Alabama Crimson Tide Football

Alabama added another top prospect to its 2023 recruiting class, with defensive lineman Jordan Renaud announcing his commitment Monday, per Hank South of 247Sports.

Renaud was also considering Oklahoma and had offers from Georgia and Auburn, among other top teams, but Alabama stood out in his recruitment:

Let me just be for real. I feel like me personally, I picked Bama because it’s going to stretch me to the max. Like, I don’t want anything to be handed to me. I feel like they get the best out of their players. I feel like a lot of people just see the glitz and the glamour of Bama being Alabama. But they’re grinding in the dark and in the mud at night when the lights are off and doing it like that. But when showtime Saturday comes, they’re diamonds, they’re gold. With them staying down and keeping their heads down, just grinding, by the time they get on TV and they come through and they say their 'Roll Tides,' it changes the energy and the demeanor. That’s why — because they work. I chose Bama because they work. That culture and that culture of competition attracted me to that.

The Texas native is the seventh-ranked defensive lineman and No. 69 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The commitment adds to the Crimson Tide's No. 1 recruiting class, which now features nine of the top 100 players in the rankings.

Alabama consistently has one of the best teams in college football under head coach Nick Saban, winning six championships in the last 13 seasons. Stocking up on defensive line talent will help the squad remain dominant in the always-competitive SEC.

The Crimson Tide have also helped numerous players reach the NFL, especially on the defensive line with recent stars like Quinnen Williams and Jonathan Allen. Since 2016, nine different Alabama defensive linemen have been drafted in the first two rounds.

Renaud could be among the next in line if he lives up to expectations with his new team.

This was supposed to be a blowout. This was a game that was to be over at halftime. This was supposed to be a moment when the "Texas is back" jokes could flow freely and Alabama's dominance rolled methodically forward.

Then the game happened.

Alabama edged Texas 20-19 in the blazing heat in front of one of the best environments the sport will feature all year. Takeaways? Where does one even begin?

Alabama's national championship hopes are alive and well. Texas' rebuild took a massive step forward in defeat. And the quarterbacks? There is much to be discussed for both sides.

Here are my thoughts on a game that many will be processing for the foreseeable future.

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1. Alabama Is Mortal

For the past few months, much of the conversation surrounding the Crimson Tide has centered around its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, all-time head coach and difference-making additions to the roster.

The reality, however, is we saw a slew of concerning elements Saturday, and it starts with the offense. The line looked regularly overmatched by a Texas front that deserves credit for slowing down Bryce Young.

The wideouts also struggled, which is evident by the box score. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the team in catches, which can be viewed a few ways. Gibbs is a fabulous player. But the wide receivers had a hard time getting open, dropped passes and never looked in rhythm.

Perhaps the most glaring problem, however, was the penalties. Alabama's 15 marked the most ever in the Nick Saban era. The Tide were sloppy, plain and simple.

The defensive backs held, face masks were grabbed, and even Will Anderson Jr., the all-world linebacker, struggled at times.

Practice will not be pleasant. Saban has ample evidence to communicate his displeasure with the team, which could make for a long few weeks.

In the end, Alabama is unbeaten. Whether it drops in the Associated Press poll is of no real concern. The real concern will be these issues and how they're repaired.

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2. Texas Isn't Back, but Fans Should Be Thrilled

I get it. Moral victories are boring for many. The scoreboard rules.

Still, Texas fans should be thrilled by what transpired. They should be upset that their team was unable to take advantage of chances in the red zone. They should be discouraged by the fact that the defense could not come up with one last stop late in the fourth quarter after the Longhorns took a 19-17 lead.

But there should be an appreciation for the effort and an acknowledgement that progress appears to be taking shape.

That Texas nearly upset Alabama as a three-touchdown underdog with its backup quarterback (who played much of the game with a limp) was a tremendous development.

Sure, the outcome was gutting. The Longhorns had opportunities to put the game away and add points. But given the level of expectations for this program entering a huge spot, this felt like a win in many ways.

Texas isn't back. In fact, let's stop saying it. But if this kind of progress translates, the Longhorns will be a problem in the not-too-distant future.

