Anthony Averett called his mom following Alabama's spring testing last year.

The big news: Averett ran the 40-yard dash in 4.30 seconds.

It was the fastest time posted by any Tide player last spring. Only six players have run faster at the NFL scouting combine since 2005.

"I told him when he ran that, 'Wow, you're moving,'" Averett's mom, Carmen Davis, said. "I told him, 'You were really moving. Now we need you to do that moving on the field.'"

Averett may finally get that opportunity, one year after that conversation with his mother.

After seeing limited playing time during his first three years at Alabama, the 6-foot, 180-pound redshirt junior cornerback is in the mix to play a significant role this season.

"He's very positive," Davis said of Averett, whose 40 time this spring, a 4.34, was tied for the best on the team. "From the conversations he's had with the coaches and also just by the reps that he's getting, he definitely feels good about this upcoming season."

One key will be avoiding the bad luck Averett experienced last year.

Averett was among the players competing for the starting cornerback job opposite Cyrus Jones leading up to last season. He was even getting some reps with the first-team defense early in fall camp. Then came the injuries.

Averett suffered a partially torn biceps during one of the Tide's preseason scrimmages in August, a hyperextended elbow around two weeks later and then a broken finger leading up to Alabama's College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Michigan State.

A once-promising season ended with Averett serving as a third-team cornerback and playing in just six games.

"His mom and I have conversations almost daily about Alabama football and about Anthony, and we thought last year was a turning point where he was going to get playing time and be on the field and get that valuable time that he had been looking for," said Averett's high school coach, Zack Valentine, a former NFL linebacker who works with Averett's mother at Woodbury High School in New Jersey. "Anthony felt confident in the system. He felt very good. He was getting a lot of time in practice, and we thought last year was going to be the year. But he had the two injuries that set him back."

It's been challenging.

Davis said Averett gets regular questions and comments from people back home in New Jersey like "Why aren't you playing yet?" and "You should have gone to Rutgers."

However, Averett told his mother he was prepared for this type of scenario prior to signing with Alabama.

"One thing that I sat him down and said before he made his choice, 'Everyone's not fortunate enough to go in there as a freshman and play right away. Are you mentally ready to go there and sit back and learn and wait your turn?' And Anthony was OK with that," Davis said.

This spring was a continuation of the progress made last year.

Even though he didn't play much last season, Averett received a nice compliment from coach Nick Saban last fall.

"Coach Saban told Anthony going into the season last year that he felt confident about him and that he can trust him and that he was ready to put him on the field," Valentine said.

There was more positive feedback this spring from Saban, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley.

"Anthony Averett's done a really nice job," Saban said. "Really made some improvement."

While redshirt sophomore Marlon Humphrey and sophomore Minkah Fitzpatrick are expected to be Alabama's two starting cornerbacks, Averett could still end up starting a lot of games at cornerback.

Fitzpatrick was the Tide's nickel back last season and may slide inside to play that role when Alabama goes into its nickel or dime defenses. If he does, Averett or someone else will be depended on to step into the outside cornerback spot opposite Humphrey.

Helping Averett is that speed and athleticism.

Likely one of the fastest players in the country, Averett is an accomplished sprinter, long jumper and high jumper.

He posted the top long jump in the country among prep athletes as a high school junior. He is also a former New Jersey state champion in both the 55-meter dash and high jump.

Saban briefly moved Averett to wide receiver during last year's spring practice, explaining at the time that he was trying to find a way to get Averett's speed on the field aside from just on special teams.

That speed is likely Averett's greatest asset as a cornerback.

"He said he had quite a few bat-downs and some interceptions during practice this spring, and he said he hasn't gotten beat yet on a long ball," Davis said. "That's his bread and butter right there."