Alabama DB Coach Maurice Linguist Assesses First Three Games for Secondary

Through Linguist’s first three weeks leading the Crimson Tide defensive backs, Alabama is giving up 3.2 yards per attempt, which is No. 1 in the nation.

Mar 21, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist directs players during practice at the University Alabama Thursday. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Alabama’s explosive offense has been the clear-cut most eye-opening asset for the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide’s success over the first three games of the young season, but perhaps the effort of the secondary is the unsung hero.

Throughout his tenure at Alabama, legendary head coach Nick Saban seemed to connect a bit more with the defensive backs, as he’s coached and even played the position in the past. After current head coach Kalen DeBoer was hired due to Saban’s surprise retirement in January, the search for a defensive backs coach was crucial in continuing The Standard of Alabama’s yearly elite secondary.

DeBoer brought along many assistants to Alabama from his previous role at Washington, but the one who pulls the strings in the secondary was an extensive hunt. However, DeBoer and company hired Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist for the esteemed role. After the first three weeks of in-game action, Linguist assessed how his unit has played thus far on Thursday, as Alabama has allowed just 26 total points.

“We’ve been playing a heavy volume of man,” Linguist said. “We’ve been in a lot of man-to-man situations. We’re giving up 3.2 yards per attempt, which is No. 1 in the nation. It just tells we’re limiting big plays by-and-large, we’re staying on top of most plays and we’re not letting big plays occur.”

“Everybody in America plays man, but it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it and why you do it. Understanding the coverage support, down and distance, the field position, your matchup in terms of how you’re covering a certain guy, so I think those things are coming to life for us.”

While the man-to-man matchups have worked in the Crimson Tide’s favor for the most part to start the season, Linguist understands that stout zone coverage is also needed to succeed in every game. But that hasn’t really been the case for Alabama.

“I think when you look at a zone instinct standpoint, we have a lot of yards after catch when we’re in those zone situations and they do dump the ball down and they do push it out to the flat, are we able to control the yards after the catch? Can we limit those things?” Linguist said.

Linguist explained that “there’s a lot of good things on tape,” but listed a few areas that the secondary could improve on. That said, he looks forward to making these adjustments with his position group.

“We’ve had some penalties that we have to clean up, we have to get to the top shoulder, a couple missed tackles from a couple of guys,” Linguist said. “We’re being as critical of ourselves as humanly possible but also not diminishing the positives that have been out there on the football field. It’s a work in progress, we’re going to continue to push these guys."

As Alabama prepares for No. 2 Georgia ahead of arguably the biggest overall game of the entire college football season on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, Linguist revealed the “best thing” about the Crimson Tide’s secondary at this time, and it could be the secret to their overall stellar performance against Western Kentucky, South Florida and Wisconsin.

“There’s been a lot of trust,” Linguist said. “You’re telling guys how and why to do certain things, having good healthy conversations. You’re able to take in their feedback and ‘Why would you create this play?’ and ‘Why would you do these things?’ and so it grows and grows and the game plan can develop.”