Oh, and we're not done with Texas.

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3. Quinn Ewers Can Sling It

The injury to Texas' starting quarterback in the first quarter was a loss for all of college football.

It was also oddly reminiscent of what we witnessed in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game played between these two teams. Colt McCoy left the matchup early with an injured shoulder, and Alabama was victorious.

We've played the "what if" game ever since.

Before he left in the first half, Ewers showcased a ton. He completed nine of his 12 attempts for 134 yards. He threw from different arm angles, escaped pressure and looked the part. (It's worth noting that one of his incompletions was actually a drop that should have been a touchdown.)

Still, Ewers was electric. While his status will likely be determined in the coming days, the glimpses were tantalizing. For Texas and the sport, let's hope we see him again soon.

Speaking of quarterbacks...

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4. Bryce Young Is Capable of Magic

Statistically, this will likely be one of the worst games Young has all year. But beyond the numbers, Alabama's starting quarterback delivered when his program needed him most.

The first half was a mixed bag for the junior, who was constantly under duress. His rhythm was off, and the Alabama offense never felt quite right.

On the Tide's game-winning drive, however, Young dissected the Longhorns defense. He ducked under a tackle on a play that initially looked like a disaster. He was calm, which has become the norm for Young.

He threw for only 213 yards and one touchdown, though he was the catalyst behind the victory. It's not like we learned anything new about a quarterback who has already shown us so much.

The fact that he continued to deliver will give Alabama hope when a game like this surfaces again.

---

5. There Is Nothing Like a Big Game on a College Campus

Period.

While any matchup between premier programs is welcomed, playing such games in the best environments in all of sports is a must.

NFL stadiums are fine, but college campuses are better.

It can be debated how good Alabama really is, and how close Texas is to being a force once again.

What can't be debated is that Austin delivered a remarkable four hours of football. What a Saturday.

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns 20-19 on Saturday thanks to a last-minute field goal by Will Reichard, but he wasn't the only thing to come in clutch at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium.

Alabama reportedly had no air conditioning in its locker room Saturday, according to Jamie Hale of ABC 33/40 News. The Crimson Tide anticipated the problem and brought their own air conditioning unit.

It was above 90 degrees in Texas on Saturday. If the Crimson Tide didn't have air conditioning in their locker room, things could have gone much worse for the team.

Alabama will return home to Bryant-Denny Stadium next weekend to face Louisiana-Monroe, and they almost surely will have proper air conditioning.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban wasn't in a celebratory mood after his team's 20-19 victory over Texas on Saturday.

After multiple Crimson Tide players threw up the "Horns Down" gesture at the end of the game, Saban was heard yelling "Don't do that s--t!"

"DON'T DO THAT S--T!" 😳

Nick Saban was HEATED after Bama players did the Horns Down gesture vs. Texas https://t.co/VxIH049NUD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2022

Despite Saban's insistence, Alabama players kept making the gesture on their way to the locker room.

Horns down from Alabama as they leave the field 😬 #FOXFieldPass pic.twitter.com/UeD9gxeCzM

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022

It's understandable why Saban probably wasn't feeling good about things, even though the Crimson Tide left Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium with a win.

The Crimson Tide had six consecutive drives end with a punt from the second to the third quarter. They committed 15 penalties for 100 yards and may have lost if not for two mistakes, including a controversial call by the officials.

Texas kicker Bert Auburn missed a 20-yard field goal as time expired at the end of the first half to keep the score tied at 10.

Early in the third quarter, Texas appeared to sack Bryce Young in the end zone for a safety. An official threw a flag for roughing the passer with targeting, but when referee Scott Campbell attempted to explain things after a review, it got complicated.

After review no foul on the play is called and it's 4th & 7, Alabama ball pic.twitter.com/0wM28tPcbf

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022

The result was an incomplete pass by Young, setting up a fourth down but keeping the score tied.

Between the missed field goal and non-safety, Texas left five points on the field.

Perhaps Saban understood better than his players that they just won a game they probably should have lost.

