TUSCALOOSA -- One of the biggest bullet points on top-ranked Alabama’s pre-playoff checklist is finding a replacement for injured starter Shaun Dion Hamilton (knee) at inside linebacker.

And the presumptive favorite to fill that void, Rashaan Evans, received first-team reps alongside starter Reuben Foster on Friday as the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide returned to the practice field for its first day of on-field preparation for No. 4 Washington and the Peach Bowl semifinal.

“That’s the guy that has the best opportunity to do it,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said of Evans on Friday evening. “He did a nice job in the last game. He’s played the most, he’s got the most experience. We have a lot of confidence in him. Hopefully, he’ll be able to go out there during these weeks and really get confident in what he’s doing and go out there and do a great job for us.”

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Hamilton sustained a season-ending ACL tear in the Tide’s 54-16 win over Florida in the SEC Championship Game, and while it was another big blow to Alabama’s defense, Evans stepped in for his fellow junior and played well during the remainder of the win over the Gators.

Registering three total tackles and one tackle for loss, including a blazing stop on 3rd and goal that appeared to be nothing more than a blur on the field, Evans was the most recent example of the next-man-up philosophy for the Tide during its 25th consecutive win.

And while Hamilton had put together a stellar junior season (64 tackles), Foster said there is already chemistry between himself and his fellow Auburn, Ala., product on the practice field.

“He’s embracing it well, getting in extra film, working hard, effort,” Foster said of Evans. “The toughness is already there. I ought to know, I play with him. It’s comfortable, I like it.

“... (It’s) crazy, funny. Like we’ll laugh at one play and the next, we’ll be mad, I don’t know, but the chemistry is there though, I promise you.”

Evans, one of four five-star linebackers from the state of Alabama, is ninth on the team with 35 total tackles, which is the most of his career. He has also recorded six quarterback hurries, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble this season.

“He’s developed a lot,” said left tackle Cam Robinson, who was also in Evans’ No. 1 signing class in 2014. “Getting here, it’s about transition for anybody, going from high school to college. I think he’s handling it well. He’s transitioned well from outside 'backer to inside 'backer, so I think he’s done a great job with the changes, adapting to it and picking up the defense as best as he can.”

With one practice down, Evans will have six more sessions in Tuscaloosa to absorb as much of the defensive playbook as he can to be able to make the calls before the team disperses for the Christmas holiday. The finishing touches for the Washington game plan will be placed in Atlanta when the Tide arrives Dec. 26 for the final stretch of prep for the Peach Bowl.

That’s the last hurdle for the talented linebacker as he presumably prepares for another big role in a College Football Playoff game.

“Physically, he can run. He’s a good blitzer. He’s a good tackler,” Saban said. “So hopefully knowledge and experience is something that we can gain through this extra practice and it’ll be helpful to him so that he can play well.”

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