For the 15th straight year, Alabama has collected 10-plus victories and dropped no more than three games. The x-x win/loss over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl...
Will Anderson Jr. NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Alabama Edge
Dec 30, 2022
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - OCTOBER 1: Will Anderson Jr. #31 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at the line of scrimmage during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Crimson Tide defeated the Razorbacks 49-26. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'3.5"
WEIGHT: 253
HAND: 9 7/8"
ARM: 33 7/8"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.60
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
— Good get-off, quick to react to the snap with good acceleration while taking short, powerful steps to maintain his base.
— Takes on blocks with low pad level and quick, accurate hands on the offensive lineman’s chest to gain leverage.
— Recognizes blocking schemes well to put himself in a good position to take on blocks—i.e., working wide versus reaches or shooting his hands to play the cut.
— Physical at the point of attack with plenty of strength to set the edge against offensive tackles versus outside zone. He’s a lot stronger than his frame would suggest.
— Gap-disciplined, won’t leave his assignment until the running back commits. Has no issues shedding blocks with his hand placement and strength, and has the agility to cross the face of the offensive lineman he’s engaged with to make tackles in the adjacent gap.
— Can be lethal when slanting with his get-off and movement skills. Gains ground laterally and vertically with his L-step and can get penetration easily.
— Powerful for his size as a bull-rusher to put offensive tackles on skates. Also works to get on an edge and has developed several inside countermoves off the bull rush.
— Excellent change of direction for a defensive lineman to test offensive linemen’s ability to redirect and consistently win with inside pass-rush moves. Also uses his hands well to get clean wins that lead to sacks.
— Has shown solid hand-swipe and arm-over moves to win on the outside that he can develop in the pros.
— Recognizes and anticipates chip blocks well, which allows him to take them on and avoid getting caught off guard or put on the ground.
— Effort rusher who will get coverage sacks.
— Effective on stunts as both the penetrator or looper. As the penetrator, his get-off and aggressiveness at the point of attack will catch offensive linemen off guard and get them off their feet. As the looper, his change of direction and agility allow him to move laterally without losing ground, and he has the acceleration to win and close on the quarterback.
NEGATIVES
— Could afford to add weight to maintain his physical playing style in the NFL.
— Might struggle to get extension versus NFL offensive tackles. Wasn’t routinely locking out tackles in college, more just getting them off his frame with enough room to shed the block.
— Against power, counter and split zone, doesn’t get his eyes inside to see and get underneath pullers as the spill player in run fits.
— Likes to lunge and leave his feet to make tackles, leading to a high rate of missed tackles.
— Doesn't have a go-to outside move that he consistently wins with, and lacks top-tier bend to turn a tight corner at the top of outside rushes.
— 2021 Honors: Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (CFB’s top defensive player), unanimous first-team All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year
— 2020 Honors: FWAA Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, SEC All-Freshman team
OVERALL
The best way to describe Will Anderson Jr.'s college tape is that everything just looked easy for him. From his movement skills to how effortlessly he took on blocks, it almost looked like he was getting bored out there. That's part of the reason why he’s been considered the top player in this year’s draft class since last January.
As a pass-rusher, Anderson is impressive with his inside countermoves. His speed off the ball puts pressure on tackles vertically, and once they open their hips, he has the quickness and change of direction to dart inside and leave tackles grasping at air.
He also has an effective bull rush that he’ll use to set up those inside countermoves and allows him to be effective when turning speed to power.
The biggest concern about the Alabama product’s pass-rush arsenal is that he hasn’t shown a go-to move that he can win with on the outside. He also isn't super bendy to turn tight corners at the top of the rush or around the edge. With that being said, he’s shown flashes with the hand-swipe and arm-over moves mentioned above. The latter is more that he just lacks the elite bend that one might expect from a potential No. 1 overall pass-rusher.
While Anderson led the nation with 17.5 sacks in 2021, he's probably an even better run defender. He’s hard to move one-on-one with his strength and leverage at the point of attack, and he has little to no issues getting off blocks with his excellent hand placement.
He needs to do a better job of getting his eyes inside when unblocked to see pullers coming and shore up his tackling form, but those are two very fixable flaws.
He’d fit best as a stand-up outside linebacker in a scheme that uses a lot of odd fronts and occasionally has edge-rushers drop into coverage. He held his own when Alabama asked him to do the latter, which suggests he can be asked to zone-drop in the NFL as a change of pace.
As far as even fronts go, Anderson can play with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end as well, so he’s scheme-versatile and a plug-and-play type of player. He just might be a little more effective as a stand-up outside 'backer.
Alabama's Bryce Young, Will Anderson Jr. Won't Opt out of Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State
Dec 16, 2022
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 26: Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Alabama Crimson Tide will have two of their best players available for their Dec. 31 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats after all.
Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. plan to play in the Sugar Bowl, head coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Chris Low on Friday. Saban added the Crimson Tide aren't expecting any players will opt out of the game.
Young and Anderson are both expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft. Their decision to play in Alabama's non-playoff bowl game is a surprise as many top draft picks over the years have opted out of their respective bowl games to avoid injury ahead of the draft.
With both Young and Anderson in the lineup, Alabama should undoubtedly have the edge over Kansas State.
The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-2 and just missed out on a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Young, who won the Heisman Trophy last season as the best player in college football, is in the midst of another strong season despite missing time with an injury to his throwing shoulder.
The junior quarterback has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 195 yards and four scores.
Anderson, meanwhile, won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the second straight season as the best defender in college football after posting 10 sacks, 51 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, one interception and one pass breakup in 12 games.
