Alabama football: 3 major award candidates for the Crimson Tide in 2022
By John Buhler
There is a reason why Nick Saban’s Alabama football team is the favorite to win it all in 2022.
Anything short of a national championship will be seen as a failure for the Alabama football team.
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide program won the SEC a season ago but fell to conference rival Georgia when it really counted only a few weeks later. Alabama was the defending national champion entering last season but is looking to avenge its January title bout loss to Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. Fortunately for the Crimson Tide, they have arguably the best roster in the entire country this year.
With so many candidates to choose from, here are three Alabama stars who can win major awards.
Alabama football: 3 players who could be bringing home the hardware this fall
Scouting Report. S. Jordan Battle. player. 829. Pick Analysis. Alabama Crimson Tide. 3
Jordan Battle plays in the right position group at the right place to win the Thorpe
One of the advantages of playing for Nick Saban at Alabama if you are a defensive back is he will put you in great positions to succeed. Though not every secondary playmaker has gone on to have success professionally since leaving Tuscaloosa, it is a position group that regularly features guys capable of winning the Thorpe. Look for senior safety Jordan Battle to be a serious contender for it.
Alabama should be playing with a ton of big leads this year. That means many of the inferior teams they will be going up against will be forced to throw the ball on seemingly every down. All that will do is allow for Battle and the rest of the Crimson Tide secondary to collectively pin its ears back and jump routes for pick-sixes. Safeties are in the best position to potentially do this.
What makes this a bit of a challenge for Battle to win the Thorpe is Alabama not only recruits at an elite level in the defensive backfield, but other schools regularly produce top-tier cornerbacks and safeties, too. Let’s also factor in the award going to players from lesser programs who get lucky with their strong ball-hawking skills. The Thorpe has always been a high-risk, high-reward award.
Other Alabama players could win a major trophy, but Battle needs to be on the Thorpe watch list.