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns 20-19 on Saturday in a game that was much closer than expected, but some late fourth-quarter heroics from Bryce Young helped Nick Saban's team claim the victory.

After the win, Young told reporters: "Those crunch times moments, that’s what we’re made for."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban made similar comments after the win, via ESPN's Alex Scarborough:

"It all comes down to execute when you are playing games like this. You need to focus on what is In front of you. You can't worry about the other stuff going on, like what people say, what people say on ESPN and how much you are favored in the game.

"You've got to focus on what is in front of you. If you're an offensive lineman, that's the guy you have to block. If you're a receiver, that's the guy you have to beat,. If you're a QB, you have to take what the defense gives you. If you are a runner, you have to press the hole and make the right cuts. So we didn't do any of that stuff the way we need to. So it wasn't just one thing ,but you have to be able to be focused on that and you can't put yourself behind the 8 ball."

Alabama committed 15 penalties and saw a poor performance from its offensive line that allowed Young to be sacked twice and hurried seven times.

Still, the 21-year-old moved the ball despite the struggles.

Young made a pivotal 20-yard run into Texas territory with less than two minutes remaining in the game to set up a game-winning 33-yard field goal by Will Reichard. He finished the game having completed 27 of 39 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown, in addition to rushing for 38 yards on seven carries.

Alabama will face Louisiana-Monroe next weekend at Bryant-Denny Stadium before hosting Vanderbilt on Sept. 24.

The Texas Longhorns fell just short of pulling off a massive upset against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, and the referees received the brunt of the blame on social media for Texas' loss.

Even with Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers getting knocked out of the game early with an apparent shoulder injury and backup Hudson Card seemingly playing much of the contest with a leg ailment, it took a field goal in closing seconds for Bama to edge Texas 20-19.

The first hugely controversial play of the game occurred in the third quarter when Alabama quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young was seemingly sacked in the end zone for a safety.

It would have put the Longhorns up 12-10, and the fans at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin went wild. However, the celebration was cut off when the referee announced Texas had been called for targeting and roughing the passer.

After review, the official noted that there was no targeting and that roughing the passer had been mistakenly announced. Texas fans cheered, but the ref also announced fourth down for Alabama, meaning there was no safety either.

The confusing announcement led many experts and fans wondering what had gone down:

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1568665632669052929

So they’re saying it wasn’t called as a safety to begin with?? This is a circus.

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 10, 2022

Seriously, if it's not a safety, then how is it not grounding?

— Brian Davis (@byBDavis) September 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/Tizzle45/status/1568665716660015104

That was either down in the end zone (safety), incomplete pass (intentional grounding in the end zone = safety), or fumbled out of bounds in the end zone (safety). Take your pick.#ALAvsTEX

— Jeff Trotman (@jefftrotman) September 10, 2022

After further review, @AlabamaFTBL cannot be tackled for a safety. #TexasVsAlabama pic.twitter.com/jDr5Ym3fUs

— Jerry Wustrack (@jwt0480) September 10, 2022

The refs explaining what just happened in Alabama-Texas pic.twitter.com/fLgLuRa3mN

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 10, 2022

Ultimately, it was determined that Young was never down before he threw the ball away, although he did have his forward progress stopped and the ball didn't come close to reaching the line of scrimmage, so a strong case could have been made for a sack or intentional grounding, either of which would have resulted in a safety.

Texas managed to recover and take a 13-10 lead in the third quarter and later extended it to 16-10 in the fourth, but the Longhorns perhaps could have done even more damage if not for another questionable call.

During the second field-goal drive, Texas running back Keilan Robinson looked like he was clearly facemasked, but there was no call, which led to some incredulous responses on Twitter:

No facemask? No safety? pic.twitter.com/rYj7XSSysl

— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) September 10, 2022

How the F do the refs miss that face mask? #BAMAvsTEX pic.twitter.com/JuqRKnwM7K

— Michelle_in_KC (@MahomesMichelle) September 10, 2022

Ref just going to watch that face mask and ignore it 😂😂😂

— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) September 10, 2022

The Longhorns had to settle for a field goal, which left the door open for the Tide rather than putting them down by two scores.

