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Henry To'o To'o has been big addition for Alabama's defense

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•08/13/21•

Jonathan Wagner

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Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

Linebacker Henry To’o To’o was a huge offseason addition to Alabama’s defense. The Tennessee transfer has already made a big impact on the team. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is glad to have gotten such a talented transfer to help offset some of Alabama’s losses since last season.

Alabama is adding to an already talented linebacker unit

Despite losing last year’s leading tackler Dylan Moses to the NFL Draft, there is a lot of talent left among Alabama’s linebackers. Christian Smith was Alabama’s second-leading tackler last season. Shane Lee was second on the team in 2019 in tackles, but he missed most of last season. Will Anderson and Christopher Allen are also quality pieces at the position.

Adding To’o To’o to the mix only deepens an already talented group. Last season, he led Tennessee with 76 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. As a freshman, To’o To’o totaled 72 tackles and five tackles for loss. He came to Tennessee as a top 50 recruit.

When asked about Alabama’s linebackers, Saban said that To’o To’o is part of what is a deep competition.

“Hopefully, he’ll continue to improve and we’ll see what happens relative to – we have several guys competing at that position,” Saban said. “Christian (Smith) has played very well, so he’s going to play. (Jaylen) Moody’s played some and is doing really well, so there’s a lot of competition at that position.”

Familiarity with defensive system has helped To’o To’o’s transition

Saban said that Alabama’s defense runs very similar to how Tennessee’s did. This has helped To’o To’o make a seamless transition to the Crimson Tide.

“Henry’s done really well. I think familiarity with the system has helped his transition,” Saban said. “Playing for Jeremy (Pruitt) at Tennessee, a very similar or same defensive system probably. I never asked him what they did at Tennessee, but just watching them on film, there’s a lot of similarities.

“He’s a very bright guy, he’s a very conscientious guy and he’s picked up on things. He’s very instinctive, he’s got a lot of experience, he’s got good leadership qualities. So he’s been a very positive addition and he’s done a nice job for us.”

To’o To’o is one of 16 preseason All-SEC selections from Alabama. After losing some serious talent to the NFL, getting a top SEC-proven talent in To’o To’o is huge for Alabama. The Crimson Tide allowed 19.4 points per game last year, the 13th-lowest total in the nation.