Alabama Defense Relies on Special Communicators To Lead Unit on Game Day

The Crimson Tide has several veterans on defense but two stand out for their experience and ability to communicate quickly and clearly.

The Crimson Tide football team continued practice Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, as they prepare for the season opener and the first game under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore (13) snags a pass during a defensive drill. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Alabama football program kicked off its first game week in 17 seasons without Nick Saban in charge on Monday. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has spent the last eight months implementing his schemes and his style on the Crimson Tide program, but one thing that hasn't changed in Tuscaloosa is the program's collective standard of excellence.

"I think Coach [Saban] certainly pushed that standard each and every day and fortunately we have a lot of guys who understand what that’s supposed to look like. It’s great that we have those leaders, our players, we have some staff, a few coaches that were here with Coach and they just continue to be front and center in leading the rest of the guys that are new to the program or new players that have come in. It’s something we care for a lot with the culture of our program." said DeBoer on Monday. "It’s important to me. There’s a style of play that wins football games and that’s really what we’re focused on, but there’s a lot of details and a lot of things off the field that are really important to playing at the highest level and being this program that’s been at that level for so many years and so many decades."

The 2024 Alabama team is tasked with embracing the new coaching staff, but ensuring the standards of excellence don't take a dip. The Crimson Tide defense has just the right leaders in Malachi Moore and Deontae Lawson to ensure that task is completed.

Moore enters his fifth season at the Capstone and was a frequent reciepiant of Saban's praise in 2023 as not only a quality player, but an excellent communicator.

"Malachi is a great leader but he's also very smart. He's got lots of experience, he understands the system of what we do. I think he really helps the other guys with adjustments that we need to make in the game," said Saban in 2023. "He's been invaluable. He's played well and I think he's helped everybody around him play better."

The new 4-2-5 "Swarm" defense features an Alabama front with vast experience as four of the starting six are returning from last season. The biggest question mark for the defense is in the backend as the Crimson Tide secondary breaks in four fresh faces, making Moore's leadership that much more important.

"When you have a guy like Malachi Moore, you really set the standard in terms of the leadership. I think when you talk about leadership and being a person that emulates what it’s supposed to look like, leading by example, he is one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever seen in practice every single day. Whether it’s a workout, whether it’s a walk-through, whether it’s a practice, he really sets the standard of what it’s supposed to look like down in and down out, play in and play out. When he goes to the sideline, he’s constantly communicating with other guys on the defense about what we need to fix, what we saw out there in real-time," said Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack on Monday.

“Him and Deontae Lawson, I think, are truly special communicators that have had a lot of experience in this defense. But when you add guys like Jihaad Campbell, who have been here but maybe have not had the rep base of experience like those guys, I think he’s done a tremendous job. But particularly on the back end, I think Keon Sabb has been phenomenal. His ability – I mean, I was so impressed even with Week 1 when he got here and we started doing some little walk-throughs and meetings and all that kind of stuff, his retention of our defense. And now, he’s starting to play with anticipation. He’s communicating at a high level. And if you can keep up with Malachi Moore, I think that’s a pretty good job there.”