Todd McShay explains why this Alabama roster is unique

ESPN’s Todd McShay broke down his take on the talent surrounding Alabama‘s Bryce Young, and why this Crimson Tide squad is different. McShay made sure to stay away from saying this year’s Alabama offense was lacking talent, but highlighted how Young will likely have to “carry” the team more than last season.

Additionally, McShay made an early 2023 NFL Draft prediction about the draft stock of linebacker Will Anderson — claiming he could’ve been the number one pick of last year’s draft if he was eligible.

Todd McShay on this year’s Alabama

“I’m always careful to say there’s not talent at Alabama,” began McShay. “We know they’re loaded in terms of talent on every level. But it doesn’t take a super scout to figure out that it’s not the same guys on the perimeter. It’s not the [Henry] Ruggs and [Jerry] Jeudy and DeVonta Smith, and all of the guys that they’ve had in previous years. Jameson Williams a year ago was an absolute star — the best player in college football in my opinion last season.

“So when you don’t have that, it makes it difficult. Now you can’t stretch the field as much. There are young guys there, and they’re gonna kinda step into it and hopefully start to develop. Jermaine Burton‘s a really good player — the Georgia transfer. But it’s not the same. I think we’ve all seen that. Jahmyr Gibbs has been really good in the backfield. Their offensive line has been solid, not exceptional. Bryce Young is having to carry this team a little bit more than he had to certainly a year ago.”

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As McShay points out, the offensive weapons surrounding Young on offense aren’t as well-known at this time as Alabama has grown used to seeing on the field, but the lack of superstar threats hasn’t diminished Young’s ability to win games.

“And as a scout, just evaluating it, you love to see this. How is [Young] gonna handle himself? We saw in the fourth quarter what he did and how he responded when the game was on the line. And we may have to see a little bit more out of him this season than we expected to coming in the year, because there’s not that speed on the perimeter that Alabama has been used to having for what, the last four or five years.”

With time running out in his segment, Finebaum asked McShay if he’s changed his opinion at all about Anderson this season — prompting McShay to declare Anderson the best defensive player in the entire college football landscape.

“He’s a star. Everyone is blocking him, they’re doubling him, they’re chipping him — they’re doing all sorts of different things to take him out of the game and he’s still making impact plays.

“To me, he’s the best defensive player in all of college football. If it’s not a quarterback that goes [number] one in the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s gonna be Will Anderson. And if Will Anderson was eligible to be in this last year’s draft, 2022, he would’ve been the first overall pick, not Travon Walker out of Georgia.”