Alabama’s defense repeatedly found itself stuck on the field last season. Opponents converted 37.1% of their third-down attempts, leaving the Crimson Tide ranked 48th nationally in third-down defense. Fixing that flaw is now a priority, and Nick Saban could prove influential as Alabama looks to restore its defensive edge.
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Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, in a recent conversation with Chris Low of On3, revealed that he picked Nick Saban’s brain this offseason about areas where the team could improve defensively.
“I know (Saban) likes what we do, and we don’t see things completely eye to eye across the board from a coverage standpoint, but we have similarities,” said Wommack.
Third-down defense was the only weak spot in Alabama’s defensive unit last year. Against Indiana in the Rose Bowl, Wommack’s unit allowed 9-of-14 third-down conversions. Overall, the opponents converted 75 of 202 attempts, with a conversion rate of 37.13%.
In comparison, Texas A&M led the nation in third-down conversion defense at 22.89%. Within the SEC, the Tide were 10th. Even the likes of LSU, Auburn, and Missouri had better third-down defenses.
But overall, the Crimson Tide were strong defensively, ranking 20th in scoring defense at 19.2 points per game and 13th in total defense at 296.8 yards per game, their best defensive performance since 2017.
The problem? Well, according to Wommack himself, the defense lacked physicality and got “moved around” against good teams like Indiana, which manhandled Alabama in a 38-3 loss; this was the Crimson Tide’s most lopsided defeat since a 42-6 loss to Arkansas in 1998. The Hoosiers ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. Compare that to Alabama’s own dismal run game, and it caused a massive issue.
“The truth is we got moved around some for the last two years here,” Wommack said to the media back in August. “That was an area where we’ve done some good things defensively here; at times, I think we’ve been really good, but to be a dominant defense, you have to have guys up front that can make a difference.”
Last month, Wommack revealed that during a conversation with Nick Saban, the former Alabama coach urged him to pay particular attention to improving the team’s third-down defense.
Wommack said Saban’s assessment made perfect sense, adding, “I thought he had some really good points of having one or two more variations of things that we can do to be able to complement some of the stuff that we’re already doing.”
The defensive coordinator took a closer look at the numbers this offseason and found some concerning results. Compared with other SEC defensive lines, Alabama ranked 14th in average height and last, 15th, in average weight.
So, what has changed in Alabama’s defense? Quite a lot.
Kane Wommack isn’t letting Nick Saban’s advice go to waste
During the same conversation with Chris Low, Wommack said he is taking Saban’s advice seriously and making sure the third-down defense is handled with greater discipline.
“The disguise of what we’re doing and multiplicity of coverage is something that Coach Saban and I talked about,” Wommack said, per Chris Low of On3 “We’ve got to find ways on third down to be more multiple and to have more match-style coverage than what we did. But you can only do that when you have guys up front that can generate pass rush.”
In response, Wommack reshaped Alabama’s defensive roster. Kelby Collins, Jordan Renaud, James Smith, and Keon Keeley departed the defensive line through the transfer portal, while Devan Thompkins, Terrance Green, and Kedrick Bingley-Jones joined the unit to provide more size.
According to Wommack, they now rank fourth or fifth in the SEC in terms of average defensive line frame, which is “a much better place” for them to be.
“At times I think we’ve been really good, but to be a dominant defense, you have to have guys up front that that can that can make a difference,” he explained last month. “And I think we’re moving in the right direction here.”
Alabama is not looking to repeat the mistake it made last year, but will it be able to turn its fortunes around this time?