Nick Saban opens up on what he's seen on film from Arkansas LB Jaheim Thomas

The Alabama Crimson Tide are preparing to line up against the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend. They’ll go up against one of the more talented linebackers in the SEC in Hogs’ linebacker Jaheim Thomas on Saturday. In his Wednesday evening press conference, Saban broke down what he’s seen from the gifted linebacker on film so far this season.

“Their whole front seven is very aggressive, very physical. They play well together. They execute their scheme really, really well. We’re gonna have to do a great job up front. And that’s gonna be the challenge with this guy is you know, very good tackler, very productive, very instinctive, good athlete, physical, tough guy. He’s one of the better linebackers we’ve played against,” Saban explained.

Thomas is having a monster year thus far in 2023 for the Razorbacks. He’s already racked up 59 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass breakups, and four quarterback hurries. Before joining the Razorbacks, Thomas enjoyed a breakout 2022 campaign with the Cincinnati Bearcats, tallying 70 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Saban and the Crimson Tide coaching staff will surely figure out ways to neutralize his impact on the game Saturday.

Nick Saban is trying to keep his players focused on Saturday

When it comes to distractions, Nick Saban wants his Alabama team to stay focused on the task at hand. That’s a big part of his message to players when asked about something off the field, such as an eclipse coming up during Saturday’s game against Arkansas.

Saban tells his players to avoid distractions at all times. However, he thinks there’s another way to get that message across.

“I actually think the best way to do that is text it to them so they can read it on their phone, aight?” Saban said.

Because players tend to be on their phones a lot, Saban wondered if texting instructions would be a better way to get his point across. He joked the players tend to tune some things out, which is why he said texting could be more effective.

“Sometimes, they don’t listen,” Saban said. “But if you text it to them, they’ll read it, aight? That might be a new technique that we try. We should text them what they’re supposed to do on the field. They’ll probably get it then.”

Of course, there’s a big distraction looming during Saturday’s game. Tuscaloosa will see about 60% coverage during the lunar eclipse, according to NASA, and it will occur right around the noon ET kickoff. Fans will likely be looking up to the sky to see the event, but Saban will want his players’ attention on the field.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.