Alabama coach Nick Saban paid the Washington Huskies' talented secondary a high compliment on Monday, invoking the name of Seattle's other highly regarded defensive backfield in describing the one he'll have to face New Year's Eve in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.
His description of the UW secondary: "Seahawk-like."
"They're very good, they have length at corner, they're very good cover guys. I think the scheme that they play, they don't make a lot of mistakes," Saban said at a Monday news conference, via Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee. "They're sort of a little bit Seattle Seahawk-like in the fact that we're gonna do what we do and we're gonna do it really well. They do a great job of executing the things that they play. They do a great job of breaking on the ball."
Washington has two of the top defensive backs in college football in cornerback Sidney Jones and safety Budda Baker. Both are juniors who will decide in the coming weeks whether to apply for early eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. An NFL regional scout told College Football 24/7 in November that Washington's secondary is as good as any in the nation, projecting Jones as a first-round pick and Baker as a day-two (Rounds 2-3) draft selection. Cornerback Kevin King has had a strong season as well, leading the Huskies with 13 pass breakups. And the newcomer to the Huskies secondary, safety Taylor Rapp, has a team-high four interceptions and was named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
The Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" secondary has been among the best the NFL again this season, as Seattle's pass defense ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards allowed (228.1), passing touchdowns allowed (15) and completion percentage allowed (61).
Alabama will contest Washington's secondary with a true freshman quarterback in Jalen Hurts, and with accomplished receiving targets in WRs Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart, as well as TE O.J. Howard.
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