A handful of SEC defensive players are in the same class as Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster in terms of biggest hits.

Ole Miss safety Tony Conner and LSU safety Jamal Adams are getting closer. LSU running back Leonard Fournette isn’t afraid of contact either. Of the three, Conner is the one who will go toe-to-toe with Foster for the ‘biggest hitter’ label.

The hit we all remember from the 2014 season was Foster vs. Fournette.

With that being said, Foster is changing his tackling technique. He’s been working to ensure he gets his head up when tackling, not tackle with the crown buried in another player’s chin. Foster ducked his head when hitting prior to the change.

According to AL.com, Kirby Smart said Foster is tackling better.

“I think he put on some good weight over the summer to help protect himself from injuries.” Smart said. “The big thing with him has always been health. He’s a really fast guy, he’s a really sharp guy, very intelligent guy, very instinctual player, but he’s been injury-prone. Some of that’s been from lack of bulk, some of that’s been from poor tackling and poor habits. So he’s tried to improve on that, he knows it’s an emphasis for him.”

Dr. Jody Ortega, who practices orthopedic medicine for the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, told the newspaper that although Foster wears a taller neck roll for support, it obviously doesn’t alleviate bad form tackling.

“That kind of collar can help prevent or reduce muscle strains, or what’s called stingers,” Dr. Ortega told AL.com. “But as far as preventing some kind of catastrophic thing, that’s not going to prevent that.”

Nick Saban thinks Foster is putting his body in a much better position prior to contact.

“He’s a lot better in blow delivery and body position in blow delivery, which certainly should affect his ability to play with a little more safety in the future for himself and we’re hopeful.”

Read Michael Casagrande’s article for more details on Foster’s technique.