Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Dee Milliner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Vinnie Sunseri and Landon Collins.

Since the 2012 NFL Draft all have left the University of Alabama a year early. Four of the defensive backs were first-round selections with Collins expected to be the fifth.

While that’s incredibly impressive, it also helps explain what’s happened to the Crimson Tide secondary, which struggled for the second straight season while the next wave of talented prospects was recruited and started to develop.

One statistical area that it showed up was in interceptions, as Alabama’s numbers are clearly down.

Alabama interceptions, Nick Saban era
Year, Interceptions (picks lost)
2007: 19 (12) 

2008: 15 (9) 

2009: 24 (5) 

2010: 22 (5) 

2011: 13 (8)
2012: 18 (3)
2013: 11 (7)
2014: 11 (10)
Total: 133 (59)

Despite the past two seasons Alabama has averaged 16.6 pickoffs with a +9 ratio in its favor under Nick Saban.

During the previous seven seasons, when the Crimson Tide had some top-notch defenses with coordinator Joe Kines, Alabama averaged 12.4 interceptions, with a low of six in 2001 and high of 18 in 2002.

Before Saban, the last time the Crimson Tide had at least 20 interceptions in a single season was 1992, the most recent national championship, with 22. The 24 interceptions in 2009 were tied for the second most in Alabama history (with 1968), behind the 25 recorded in 1979.

Meanwhile, Saban’s Michigan State teams averaged 12.4 pickoffs (with a high of 15 in 1995) and his LSU squads 15.2 (21 in 2003).

So which opponents have the Crimson Tide been picking off the most during the Saban era?

Teams Alabama plays every year
Opponent, Interceptions
Arkansas 16
Ole Miss 15
LSU 12
Mississippi State 11
Tennessee 11
Auburn 6
Texas A&M 3*
*The Tide and Aggies have played only three times as SEC West rivals

Non-division SEC opponents
Florida 7
Georgia 4
Kentucky 4
Vanderbilt 3
Missouri 2
South Carolina 2

Non-SEC opponents
Georgia State 4
Penn State 4
Texas 4
Chattanooga 4
Michigan 3
Colorado 2
Houston 2
Western Kentucky 2
12 teams with 1

The following are the season and career interception leaders for those playing when Saban was the head coach at Toledo in 1990, Michigan State from 1995-99, LSU from 2000-04 and Alabama after 2007.

Season 

Name, School, Year, Interceptions 

Robert Lester, Alabama, 2010, 8 

Mark Barron, Alabama, 2009, 7 

Corey Webster, LSU, 2003, 7 

Corey Webster, LSU, 2002, 7 

Rashad Johnson, Alabama, 2007, 6
LeRon Landry, LSU, 2003-04, 6 

Javier Arenas, Alabama, 2009, 5 

Amp Campbell, Michigan State, 1997, 5 

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama 2012, 5
Renaldo Hill, Michigan State, 1998, 5 

Demetrius Hoofkin, LSU, 2002, 5 

Damien James, LSU, 2001, 5 

Rashad Johnson, Alabama, 2008, 5 

T. J Turner, Michigan State, 1999, 5
Dan Vargo, Toldeo, 1990, 5

Career 

Name, School, Years, Interceptions
Corey Webster, LSU, 2002-4, 16 

Robert Lester, Alabama 2010-12, 14
Mark Barron, Alabama, 2008-11, 12 

Rashad Johnson, Alabama, 2007-08, 11 


Aric Morris, Michigan State, 1996-99, 9 

Amp Campbell, Michigan State, 1997-99, 7 

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama, 2011-13, 7
Demetrius Hoofkin, LSU, 20001-03, 7
Damien James, LSU, 2000-01, 7
Justin Woodall, Alabama 2008-09, 7