Nick Saban talks former Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders ahead of game vs. Arkansas

Alabama‘s offense will see a familiar face lined up across from them on Saturday when they take on No. 20 ranked Arkansas. Razorback linebacker Drew Sanders signed with the Crimson Tide of high school and played the first two seasons of his college career with them under head coach Nick Saban before transferring to Arkansas. Saban spoke about his former player and the season that he’s had so far for their upcoming conference opponent.

“Drew was a good player when he was here, unfortunate injuries, and he’s certainly playing well for them,” Saban said. “It’s good to see that he’s doing a good job for them, we’re happy for him and his family.”

In his two seasons with Alabama, Sanders was a reserve outside linebacker and a consistent player on special teams. He had three career starts for the Crimson Tide before a week 5 injury limited his playing time for the remainder of the 2021 season, as he ended his two-year run with Alabama with 33 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Sanders showed some potential at Alabama, but in his first four games with the Razorbacks has shown a lot more than that. Sanders has become one of the most disruptive defensive players in the country, bursting onto the scene for Arkansas as he’s currently tied for the national lead in sacks with 5.5 on the season so far.

Sanders also adds 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles to his sack total, making him a player that every offense needs to be keyed in on pre-snap. Sanders played outside linebacker under coach Saban but has shown plenty of success and production for Arkansas as an insider backer, which Saban was asked about.

“That was probably what we were going to do, but never worked out. It is what it is, it’s good for him that he can play both positions and that he’s doing well,” Saban said.

Sanders has certainly shown his versatility as a player this season, also adding two pass break ups to his stat line. He joined All-SEC linebacker Bumper Pool this season on the defense, and the duo of Texas native linebackers has been wreaking havoc on offenses so far this season ranking first and second on the team in tackles.

Sanders will surely be familiar with Alabama’s offense heading into their matchup, and it will be fun to watch how he plays individually in a matchup that already has such high stakes for both teams.