Alabama took advantage with a go-ahead touchdown with 8:29 left, but Texas responded with a field goal with 1:29 remaining to restore the Longhorns' lead to 19-17.

Texas left too much time on the clock for Young, though, as he drove Bama down the field for what turned out to be a game-winning, 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left on the clock.

Once Texas' upset bid ended, there was plenty of mention of the safety that never was since there was only a one-point margin of defeat:

Remember that SAFETY ? pic.twitter.com/aFSmCB7CNl

— Eric Wright (@EWrighteous21) September 10, 2022

That "no safety" call sure looks large right now.

— Lisa Horne (@LisaHorne) September 10, 2022

Imagine had officials not blown that call that should have been a safety.

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 10, 2022

While it is unclear how the game might have changed with the safety call, Texas would have had the lead and possession of the ball, and it could have potentially added to that two-point advantage.

Instead, the game remained tied and Young took over in the fourth quarter to avoid what would have been the biggest win for the Texas football program in more than a decade.

Alabama overcame a sluggish offensive performance to survive Texas' upset bid with a 20-19 win at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young endured his share of struggles but came alive when it mattered most. He set up the game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left by taking the offense 61 yards over nine plays in 79 seconds.

WHAT A PLAY BRYCE YOUNG 😤

cc: @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/LZgACXQlmI

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022

Bryce Young. Dipsy do dunkaroo.

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 10, 2022

Give him the Heisman again

— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) September 10, 2022

Houdini Bryce!

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 10, 2022

Bryce Young is a bad, bad man. That was electric.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) September 10, 2022

Sheesh Bryce Young said chill I got this

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) September 10, 2022

Turns out you shouldn’t give Bryce Young more than a minute

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 10, 2022

As impressive as that final possession was, it may not have been the best drive by Young in the game. The junior star accounted for 68 of 75 yards on an 11-play drive early in the fourth quarter that ended with Jahmyr Gibbs' touchdown catch to help give Alabama a 17-16 lead.

BRYCE YOUNG

What a play to give @AlabamaFTBL the lead! 🐘🔥 pic.twitter.com/tVfrFCYtKU

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Greever/status/1568675059904188417

Prior to that, Young was 12-of-20 for 77 yards. He finished 27-of-39 for 213 yards and one touchdown plus 38 yards on seven carries.

Bryce Young in the 4th quarter: 15-of-19, two 60+ yard scoring drives.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) September 10, 2022

Oh. My. Word. Bryce Young ducks and dips, avoids sack. Possibly saved game. His last two drives have been Heisman worthy.

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) September 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Greever/status/1568683696617828353

Bryce Young is like that!

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 10, 2022

Bryce Young is still that damn dude.. His WR’s have not played great, Young is different..
Extending plays, eyes down the field, he is hard to defend..

— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) September 10, 2022

This was one of the worst performances by the Crimson Tide in recent years. It marked just the second time since 2018 they have been held to 20 points or fewer in the regular season.

Jase McClellan did have an 81-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to help Alabama to a 10-3 advantage, but his other five carries gained 16 yards.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Alabama had more penalty yards (100) than passing yards. The usually stout secondary gave up 292 yards and 8.6 yards per attempt.

Texas didn't even have Quinn Ewers available for most of the game. The redshirt freshman sensation left in the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury after being hit by Dallas Turner.

On a day when so many things seemed to work against Alabama, Young pushed his team to victory on the road against a quality opponent.

Things will almost certainly be easier next week. The Crimson Tide will host Louisiana-Monroe at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 17.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban says he supports the planned expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams given the decreased player participation in bowl games.

Saban discussed the topic on HBO's Back on the Record with Bob Costas (via Brett McMurphy of Action Network) in an episode that will air Friday night.

"Bowl games are not something players want to play in. ... Now players opt out of that if it's not part of the playoff," he said. "Therefore, I'm for expanding the playoffs."

A trend has emerged in recent years where players, most of whom are getting ready to make the NFL jump, opt out of bowl games, usually to focus on the draft process.

