Alabama vs LSU: 5 key players to watch

Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama 

With star safety Eddie Jackson lost for the year, the Crimson Tide are going to have to get creative in the secondary. That includes using sophomore All-American cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick’s versatility to its full extent.

Moving an All-American to a different position is of course going to cause some controversy. However, head coach Nick Saban believes Fitzpatrick is up to the challenge and that he has the game knowledge to adjust to a new position.

It’s still unclear if Fitzpatrick will play more cornerback or safety on Saturday night, but he is getting practice reps at both. Fitzpatrick is perhaps the best underclassman defender in college football with 53 tackles, five interceptions and two touchdowns in his young 22-game career.

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The Alabama secondary will have the task of stopping the speedy LSU wide receiver duo of Dupre and Chark. Saban said earlier in the week that Fitzpatrick already played the most complicated position on the Alabama defense and that he has the intuition to move to safety with no trouble.

Still, we won’t know exactly what the Alabama secondary will look like without Jackson, and it can’t afford to give up too many splash plays through the air. That makes FItzpatrick the key player on the field, as me may be called on to fill multiple critical roles at different points of the game.