Alabama Football: 3 position battles to watch before 2020 season

2. Middle linebacker

It’s not an easy offseason when you have position battles, and uncertainty, at the play-calling positions of both the offense and the defense.

At middle linebacker, the question comes not from a lack of players at the position, but instead from an excess. After injuries to two inside backers in 2019, there’s now a stockpile of experience on the inside of Pete Golding’s defensive unit.

Dylan Moses and Joshua McMillon suffered knee injuries in 2019 that saw them miss extensive game action. As they return to health, they’ll have to compete with the two players that occupied their roles for much of last season.

Shane Lee and Christian Harris were both very good in 2019. Lee had 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, and he added a pick, fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles to his 86 total tackles. Harris had 7.5 tackles for loss of his own, along with 61 tackles, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery.

Moses is the best player of the four, and even in return from injury, he’s got a leg up on the competition. The fight for that second spot will be the truly intriguing one. The three remaining guys all have a good shot at the starting role, but based on versatility, Lee will be the prediction here, by the slimmest of margins.