Saban isn't the first coach to discuss the lack of participation from key contributors. In December, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach called the idea that players couldn't take part in one more college game "ridiculous."

"You've got an obligation to the place that helped build and develop you and finish it out in the bowl," Leach told reporters. "That's part of it. You owe it to your team, you owe it to your fans, you owe it to your coaches, and it's the most bizarre thing in the world to me."

On the flip side, players who may be selected in the early rounds of the NFL draft risk suffering an injury that could greatly affect their status by playing in a game of little consequence.

Kyle Hamilton, a Notre Dame safety taken No. 14 overall in the 2022 draft by the Baltimore Ravens, skipped the Fighting Irish's bowl game last season.

He said on the Inside the Garage podcast (via Inside ND Sports' Tyler Horka) that his decision would have been different if the team made the CFP.

"It's not that I don't want to play," Hamilton said. "If we're in the playoff right now—I've told you guys, I've told all the coaches—if we're in the playoff, I'm going to go. I want to go win a national championship. I'm going to suit up. I'm going to play."

His comments lend to Saban's point about giving more programs a shot at the national title, which should ensure greater player involvement for the final games.

Expanding the playoff only helps to an extent, though. A lot of standard bowl games will remain, and players will opt to sit out if they feel there's too much risk, and rightfully so.

On Sundays, Will Anderson Jr. likes to slip away. He would prefer to keep the location of his whereabouts unspecified, which is reasonable given how much his life has changed in the past 18 months. The days of anonymous existence are fleeting.

He seeks tranquility, which he often finds by a stream or pond. Always by water. This instinct has been in him since he was a child, long before he became the best defensive player in college football and a Heisman Trophy hopeful trying to change the way we view the award.

He and his father, Will Anderson Sr., would spend hours on the water, each trying to out-fish the other. There was competition—always competition. But this place was also his escape.

“The type of person I am, I give so much to football,” Anderson says. “And I release everything that is going on when I’m in nature. I listen to calm music and allow myself to relax. It soothes me. I can just watch the water and feel the breeze.”

On Saturdays, Anderson is everywhere. His feet are on solid ground, and he spends three-plus hours chasing quarterbacks and corralling running backs. Offensive coordinators do everything possible to avoid him. Offensive linemen try to stand in his path. To date, no one has succeeded with regularity.

Although he plays at Alabama, a place where the depth chart is clogged with 5-star recruits year after year, Anderson’s excellence looks different. His 17.5 sacks in 2021 were the most in the FBS. He also tallied 33.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 more than anyone else.

His performance earned him a fifth-place finish in the Heisman voting last year. It also prompted many to question whether the junior should even play college football again, even though he has to wait a year to enter the NFL. The scouts are already in love with the outside linebacker’s game, which prompted the rumblings surrounding his football future to grow louder.

“He would've been the first pick last year by a mile,” one NFL scout says about Anderson. “Zero debate. With a couple of quarterbacks in the mix, he may not go No. 1 next spring. Unless you are desperate for a quarterback, passing on him is a huge mistake.”

In B/R's latest mock draft, he's next year's No. 1 overall pick. Look around, and you will be hard-pressed to find any outlet that doesn't envision him being selected inside the top three picks.

Anderson still has his eyes on something more. On unfulfilled goals. On history. On building the next great Alabama defense. On a national championship and another run at the Heisman. The notion of sitting out couldn’t have been further from reality.

“That’s not in my mentality to do that,” Anderson says. “I love football too much. God has a plan for me, and he wants me here. I am committed. I am all-in. It’s an honor playing here.”

For a player who has already accomplished so much, there is still so much more he wishes to do.

---

Football started as an outlet. More specifically, according to his mother, Tereon Anderson, “Football was a way to get away from all those girls.”

These days, Anderson and his five sisters share a bond no story could possibly illuminate. But back then, when Anderson was just four years old, he needed something different. Football was it.

First, there was Shawnta. Then came Shanice. Then, Chyna was born. After her, Endia and Teria joined the family. His parents had always planned for a boy, although those plans were put on pause five times in a row.

