After losing three key starters to a defensive corps that thrived, Alabama found a new cog in the defense that can pick up right where it left off.
Since arriving in Alabama, Kalen DeBoer has done a masterful job at identifying talent. And he may have just struck gold once again.
Linebacker Caleb Woodson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, has generated a significant amount of buzz in spring camp with DeBoer singing his praises like he was in the Grand Ole Opry.
“Caleb has come in and you can see that he has been on the football field,” DeBoer said. “He has taken a lot of snaps. He is out there and the schemes are not too fast for him. He has picked those up and it allows him to go punch the ball out and cause chaos. He is being the baller that we expected to get when we brought him in.”
Both DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack agree that Woodson has the potential of being a captain-like player for the Crimson Tide.
He will be a desperately needed presence in the locker room, after Alabama lost Nikhai Hill-Green, Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson to the NFL.
“He is a professional,” Wommack said earlier this month on Woodson. “He is very much about his business and he uses the resources of this program. He is up here a lot, he is around the program… The biggest thing about him is how hard he plays … We are really stressing the effort and finish that we play with. The effort and finish that you see is something that should stand out about our defense.”
Woodson played all three seasons with the Hokies and started as a defensive back in his freshman year. But quickly after his freshman season, the coaching staff in Blacksburg opted to move Woodson to the interior, which helped him transition into more of a linebacker.
“I actually moved inside...that was a hard move for me, but a good move,” said Woodson. “I’m starting to flourish and take it to the next level.”
And because of that move, he became a tone-setter for Virginia Tech’s program, totaling 72 tackles in his sophomore season, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and an interception.
But his junior year was one to forget. Woodson lost his captaincy before the season following a DWI arrest, then suffered an injury that caused him to miss four games.
With a coaching change in Blacksburg, the timing ultimately gave Woodson an opportunity for a fresh start, one he’s now making the most of at Alabama.
He’s already come into Tuscaloosa with a “business-like” mentality according to Wommack, in hopes of upholding the standard that those before him instilled.
Based on early reports from spring camp, Woodson is a natural fit in Tuscaloosa.
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