Ed Orgeron breaks down what makes Alabama linebacker Will Anderson special

Will Anderson has been having a big season for Alabama – there’s no question about it. The sophomore linebacker has been the anchor of the Crimson Tide’s defensive unit, and his dominant play has inserted his name into Heisman Trophy talks.

During this week’s SEC football head coaches teleconference, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron was asked about Anderson – a player he recruited and tried to get to come to Baton Rouge – and what makes him so special.

“Phenomenal football player,” Orgeron said. “I recruited him. He’s a great young man … speed, quickness, toughness and awareness. They change up stuff they do with him. Sometimes he’s going to crash and take the back, sometimes he’s up on the quarterback. He’s great at the point-of-attack. I think he’s a first-round pick.”

A former four-star recruit out of Hampton, Georgia, Anderson had a strong freshman season for Alabama in 2020 but has really came alive this season. Through the Tide’s 10 games this year, Anderson has racked up 67 total tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss, 12.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries. His best game of 2021 so far came against LSU on Nov. 6, when Anderson made 12 tackles with 1.5 sacks.

When Orgeron was asked during the teleconference if teams try to plan differently and change up their usual offensive gameplans before facing Alabama and Anderson, the Tigers’ head man said it’s easier said than done.

“You try to – but he beats them. The guy’s good,” Orgeron said. “You try to run the zone read to his side and he runs you down. You try to kick him out and he beats the block. The best thing to do in pass rush, in my opinion, and in pass protection, is to triple and double team him. The guy’s a force.

“I’m so glad to see he’s playing well. Will was one of my favorite recruits I recruited.”

Anderson and the No. 2 ranked Crimson Tide are back in action Saturday as they host No. 21 Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Joel Klatt gives stern warning regarding Alabama’s path to playoff

During FOX Sports’ Breaking the Huddle with Joel Klatt show on Wednesday, the college football analyst focused in on Alabama and discussed two different scenarios for the Tide: Either they can win out and stay in, or they can lose a single game and be out. Klatt made it as simple as that for Nick Saban’s club.

“Georgia’s kind of this team that’s like you can basically shoo-in one of the four spots for the Georgia Bulldogs. Alabama is a different scenario,” Klatt said. “Now, granted, they’ve got a hard schedule here in the back-end of the season: Arkansas, then the Iron Bowl [vs. Auburn] and then potentially Georgia [in the SEC championship]. And while I don’t think they’re going to go through that undefeated, it’s certainly a scenario where they could. If they do, they will absolutely be in the playoff. That’s a no-brainer.”

But what if Alabama drops one of those key games and doesn’t win out?

“Now, if they lose one of those games, as a two-loss team I just don’t think the committee is going to put them in as a two-loss team,” Klatt said. “Maybe that’s against my better judgement with the way that they view Alabama generally, but I just don’t think that they will. So, I think ‘Bama is basically either going to be the No. 1 team in the country running the table or they’re going to be out.

“It’s kind of all or nothing for Alabama.”