[ad_1]
Alabama media day unfolds with defensive coordinator Pete Golding following the departure of Nick Saban. Golding is entering his third season as defensive coordinator with the bulk of the talent returning to his side of the ball.
Here’s the summary of Golding’s comments at his annual preseason press conference.
– Golding said the ability to stack spring practice with preseason in August has a huge impact compared to last year when spring practice was canceled. “I think that’s kind of the big difference from last year at this point for these young defensive players, is that most of these guys have had a spring. I think it’s big. I think that’s one thing to install on Zoom, to slow this down, from a mental point of view. But most of these guys are kinesthetic learners; they have to be able to go out and do it.
–On the transfer from Tennessee Henry To’o To’o, Golding said he was “above and beyond” where transfers are normally at this point in the process. “The familiarity he already has with this defense coming from where he’s come from, I think, has been good for us,” said Golding.
– Alabama need to do a better job of stopping the race at the linebacker level this fall, Golding said.
“There’s more depth this season,” Golding said. “We have enough talent, but we have to work hard,” he said.
– Among the objectives of this preseason: eliminate the pre-snap penalties which were a problem last fall.
– Third downs were also a problem, but it’s not that easy. “When you live on third and three, third and four, third and five, it’s all open and it’s hard to defend,” Golding said. “So we have to do a better job on the first and second down from a racing point of view, we have to eliminate the mental errors – it’s year after year – and we have to do better tackling the job.
– Golding had an interesting perspective on the Alabama football team returning to some of the COVID-19 protocols used last year. “I told our guys the other day that when I put that mask back on in this building, it reminded me of last year; it took hold of me. Not from a championship perspective, but just how our kids changed their lives for that personal bubble, all the things they gave up – going out at night, families coming in, worrying about tickets, all of them. those other things. And it allowed them to focus on their work. And they gave it all up for one reason, to compete for a championship, and look what happened.
– Golding also got a good look at the development of linebacker Will Anderson. He said Anderson showed flashes last year in rushing situations but would show the most improvement on downhills. It’s about mastering all the phases to get the consistency needed to play four tries.
– On Anderson: “I think obviously when you have a young player like that who’s really talented, he’s so focused on ‘Hey, what’s my roster and what’s my mission’ hence from a pre-scan. snap, the anticipation of what’s to come. I watch the tackle behavior Hey, is this going to be run or passed? Hey, here’s the backfield well set, it’s going to be run. What run do you get? Who is blocking me? How will I overcome the block? The stimulus and the response.
– Asked about five-star freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry, Golding said the thing that stands out the most is his willingness to play aggressively with the physique. Most cornerbacks with his recruiting profile don’t like to hit as much as the Pinson Valley graduate, Golding said. “He understands the game, so again that’s a big chunk,” Golding said. “So he has the ability, he has the ability to process and put his face on you. So if we can get that consistency he’s going to be a really good player. “
– Offenses evolved and improved, but not the norm for Alabama defenses. The objective remains to award less than 13 points. The biggest improvement Golden wants to see is increased revenue. Alabama had 22 last year and each resulted in 4.7 points on subsequent offensive possessions, Golding said.
– Alabama performs a nickel defense about 90% of the time, Golding estimated.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on twitter @ByCasagrande Or on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link