TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Dylan Moses is entering his third spring at Alabama and second as a full-time starter. But the rising junior is now one of only two veterans in the inside linebacker room.

The thought isn’t overwhelming him, however. Moses is embracing the new challenge.

“It’s crazy,” Moses said Monday afternoon around local reporters. “I remember when I first came in as a freshman, a puppy, having to sit back and watch the older guys to see how it’s done. Now that I’m the older guy in the room, aside from Joshua McMillon, it’s a great feeling.”

With Mack Wilson choosing to enter the NFL draft a year early, Moses will step into the Mike linebacker role of the Crimson Tide’s defense this spring and offseason ahead of the 2019 campaign. It’s a role many former first-round draft picks have held and held in high esteem.

After playing alongside the future pro for all of last season, Moses will now be the voice of UA’s defense as a junior. And he was all smiles when discussing making the move to Mike this spring.

“I’m really excited to be able to have that position. I always wanted it,” he said. “That’s something me and Coach (Nick) Saban spoke about when I first came into the program and when I was recruited. So, to finally be the Mike linebacker to quarterback the defense, I’m happy and I’m excited.

“... I’ve always been natural at it because ever since little league and high school, I’ve always played Mike linebacker. So, it just gave me free range to run from sideline to sideline, and pretty much all I have to do is make the calls. Playing the position here, all you’re doing is covering a running back when you’re dropping in coverage if it’s not a zone coverage. For me, there’s less to think about. All I have to do is make the calls and then run wherever I’ve got to run. Like I said, I’m really excited. I’m happy. I’m overjoyed to be playing the position again.”

UA’s starting Will linebacker in its 2018 base and nickel defenses, Moses recorded a team-high 86 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss (-41 yards) and 3.5 sacks (-29 yards), while adding one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one quarterback pressure to his sophomore totals.

Moses earned second-team All-America recognition from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was selected as an All-SEC second-team honoree by the league coaches. He was also one of the finalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker.

Alabama inside linebacker Dylan Moses

He emerged as the Tide’s most consistent inside linebacker last year and is eager to start making calls

“I'm really comfortable with it,” Moses said. “My freshman year, I struggled with it at first. I’m more sort of a perfectionist. I try and get everything right, and you know you are going to mess up from time to time. But it took me 11 months to learn the defense. My entire sophomore year, that pretty much secured it. I for sure know it now. So this year, like going through this spring, I’m really looking at it like as like a business. I’m not really worried about the plays, not worried about anything else. So, every time I step on that field it’s a business-type environment.

“I literally flip a switch in my head and leader mode, linebacker mode -- I got to do what I got to do.”

Moses has noticed his teammates have started watching his every move in drills and seeing how he handles adverse situations. As a leader of the 2019 defense, he knows he has to be more vocal and carry himself the right way through the Crimson Tide’s next 14 spring practices.

The former 5-star recruit will be making the journey alongside first-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding. The two will be the new voices of the defense, and Moses couldn’t be more excited.

“I’m really happy that he’s the defensive coordinator because he’s my position coach,” Moses said. “I’m really comfortable with him. I have a good relationship with Coach Pete. He’s from Louisiana, from Hammond, La. That’s about 30-45 minutes away from Baton Rouge. So, we have strong ties.

“For him to be defensive coordinator now, I’m really proud of him, and I’m happy. And I’m ready for the season.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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