“My wife said if and when we had a boy, he would be a Junior,” Anderson Sr. says. “But if this last one wasn’t a boy, I would have to find one somewhere else. God finally blessed us with a boy.”

Like most houses with young children, there was chaos. There were disagreements. There was also love and a dedication to one another.

Everyone had a partner. The older children looked out for their younger siblings. They pushed them; they guided them. They were accountable to and for one another.

In the instance of Will, his sisters made football possible. With both parents often at work, they would ensure that he got to and from practice. When they watched him play, they demanded more from him on the field.

They also protected their younger brother. “And spoiled him like crazy,” their mother adds.

As they grew older, the standards didn’t change. Neither did the bond. On the cusp of so much more, the relationships between the family members have only grown and evolved.

“My family has meant everything to me throughout all this,” he says. “They made sure I had everything. There is so much love, and I appreciate them so much. Without them, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

---

In another universe, Anderson is still playing fullback.

In fact, for much of his football life, this was the only place on the field he wanted to be. He grew up with the ball in his hands. Defense was never on the radar.

That was, until Clifford Fedd was named the head coach at Dutchtown High School in Hampton, Georgia, in the winter of 2017. Fedd knew he was a special athlete almost immediately.

“After about a month, maybe a month-and-a-half of being there, I knew he was a dude,” Fedd says.

Given Anderson’s size, Will Rogers, Fedd’s defensive coordinator, asked Anderson if he would be willing to switch positions. They thought his size and physical gifts were tailor-made for the defensive line.

“He was distraught,” Fedd recalls. “He didn’t want to be called a defensive end. He wanted to be called a fullback.”

While Will and his father didn’t love the idea, Tereon was the least in favor of the move.

“I was not happy,” she adds. “We don’t play defense. We play offense. But they told me to trust them, and I did. Will also was willing to give it a try. Once he learned what he needed to do, he never looked back.”

Over the course of the next two seasons, Anderson grew into his new role. By the end of his recruitment, he was ranked as 247Sports’ No. 5 overall player in the class of 2020.

Before then, however, some teams shared concerns over his size and what position he would ultimately fit into. Clemson told Fedd it didn’t have room at defensive end. Georgia never really got involved, despite being in Anderson’s home state.

Alabama ultimately sent ace recruiter Sal Sunseri to get eyes on Anderson, who was listed at 6'3", 230 pounds as a recruit. “It was a battle of who was smiling the biggest,” Fedd recalls on the two meeting.

Soon, a perfect football marriage was made between a player and program. Although his mother urged her son to take his time and size up all options before committing, Anderson’s mind was made up.

“Alabama was the place I was going to be able to surround myself with people who have the same mentality as me,” Anderson recalls. “They hold themselves to a certain standard here. I came here to compete against the best every day, and that’s what I’ve done.”

When he arrived as a true freshman, suddenly with an abundance of hype, Anderson learned early on what he was up against.

After lifting weights one day as a freshman, he was approached by Alex Leatherwood, a former standout offensive lineman with the school. Anderson thought Leatherwood was about to provide him words of encouragement or take him under his wing.

“He told me that when we get on the field for spring ball, he was going to f--k me up,” Anderson recalls through laughter. “I knew it was going to be a different type of ballgame, and I was ready.”

---

Before last season began, Anderson took a small, laminated piece of paper and put it inside the protective case that shields his iPhone. On it, he’d written his goals for the upcoming season.

Not once during the year did Anderson ever have to remove the item; he knew what was written on that piece of paper, word for word. Often when he reached for his cellphone, however, he would think about them.

“I met every goal but one,” Anderson says.

The lone goal Anderson did not achieve? He didn’t win the Bednarik Trophy, the award given to the sport’s best defensive player. That honor went to Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis.

Outside that, Anderson delivered one of the most productive, disruptive seasons a linebacker has ever delivered.

For as brilliant as his 2021 season was, you could see it coming. He started as a true freshman for Alabama in 2020—something Nick Saban has rarely done since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2007—and he finished the year with seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.

This was merely a foundation for Anderson, whose body and knowledge of the position evolved in light-years before his sophomore year.

