30 best Alabama football players to play for Nick Saban

Best Alabama football players under Nick Saban: 20. Mark Barron

Mark Barron is a player that can knock someone through the dirt from any position he played. He was recruited as a five-star outside linebacker, but Saban moved him to safety during his sophomore year, and it was one of the smartest decisions Saban made early in his Alabama run. Barron took to the position flawlessly, and he became a force immediately.

Barron was second on the Crimson Tide with 74 tackles in his first season as a starter. He also led the SEC with seven interceptions on the season, and he returned one of them for a touchdown. On top of all that, he was sixth in the nation with 17 passes defended.

After his sophomore season, his stats dropped, but that’s because teams stopped throwing his way. It was clear the game plan from opposing teams was to throw away from Mark Barron. He would hit you hard to take the ball away from you. Either way, nobody wanted to deal with that. That change in game plan impacted teams weekly, and it allowed others in the Alabama defense to shine.

He still finished his career with 12 interceptions at Alabama. He also had 34 deflected passes and 22 pass breakups. Barron made sure nothing was easy, and it set the tone of the Saban era at Alabama. Barron was very good for this university, and his legacy continues to shine.