Will Anderson Jr. Ranks Five Best Alabama Teams of All Time

It’s indisputable that Alabama football’s history is as enriching as any college football program in the country.

Over 400 players selected in the NFL Draft, 86 consensus All-Americans, 30 SEC Championships, 18 National Championships and four Heisman Trophy winners are just a few of the Crimson Tide’s accolades.

Former Crimson Tide and current Houston Texans standout edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was asked on Tuesday to rank the five best Alabama teams of all time. The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year was one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the program as in 2021 AND 2022, he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy recipient and was a Unanimous All-American.

Nevertheless, the five teams all come in the years with Nick Saban, who retired on Jan. 10 after 16 years with the Tide, as the head coach. The seven-time national champion (six with Alabama), was Anderson’s coach during the edge rusher’s tenure in Tuscaloosa, so most of the Alabama history that Anderson knows about starts in 2007.

Here’s Anderson’s top five Alabama teams of all time:

Record: 14-1
Result: Won CFP National Championship over Clemson
Points per game: 35.1
Points allowed per game: 15.1
Players drafted: Ryan Kelly, Reggie Ragland, Derrick Henry, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Cyrus Jones, Kenyan Drake

Record: 11-2
Result: Won Citrus Bowl over Michigan
Points per game: 47.2
Points allowed per game: 18.6
Players drafted: Tua Tagovailoa, Jedrick Wills Jr., Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Xavier McKinney, Trevon Diggs, Raekwon Davis, Terrell Lewis, Anfernee Jennings

Record: 13-0
Result: Won CFP National Championship over Ohio State
Points per game: 48.5
Points allowed per game: 19.4
Players drafted: Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Surtain II, DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones, Alex Leatherwood, Najee Harris, Landon Dickerson, Christian Barmore, Deonte Brown, Thomas Fletcher

Record: 14-1
Result: Lost CFP National Championship to Clemson
Points per game: 45.6
Points allowed per game: 18.1
Players drafted: Quinnen Williams, Jonah Williams, Josh Jacobs, Irv Smith Jr., Damien Harris, Christian Miller, Deionte Thompson, Ross Pierschbacher, Mack Wilson, Isaiah Buggs

There wasn’t a quote or video regarding Anderson’s list, as the Texans social media team only posted the years that he ranked. The post states that Anderson chose the 2008-09 team for the fifth and final spot on his list, but he may have mistaken it for the 2009-10 undefeated national champion team. It’s fairly safe to infer that this was the case as 2009-10 was Saban’s first title at Alabama compared to 2008-09’s 12-2 season that ended in a loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

Record: 14-0
Result: Won BCS National Championship over Texas
Points per game: 32.1
Points allowed per game: 11.7
Players drafted: Rolando McClain, Kareem Jackson, Javier Arenas, Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson, Marquis Johnson, Brandon Deaderick