WATCH: Trio of Alabama players speak ahead of Arkansas game

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama has one again started its season 4-0 under Nick Saban. On Tuesday, the media spoke with the longtime Crimson Tide head coach, junior inside linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and sophomore offensive tackle JC Latham.

and outside linebacker ahead of the Arkansas game.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, another trio of players were made available, including quarterback Bryce Young, outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. Below, we’ve included everything those guys said during that media availability.

QB Bryce Young

On how Texas game helped the team heading into its first SEC road game…

“Yeah, I think you know, especially road tests like that tough environment, great football team we’re up against with our backs against the wall, I think that’s stuff you go from when you’re able to come out of the other side with a victory.

“We love trying to put as many points up on the board as we can. And, you know, we were always trying —  offense always trying to score points defense always trying to get a stop. But we understand that’s not how no football resource he played in the SEC. We play against the best of the best. So when we’re able to get in those situations, that stuff you can’t really emulate in practice. It’s, you know, we try to emulate as much as we can, but when you’re really in that, you learn a lot about yourself. 

“You learn a lot about yourself as unit, as a team. And you know, for us to be able to have those circumstances, I think it’s something that we definitely learned from and can grow from.”

On the Arkansas secondary… 

“Yeah, they’re a really good group, really good unit, very well disciplined. You know, they have a lot of talent, top to bottom. It’s really a talented roster. And, you know, you can tell how well they communicate, do some different things, multiple things, but you could tell they’re always on the same page. So very well-coached. And, you know, really from top to bottom, it’s really a really good unit.

“They’ve done a great job throughout the year. I think they were really good unit last year, and you can see how they’ve even gotten better and improved this year throughout the games they played. So, again, we know it’s going to be a really big challenge for us. We know it’s gonna take everything, so for us it’s just about trying to have the best week of preparation we can to try to put ourselves in the best circumstance.”

On if he watches Kool-Aid McKinstry’s theatrical punt returns… 

“Yeah, definitely. You know, when he’s back returning the punt I’m up. I’m always locked in because we’re ready to leave on the sideline, and watching him is honestly really fun. 

“He’s super electric. He makes a lot of plays, and he’s been able to change the change in the field position for us multiple times. And it’s so important from when you think you’re getting the ball [on the] 20, 25, now you’re getting it near the 40, getting it at the opposing 40. For us as an offense that changes everything. It gives us a way better chance of scoring, puts in a great situation. So being able to watch them from the sidelines has been a lot of fun.”

On where he’s grown heading into his 20th start…

“Wow! I’m getting old, man. Gosh, you’re aging me over here.  

“I definitely feel more comfortable. You did see more live reps, get put in different situations. At this point, I’ve been in a good amount of them. So you know, you feel comfortable in all types of situations. And the more just the more ball you get to play, the more you get to watch the more live reps you get, I feel like you just get more comfortable. 

I feel like we can say the same as a unit. Just the more we get to play with each other, the more reps we get, the more plays we get to get to have against different defenses, coverages, personnel is all that, you kind of just all put that in you’re IBM. You go from it, you learn. So I still have a lot of growth to do. a lot I want to improve on, a lot more learning to do. I’m excited to keep getting those reps, to keep growing individually and for us as a team.”

On conversations with the coaches about the game plan…

“100%. Yeah, it’s constant communication back and forth. Whether it’s OB or anyone on the on the coaching staff, ‘Hey, we’re thinking about this. Do you like this?’ I’ll come in and be like, ‘Hey, I like this stuff. Hey, I see this. How are we running this? What are we looking at this for? Let’s do this.’ It’s constant communication. Every day I’m always up there before meetings. We’re talking about stuff on the sideline 

That’s what you know what I love about OB and the entire offensive coaching staff. It’s not just, ‘Hey, this is what we’re gonna run. You’re gonna throw it here or here based on the cover.’ It’s not like that at all. It’s, ‘Hey, how do you feel about this? Do you like this? We’re seeing this. Are you feeling the same way about it? How do you feel about this?’ All that stuff.

“So again, as a quarterback, when you have any sort of relationship with the play-caller and tire offensive staff, it means it reads everything for me. So it’s constant communication, and we’re always going back and forth. I’m pitching ideas to him. I’m bringing in things that I like. He’s telling me about this stuff, how he sees things. So for us, we’re always going back and forth. There’s always constant communication.”

