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Amid growing Heisman buzz, Alabama’s Will Anderson says his focus is on ‘getting to a natty’
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Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is generating an awful lot of Heisman buzz lately.
“I’ve been at Ohio State, I’ve seen Chase Young, but Will Anderson, oh yeah, he’s for real,” said former Buckeye and current Alabama wideout Jameson Williams recently. “I feel like he deserves everything that is being brought to him, Heisman talk, whatever it is. Will, he goes hard. He deserves it.”
Defensive back Malachi Moore tweeted about it. Linebacker Henry To’o To’o said last week, via CBS Sports, that “I think Will should be up there.”
Anderson’s 12.5 sacks lead all of college football. His 23 tackles for a loss are the most of any player in the country. With the Crimson Tide among college football’s best teams, it certainly wouldn’t be outlandish to include a defensive player among the finalists for an award that wasn’t intended to become the quarterback/running back invitational it has become.
Alabama’s DeVonta Smith broke tendency last season when he became the first wideout to win the Heisman since 1991, so if there’s a program to get the trophy over to the other side of the ball for the first time since 1997, it would be Alabama.
For his part, Anderson doesn’t seem to be focused on the individual accolade.
#Alabama LB Will Anderson on all the Heisman talk: "I'm just focused on getting to a natty (laughs). Trying to finish these last two games strong and get to the natty. That's all we're worried about as a team, all I'm worried about."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 16, 2021
“I’m just focused on getting to a (national championship),” he said, via BamaOnLine’s Charlie Potter. “Trying to finish these last 2 games strong and get to the natty. That’s all we’re worried about as a team, all I’m worried about.”
The Tide sit at 9-1 on the season and No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They play Arkansas (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at home on Saturday, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
