The Future of the Alabama DB Room and How Earl Little Jr. Could Fit In

Clayton Connick

Bama Central

Nov 4, 2021

Earl Little Jr.

Earl Little Jr., a 2022 defensive back from American Heritage High in Plantation, Florida, is high on Alabama's radar. Alabama 2022 commits have been recruiting Little Jr. themselves, tagging him on social media to try and sway his decision.

Little Jr. comes from the same school as Alabama great and current Denver Bronco Patrick Surtain II, who went in the first round of last year's NFL Draft.

Little Jr. would obviously be among tons of talent if he chose to join the Crimson Tide effort, so where would he fit in to the future scheme?

The Florida native is an all-around good defensive back, and his speed an athleticism make him more than capable to compete with the best in the future of college football. Little Jr. breaks on the ball with purpose, and he is active with his hands at the right time to force incompletions. He often returns punts for American Heritage, using his speed to get the the edge for chunks of yards.

Little Jr. is 6-foot, 175 pounds, but he uses every ounce of his size to make tackles in the open field. He makes receivers uncomfortable with his aggressiveness and utilizes his instincts to play freely.

Alabama has become a common landing spot for elite DBs, especially in recent years. The current starters of Jordan Battle, Joshua Jobe, Malachi Moore, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and DeMarcco Hellams have proven to be effective at their positions and be playmakers.

Little Jr's game could fit really well into the role that Malachi Moore currently fills, the role that Minkah Fitzpatrick made famous. Well, even before Fitzpatrick, there was Javier Arenas who excelled at the spot.

Alabama calls it the "star" position, and it has been a fitting name for those who have played it. Little Jr. could be effective at the star spot if he were to choose Alabama because he is a gifted athlete and has the ability to undercut routes and turn them into defensive touchdowns. He is also aggressive enough to make sure tackles and be effective on occasional blitzes.

Little Jr. will join what is shaping up to be an elite future DB room if he were to choose the Crimson Tide. Kool-Aid McKinstry and DeVonta Smith highlight the current freshman class, with Tre'Quan Fegans, Jake Pope, and Antonio Kite being the current commits for Alabama class of 2022. Alabama will also have Malachi Moore and Brian Branch returning for their junior seasons, among many other talented DBs.

Earl Little Jr.

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