Budding star on Alabama’s defense will have to shine when the Crimson Tide needs him most following unforeseen injury report
The onus is now on No. 42
Coming into the 2025 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide pass rusher that was on everyone’s radar was LT Overton. A bit of an up and down year, Overton hasn’t exactly taken that leap that many wanted to see from an NFL Draft perspective.
Instead, it’s been the man who wasn’t even a starter to begin the year who is turning heads. That would be Yhonzae Pierre. He has been one of the few players to create consistent pressure this season and he will play a crucial role against the Bulldogs.
A role that just got enhanced following the loss of Overton.
LT Overton out vs. Georgia
Overton was a big part of the reason why Alabama won the first go-round back in September, and his 33 tackles and four sacks will be missed. What Alabama will miss most, is his ability to set the edge in the run game. With Georgia Bulldogs center Drew Bobo also out, expect the Bulldogs to try and stretch the run game to the perimeter, and certainly at the side where Overton will be absent.
So while Pierre has been teetering on breaking out, and is getting love around the NFL, Saturday will serve as his best chance to break out on a national stage, especially in a game the magnitude of the SEC championship. As for the offensive side of the ball, the big question is RB Jam Miller.
Jam Miller is questionable vs. Georgia
The last we saw of Miller, he was seen leaving the Iron Bowl early on crutches after suffering a lower-body injury that we still don’t know the full extent of yet. What you saw before that injury was the beauty of Alabama’s run scheme when everything is working. Big bodies getting out in space and opening wide rushing lanes for the speedy Miller to burst through. The Iron Bowl was argubly his best game of the year before injury.
Alabama just couldn’t find a way to be efficient on the ground throughout the season. Far too often, it was three yards and a cloud of dust. It cost Alabama the game against the Oklahoma Sooners, and until the team exploded for eight rushing TDs against the Eastern Illinois Panthers, it seemed as if what you saw was what you got on the ground.
Jam Miller seemingly fixed that last week, and Alabama could certainly use him this go-round.
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