“I started preparing so hard in practice that when I got to the games it felt like practice,” Anderson says. “I knew what I was going to expect. I started to play so much faster when I did that. The game just started coming a lot easier to me.”

Anderson had multiple tackles for loss in all but four games last year. He had a four-sack game against Mississippi State. He was constantly schemed against, but it came to naught.

Near the end of the season, Alabama’s Heisman-winning quarterback seemed to command much of the spotlight. But all along, Anderson excelled.

Bryce Young ultimately won the Heisman by an overwhelming margin. Anderson pushed for the award but was unable to catapult to the top of enough ballots. Still, his fifth-place finish was rarefied air for a defensive player, especially a true sophomore.

“I thought about it a lot, and I’m just going to put it out there,” his father says. “I feel confident he’s going to win the Heisman. I’ve seen his game elevate each year, and I think it’s going to elevate even higher this year.”

Anderson isn’t unaware of the hype, nor does he shy from the possibility. It’s not in his nature to predict a Heisman triumph—something only one defensive player, Charles Woodson, has done in the sport’s history. Woodson’s extended reps on special teams and offense ultimately paved a path.

In all likelihood, Anderson won’t have that luxury. If he is to win the Heisman, it will come because of what he’s done on the defensive side of the ball.

“I would be very grateful if I could win the award, but I look at it a little bigger than that,” Anderson says. “It’s not only just for me. I am doing it for all defensive players and the work that is being put in. If the Heisman is really for the best player out there, a defensive player should win the award.”

Whether winning the Heisman is on that small, laminated piece of a paper tucked inside his phone case will remain unknown for now.

“We will see,” he says through laughter, unwilling to tip his hand. Although given everything he's accomplished in only two years, there aren’t many mountains left to climb.

---

On Saturday, Anderson’s junior season officially began. In a 55-0 blowout win over Utah State, he delivered one tackle for loss. Given the lopsided nature of the scoreboard, his day ended early.

He will likely be called upon more this Saturday when Alabama travels to Austin to take on Texas in a rematch of the 2009 BCS National Championship.

Officially, the conversations that lingered about the possibility of him skipping his junior year have ended. In reality, they never carried any weight.

“We never discussed it,” his father says. “I know who Will is. He won’t sit out. If he can help it, he won’t miss a single game. He’ll try to play hurt before he sits out.”

Not since Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina’s former superstar defensive end and the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, has the buzz over a defensive player’s future been so robust.

Since his freshman year, NFL teams have had their eyes on Anderson. They haven't stopped watching since.

"Simply put, Anderson is the most disruptive edge-defender we've seen this century,” B/R draft analyst Brent Sobleski said. "Any knock on Anderson's game at this point would be considered nitpicking since he's consistently the best player on the field."

As with the Heisman, Anderson is not numb to the conversation about his football future. He knows what comes with playing at Alabama. It's largely why he landed there to begin with.

His parents understand this component as well. When asked about the NFL, however, Anderson Sr. is more eager to talk about the fact that his son is poised to earn his degree in December.

The present is certainly more chaotic than it’s ever been for the entire family, but there is a piece of it that everyone seems completely content to hang on to.

At a time when the sport is moving faster than it ever has, Anderson seems happy and motivated. As do those around him. Fame and fortune can wait a while longer.

“As a parent, I’m watching my son realize his dreams,” Tereon says. “I ask myself if this is really happening. Don’t pinch me; I don’t want to wake up. I want to stay right here in this moment, so proud and so full.”

No matter how this year finishes—no matter how many goals on his laminated paper are met—we are watching the beginning of the end of one of the greatest careers a collegiate linebacker has ever produced.

There is an urgency to catch every moment and every tackle behind the line of scrimmage. This isn’t just greatness; this is a level of football excellence reserved for very few.

Sundays are coming, and they are coming quickly. The days of escaping to a nearby lake will soon give way to what is likely to be a long and prosperous NFL career.

In due time, Anderson will have to find a new day and setting for serenity. Until then, however, he is exactly where he is meant to be.