Henry To'o To'o dishes about what he likes about Alabama's 'cheetah' pass rush package

No. 3 Alabama is undefeated yet again at the midway point of the season, in no small part thanks to its defense. And one of the unit’s wrinkles, Alabama’s ‘cheetah’ package on obvious pass-rushing downs, has turned into a real source of pride for the Crimson Tide.

And enjoyment.

“It’s fun for me. I just do my job and let them go do their thing,” middle linebacker Henry To’o To’o said, referring to his outside linebacker counterparts.

The Crimson Tide have used the package to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks from unexpected angles, relying on a bevvy of talented, athletic outside linebackers to wreak havoc.

Superstar defender Will Anderson is often the focal point in the package, but guys like Jaylen Moody, Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell have also been the beneficiaries.

In a 24-20 win over Texas A&M over the weekend, Alabama used the package to effectively pressure the Aggies and harass quarterback Haynes King throughout the evening. Moody logged two sacks, while Braswell snagged another. Anderson turned in an eye-popping eight quarterback hurries but even To’o To’o was in on the action at times.

“I think I’m going to get back there, so those plays set each other up,” To’o To’o explained. “If I come free then it’s my turn to get a sack. If Will comes free then that’s Will. It’s kind of working as a string together trying to get everybody free, so those plays are fun.”

Alabama’s cheetah package confusing opponents

One of the things that makes Alabama’s cheetah package so difficult to get a handle on is that the linebackers will often show one thing pre-snap then adjust after the ball is live.

Sometimes even within a play they’ll feint one way and then reverse responsibilities. Those versatile outside linebackers make all the difference.

“We’ve got our Cheetah package, and that’s our Cheetah package when they’re in there,” To’o To’o said. “I just let them play, let them go get a sack, and then they help us in the back end, too. So if we’re covering, we know we’re not going to be covering for long because they’re going to get back there. So definitely a huge part to our defense.”

Right now the Crimson Tide rank 15th nationally in sacks, having logged 18 through the first six games. Opposing quarterbacks have not had an easy go of things.

That’s the goal for Alabama again this weekend in a monster showdown with No. 6 Tennessee and quarterback Hendon Hooker, a dual-threat player who has been excellent so far this year. Alabama and Tennessee will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., with a broadcast on CBS.