TUSCALOOSA -- He goes by the nickname Razor, but he hasn’t lined up on the edge of Alabama’s defensive front this spring. Rising junior Rashaan Evans earned that nickname from outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi, but it hasn’t been Lupoi that has coached Evans on the field during the Crimson Tide’s 10 spring practices.

Title/Alt Text

That’s because the Auburn native has worked at a new position -- inside linebacker. And the transition for the two-year outside linebacker has been a smooth one through two-thirds of the team’s spring season.

“It’s been great,” Evans said Wednesday. “I’m actually excited with the addition of my coach, Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt. He’s been very patient with me and I’m just excited to play the position.

“They just suggested that it was just something that I try out, and that’s what I’m doing right now. I think I’m doing pretty good. Basically this process is just me improving and me doing what I can to help the team right now.”

Evans, a former five-star recruit, put together his best game of the 2015-16 season in the CFP National Championship Game, recording two sacks -- even though it can be argued he posted three -- and three total tackles.

He did most of his damage to Clemson from the middle of the defense as a sort of spy, which qualifies for his position move this spring. But Evans said the biggest difference has been “just where I’m at on the field.”

He later detailed how recognizing keys from across the line of scrimmage has been another challenge for him.

“With that position (inside linebacker) you have to do certain things, you have to take control of certain things,” Evans said. “And with that I’m still learning to be the guy that they go to for calls and those things.”

(What's next for the Tide? Make sure you're in the loop by signing up for our FREE Alabama newsletter!)

Learning the ins and outs of a new position takes more than a handful of practices, of course, but Evans is adapting well according to his teammates and head coach, who seemed to be especially pleased with the move.

“He’s done a very good job,” Nick Saban said earlier this spring. “We recruited him because he had great fast twitch ability to rush on the edge and he did a good job of that last year. We still have every plan to use him at that, but we were looking at where can he develop as an every-down position player the best.

“We do a lot of experimenting in the spring. We want to know who can do what so we know how to put the pieces together in the fall, so we move guys around and play them at different positions and we’ll do a lot of that.

“I’ve been impressed with what he’s been able to do so far. He is naturally instinctive at it, so it’s just going to be a matter of him learning the position and him being a linebacker. I don’t think that’s something that will be overly difficult for him to do.”

Following a strong showing in the title game and a four-sack season, Evans is set to see his role drastically increase in 2016. He has, after all, been practicing as the WILL linebacker in UA’s nickel and dime packages alongside Reuben Foster.

And even with the first-team reps this spring, Evans is expecting big things out of himself and his Tide teammates.

“I feel more comfortable,” Evans said. “I feel like I can contribute a lot more than what I have been and I’m just excited for the season. … I think we’ve performed well. I know we always have improvements for ourselves, but we’re excited. And I know the defense this year is going to pick up exactly where it left off at.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @Charlie_Potter.