The 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide defense has improved each week of the 2021 season, and they were pretty good to begin with. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding has taken a good mix of returning starters and young talent and molded them into one of the top defensive units in the country. This season has seen the Crimson Tide have to adjust to a dizzying array of offensive tactics, many times different than that what opponents had shown on film all season. Alabama has long been known for its 3-4 base defense, elaborate third-down blitz packages and pattern match defenses, but in today’s era of offensive football the ability to drop eight players into coverage and still stop the run has become more and more important and that is something Golding has played more and more over the last two seasons. Alabama has seen offenses attack through the air (MSU 55 pass attempts) and on the ground (Florida 43 rush attempts) with everyone spreading you from sideline to sideline and forcing you to cover and tackle in space, something UA has excelled at. Will Anderson Jr. has been Golding’s difference maker, using him in a variety of looks and different fronts.