The 2022 campaign has been a disappointing one for Alabama. In addition to dropping two games and missing out on the CFP, the Crimson Tide also didn't appear in the SEC Championship Game.
Regardless, they still have the opportunity to close out the season on a high note with a win.
Kansas State finished second in the Big 12 this season with a 10-3 record, sitting behind 12-1 TCU, which is set to play in the College Football Playoff.
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Todd McShay 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Will Anderson Jr., Bryce Young Top Rankings
Dec 13, 2022
OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 12: Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) lines up on defense during a college football game against the Mississippi Rebels on November 12, 2022 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Will Anderson Jr. remains the top prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, according to ESPN's Todd McShay.
The Alabama pass-rusher made the Associated Press All-America First Team for the second straight year after tallying 10 sacks this season, and he should hear his name called early in the upcoming draft.
Crimson Tide teammate Bryce Young is also a contender to go No. 1 overall as McShay's top quarterback available.
Here is the top of McShay's big board heading into bowl season.
1. Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
4. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
5. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
7. Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
8. Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
9. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
10. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
Quarterback rankings will see significant debate leading up to the draft, but McShay sees Young as the top player at the position and the second-best player in the class.
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner's numbers declined this season, although he remained productive with 3,007 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions.
He stays ahead of Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, who dropped two spots in McShay's overall rankings.
Stroud has 37 touchdowns with only six interceptions this year, but he struggled in his last game against Michigan's elite defense with two picks in a 45-23 loss. The pressure is on him to improve his play in the College Football Playoff against Georgia.
Kentucky's Will Levis remains the third quarterback on the board (13th overall) while Florida's Anthony Richardson is fourth (32nd overall). Neither player had a great year by the numbers, but both display traits that impress NFL scouts.
McShay's rankings differ significantly from those of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who lists Levis as the top quarterback in the class and No. 3 overall.
Bleacher Report's Scouting Department ranks Levis fourth among quarterbacks behind Young, Stroud and Richardson.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson also rose on McShay's big board, climbing from eighth to sixth overall. Though teams might not prioritize running backs in the draft, Robinson is hard to ignore after totaling 1,580 rushing yards, 314 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
College Football Awards 2022: Results, Winners, Highlights and Twitter Reaction
Dec 9, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 02: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) looks on before the Pac-12 Conference championship game between the Utah Utes and the USC Trojans at Allegiant Stadium on December 2, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The College Football Awards doled out its annual collection of distinctions on Thursday night. Below, we'll go through the night's big winners.
Maxwell Award (college player of the year): Caleb Williams, USC
Quite the day for Williams, who also won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and AP Player of the Year award:
USC's Caleb Williams has been named the best all-around player in the country 🤩
The USC gunslinger threw for 4,075 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 66.1 percent of his passes. He was a threat on the ground as well, rushing for 367 yards and an additional 10 scores.
Williams is arguably the front-runner for the Heisman, so winning the Maxwell didn't come as a major surprise.
Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year): Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama
Anderson is a force of nature off the edge, accumulating 51 tackles (17 for loss), 10 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and an interception on the season. And that was despite facing regular double-teams this season after registering 17.5 sacks in 2021.
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (best quarterback): Max Duggan, TCU
This was a loaded category, with Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and USC's Williams also presenting strong cases. Both are Heisman finalists.
But Duggan, also a Heisman finalist along with Georgia's Stetson Bennett, has torched defenses all season, throwing for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 64.9 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 404 yards and six scores.
TCU QB Max Duggan has won the Davey O’Brien Award.
First TCU player to win the QB honor that is named after the Horned Frog great.
Oluwatimi didn't allow a sack all season and only two pressures, headlining an offensive line that helped Michigan win the Big Ten title and a berth in the CFP. The Wolverines rushed for 243 yards per game this year, sixth in the country. Oluwatimi aided that charge.
Doak Walker Award (premier running back): Bijan Robinson, Texas
Every team knew Texas was going to build its game plan around Robinson, and it didn't matter. He still rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 19 catches for 314 yards and another two scores. He rushed for 200 or more yards twice on the season.
This was perhaps a touch of an upset, with Notre Dame's Michael Mayer posting superior stats (67 catches for 809 yards and nine touchdowns). But the award went to Bowers.
Biletnikoff Award (outstanding receiver): Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Another slight surprise, with Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. often considered the top wideout in the nation after catching 72 passes for 1,157 yards and 12 scores.
Jalin Hyatt: 8 REC TDs on 20+ yard throws this season
In a bit on an upset, Marvin Harrison Jr. was not selected as the winner of the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top receiver. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt picked up the award.
But the Biletnikoff Award went to Hyatt, who did impress with 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 scores. It's fair to argue he had the better statistical season, though Harrison helped lead his team to another berth in the CFP.
Paycom Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
Another award for TCU.
Hodges-Tomlinson has been excellent this season, with 42 tackles (two for loss), one forced fumble, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
Ray Guy Award (punter of the year): Adam Korsak, Rutgers
Korsak averaged 44 yards per punt on 75 total punts this year.
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (outstanding kicker): Christopher Dunn, NC State
Dunn was the picture of consistency this season, finishing 24-of-25 on field goals and 30-of-30 on extra points.
Home DepotCoach of the Year: Sonny Dykes, TCU
Dykes led TCU to a 12-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff, though the Horned Frogs fell short in the Big 12 title game against Kansas State. No matter—it was a superb season for TCU and a justified piece of hardware for its head coach.
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