On the change in dynamic after a big kickoff return… 

“I mean, it definitely gives us momentum. You know, whenever you get an explosive return, something that’s  30 yards, to change the field position, which we’ve seen Kool-Aid do several times 

“It gives us that momentum, it gives us that juice as an offense. When you see something like that, the whole momentum changes. We’re always in attack mode, but it just raises it even more. We know we’re just that much closer than we thought we were going to be to the end zone. So I think it’s really just that momentum, that confidence boost that he’s been able to give us on multiple occasions that really sparks us as an offense.”

On what scrambling does to a defense and if he sees a change the next play…

“I feel like for me, whenever I’m scrambling and running downfield, it’s really just a product of taking what the defense gives.

“We drop back to pass, I’m always looking to pass the ball, so I’m always trying to go through my reads. Whenever I drop back, the goal is to get the ball [from] my hands to someone who’s faster and more athletic than I am. At times, if things opened up and that’s what I feel like is best for the team, or whatever it may be, just trying to do I feel like it’s best for the team, make the best play. You try to make sure that the defense is honest and you can attack and try to exploit wherever the defense gives you.

“I feel like it’s just trying to add a different element to the offense. It’s just for me, whatever I feel like is the best for the team. Every time I drop back, I’m trying to pass the ball, but something pops and we get the run read and that’s what the best decision was, I try to do that. 

“So I guess however the defense takes that or adjusts to that, that’s up to them.”

On guiding the younger playmakers…

“Yeah, that’s definitely been a theme of just us being a unit us being a team. We’re always trying to bring each other along, so it’s not just in games, it in practice If I’m not making throws, if I’m not having a good day of practice, with the receivers running back, ‘Hey, let’s pick it up, let’s get better let’s, let’s connect here.’ Same thing if a receiver drops the ball in practice or something, it’s ‘Hey, let’s try to be better. We know we’re better than that.’ 

“So I think it’s not just me saying hey, let’s bring other people along, it’s everyone holding each other accountable, which is just the standard we have here at Alabama. It’s just day in and day out on whether it’s on a Saturday or a Monday, you know, us trying to hold each other to that standard.

“We understand what it should be, what should look like. So whenever — me included —  we feel like isn’t playing to that standard, we do what we can to encourage them.”

On going up against the Arkansas pass rush…

“We have a ton of respect for them and their pass rush. They have amazing rushers. Obviously, they’ve been really productive and create sacks and doing a lot of things up front. 

“For us, it’s just feeling like we’re doing what’s the best for us, wherever that may be. That’s probably more of an OB type of question, but for me, whatever the game plan is, I’m gonna go out there and execute it. We’re all bought in. We already know we have to have complete trust in that plan. Whatever that plan may be, we’re just going to try and do it when we feel like it’s best.”

On what stands out from his time with Drew Sanders… 

“Yeah, just how competitive always was. He was always really cool off the field. I could have a conversation with him and talk about whatever with. Very fierce competitor. He always wanted to win. He’s always going and giving extra practice always working hard. I think just that fierce competitive nature that yet is what makes him so as great of a player as he is.”

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LB Will Anderson

On Drew Sanders, what he remembers about him…

“I’m very happy for Drew. He is getting what he deserves. He’s been playing extremely well. I’m happy for him. Proud of him. Drew is the type of guy, both of us came in here and we worked extremely hard. We were roommates actually and we talked about things all the time, ‘Hey, we’ve got this. Just keep going.’ We motivate each other. To see him doing well at Arkansas, I’m very proud of him.”

On defending the run out on the edge…

“Just keying the pads, the tackles shoulders, making sure my eyes are where they need to be. Not jumping inside because I’m the edge of the defense. Things like that. All the things coach is telling us. Stay in the gap, be sound, be disciplined, make sure the ball doesn’t get outside of you, make sure I’m playing with good extension, leg balance and stuff like that to be able to maintain the edge.”

On the challenges of trying to slow down KJ Jefferson…

“It’s going to be a great challenge for us. He’s a really big quarterback. He can run. He has his arm. We have to do a really good job containing him in the pocket because he likes to escape a lot. It’s going to be a great challenge for us. We’re very excited to play him. It’s going to be a great game.”

On how he’s handled moving around on defense…

“It’s been fun. I just have to give all the credit to the coaching staff helping me get lined up in places where I can either help others make plays or I can make plays myself. Just to free me up and free other people up. It all comes back to the scheme that either Coach Golding has or any other coach has to come up with. It’s been fun, it’s been great, I’m looking forward to the rest of the season for what they have in store for the rest of us.”

