.
“You know, leadership is your ?ability to impact someone else for their benefit. When you impact somebody else for your benefit, that’s manipulation. I think sometimes people can see through that pretty easily, all right? But to do that you have to be somebody that somebody wants to emulate. You have to set a good example. You have to care about other people,” Saban said. “That’s something that’s really important to try to get young players to do, to help the young players on our team young people to do, to help the young players on our team. Trey has done a good job of that to ?this point.”
DePriest, a Butkus Award nominee, has been working in camp next to Ragland, Foster and Hamilton, when he hasn’t been out with a minor ?knee injury.
Next to those inside linebackers, Alabama will have to find stability at one of its least experienced positions. Lee and Devall are both juniors with game experience, but Devall has started only three games and spent most of his time as the substitute linebacker. Lee has been a versatile reserve on the Alabama squad, but has faced issues off the field, including an April arrest ?for DUI.
“Dillon is a very responsible player on the field,” Saban said of Lee. “He’s done a good job for us. He has really good eyes and experience. I think he’s matured a lot and I think he’s learned a lot from the experience that he’s had here, good and bad. I’ve sort of seen that maturity and been pleased with it but all these things are a work in progress and you’ve got to make good choices and decisions ?all the time.”
