24-3! in week 13? Alabama Crimson Tide is disappointing the fans. What went wrong after three back-to-back victories? It looks like captain Jalen Milroe was over and did not like the appreciation he received after long in week 12. The whole team struggled badly; the defeat has raised some significant questions, but who is this guy who is gaining attention for bold comments before Alabama play against Auburn? 

Well, meet Auburn’s linebacker, DeMarcus Riddick, a freshman and a standout recruit. Currently, he is making headlines for his confidence and bold opinions. The 6-foot-2-inch player has a lot to say before he plays against Tide. After his Monday afternoon session, he did not hesitate to say some harsh words to DeBoer’s two key players, Ryan Williams and Jalen Milroe. 

“He is a good quarterback; he’s fast, but he’s not faster than me”, he added, “He will not get out that box this week and that’s something I’m gonna have to work on all week.” Did he forget that Milroe is a dual-threat quarterback? Looks like so. Hold on! He used more hash words for Ryan Williams, who has displayed impressive plays throughout the season. But the Auburn LB thinks differently about him. You will be amazed to know that he appreciated him but compared himself to Williams just after that and said, “Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams.” “I mean, yeah, he’s electric; he’s all this and that. But in my eyes, he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself; he ain’t no big-time player to me.”

Now, his comments tell us two things: one that is confident and reflects his competitive spirit but also talks about the broader narrative of rivalry games in college football, where emotions run high, and players often engage in trash talk to boost their team’s morale. It’s easier to do that when Bama is coming off a disappointing loss. However, Riddick could have given his opponents some bulletin board material.  

Currently, Riddick is ranked 10th on the team. He has recorded a total of 22 tackles, and over the last six games, he has tallied 20 tackles. His best performance was against Oklahoma, where he showed that he is here to stay for long and his rapid performance showcases his potential and importance to Auburn’s defensive unit as they navigate a challenging season. Will he be a threat to Alabama? 

DeMarcus Riddick’s dominance against the Oklahoma Sooners

Week 13 has changed lots of dynamics in the college football playoffs Alabama’s loss has benefited their opponents. Playoffs are around the corner, and DeBoer will not want his team to lose as they dream to get out of the regular season. But Riddick is challenging them in all the ways possible. First, he had opinions about Milroe and Ryan, and now he has a message for the entire team. “Bama is a big rival team.” Riddick said, “Every rival team, I’ve never lost to, and I will not lose to Bama while I’m here.” 

Now, that is a big statement, and only time will tell who wins. For now, let’s take a look at his recent performances. So far, he has played 11 games and had 22 tackles. However, the linebacker generated 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, which put him in the top five defensive players of his team.

According to Pro Football Focus, Riddick had 15 pressures. Coming to one of his recent performances, he was impressive against the Sooners. He recorded six total tackles and a sack. Although he has not played for too long with Auburn, he has made a huge impact on the team in the short span and emerged as one of Auburn’s most effective defenders. Is it going ton be Riddick vs. Alabama offense?