On competing with teammates to see who can be the best…

“I think it just comes back to all of us doing our jobs. I don’t think any of us try to compete with each other or the defense. I think all of us want the defense to be great and we want the defense to be to the standard of the Alabama defense we know that it has been. We want to go out there and give our all every day and put everything we have into it every day. I think that’s just where the preparation comes from. How can we be our best selves on the field? How can we help this defense survive? How can we take it up a notch? I think that’s the type of mindset that everybody has on the defense.”

On the difficulties from moving from edge rusher to Mike linebacker…

“Honestly, for me, I don’t think that’s something that I could do. I think Drew is naturally probably comfortable there, in my opinion, just watching him play. He’s having very good success at it. See ball, get the ball, run to the ball, take the ball. Couple of instances last year when we were playing against a couple teams, he was back a little bit or he was in coverage. He can break out and go make plays in space. I think that’s where he’s comfortable at. He can also get to the quarterback if you need him to be, but Drew is a very good athlete.”

On Kool-Aid McKinstry returning punts…

“Most definitely it is. Everybody gets up and goes looks like, ‘Let’s see what Kool-Aid is going to do on this drive.’ He actually has a little shake and bake to him believe it or not, so when we watch him, everybody is on the sideline laughing all the time. He actually gets out and he actually can move very well. He’s very athletic.”

On how to prepare for a dual-threat QB as an edge rusher…

“One, Bryce is a really good quarterback. He probably doesn’t have the frame of the quarterback we’re going against, but he’s very mobile and he can run like the quarterback we’re going against. Jalen Milroe is another one. To have those types of quarterbacks on our team, coach is going to do a good job to show us what we’re going to see in the game.

“As an edge rusher getting from point A to B, sometimes you can get pushed by the quarterback. I think that is going to be the biggest thing this week that coach is probably going to harp on a lot. We can’t be pushed behind the quarterback. We can’t open up big lanes to have people escape. So you know they’re going to a good job of helping us make sure that doesn’t happen. The preparation all week is going to continue to go how they’re going to be playing and how we’re going to stop it.”

On if he enjoys playing in a hostile environment on the road…

“Coach Saban always talks about hateful competitors, and I’m starting to kind of see what he was saying. It’s fun. Last year we had a couple of road games last year that were kind of bumpy. I think it’s really fun. We want fans to leave their own stadiums. I think the message this week is we want fans to leave their own stadiums. We’re going to try to preach that all week. Go out there and have fun, do your job, make sure the fans are leaving by the time halftime comes. At least by the end of the third quarter.”

On if he considers himself a hateful competitor…

“Yeah I do. I tell people all the time, the audacity for the other team to even step on the field is disrespectful to me. I tell people that all the time. People ask me what motivates me. I say, the audacity for the fans to show up and for the team to come step on the field and play with us. That’s kind of my own little thing in my head that I go through.”

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DB Kool-Aid McKinstry

On punt return vision…

“First off, I’ll say the blockers that I have, they do a good job all week of working hard and making sure that I have the lanes that I have to be able take and I just take him and do the best I can for the team.”

On Arkansas having big receivers…

“Yes it’s going to be a challenge. Their receivers are big, we just gonna do what we can as a team and take the preparation that coaches are giving us for the week and apply it to the game.”

On hearing teammates on punt returns…

“I mean, sometimes I can hear them but I’m so locked in that I just try to do what I can do. Yeah, I can hear them sometimes.” 

On playing the run in the secondary…

“The defense is built on being fast and physical so that’s something we’ve been working on hard at practice everyday, staying together. Even meeting after practices on Thursdays as a unit, without coaches, and building a brotherhood with eachother.”

On if any of his punt returns have stood out to him…

“I mean not really, I had a few of them that was alright but not really, nothing stand out yet.”

On the first thing he learned at Alabama…

“First thing I learned just coming from high school is that every day you got to work hard. Every day is a good day. Like high school you might take a day off, you might do this and still be a good player. In college, you need to work everyday and give it your all to be better and better cause other people are getting better and better.” 

On the cornerbacks, teaming up with Terrion Arnold…

“I feel like as a cornerback unit we’re getting better and better. We listening to the coaches and doing what they say. Just taking it onto the field, being the best cornerback room we could be.” 

On if he still has the infamous Chucky doll…

“Yes, I still have the Chucky doll. My mom actually brings it to every game.”