Alabama head coach Nick Saban has already referred to left tackle Cam Robinson as having an “alpha dog” personality when it comes to leadership on the field -- and he’s been limited by a shoulder injury this spring.

But what about the defensive side of the football? Who will step into the void Reggie Ragland left in the middle of the Crimson Tide defense? All signs, at least through five spring practices, point to Reuben Foster.

The inside linebacker has led the position group through individual drills with first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt every day this spring and seems like the heir apparent to be the next star linebacker to don a crimson helmet. But can he be the next “alpha dog” to man the defense with both his actions on the field and his voice in the huddle?

“Reuben has been a leader in his own way since he’s been here,” outside linebacker Ryan Anderson said this spring. “He just hasn’t had to do certain stuff. He’s been a behind-the scenes guy, but he’s Reuben. He’s a leader. Everybody respects him. When he says something, everybody listens. It shouldn’t be that much of a drop off. It will be good.”

Last season, Foster tallied 73 tackles as the WILL linebacker in Alabama’s nickel and dime packages and proved he could still be a shoulder-padded missile after tweaking his tackling technique. And now, after playing alongside Ragland, the Auburn native is set to replace him, and according to one NFL Draft expert, could surpass Ragland’s production.

“Reuben Foster gets from Point A to Point B faster (than Ragland) when I watch them,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said, according to The Montgomery Advertiser. “... When I look at comparison, I don't think (Ragland) is as fast or as athletic as Foster. I think Foster, next year, will be a better prospect than Ragland is this year.”

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Sure, Foster has the skill set to fly all over the field from the MIKE linebacker position. But can the former five-star recruit see what Pruitt and head coach Nick Saban want him to see over the horizon that is the defensive line? According to Foster, he is seeing clearly because of time to progress, both as a player and as an individual, within the Tide program.

“Maturity,” Foster said ahead of the Cotton Bowl semifinal in Arlington, Texas. “I was immature and wasn’t thinking well. But now I’m more focused, more mature and got my head on right. Early on, I didn’t know where I wanted to be, but now I know where I want to be and where I am and I where I wanna go, where I gotta get.”

(Photo: Denon McMillan, 24Sports)

“When you come up in college, you just really gotta find yourself, humble yourself. That’s what I did. It took time, but Coach (Nick) Saban, Coach (Kirby) Smart, they all know when to play you and they know when not to play you. They know when you’re ready, so they get you to that point. Really, they tried to teach me fundamentals and all that, tried to get me to that point where I can be successful, how I am now.”

Foster finished second on Alabama’s roster in tackles last season, trailing on Ragland in that category, and has earned praise from his teammates so far this spring. But the star linebacker still has areas to get better.

“Reuben played very well for us last year,” Saban said. “I don’t think we have any players that are good players who can’t make improvement. Michael Jordan and (Steph) Curry are probably two of the most dominant players in basketball and any time you watch a video about either one of these guys, all they talk about is what they have to do to get better.

“That’s the expectation we have for any player on our team regardless of what they’ve done in the past or how good they’ve been. We don’t have anybody in the room who’s as good as (Steph) Curry or Michael Jordan, so I think everybody has a lot of room to improve so that’s what we tell players.

“... Reuben played a lot of good football for us last year, but I think he’ll be the first one to tell you that there are things he can improve on and certainly we’re going to focus on every one of those things this spring.”

Yes, Foster is well aware of that. Hearing him speak this spring and before the conclusion of last year’s season, one could hear in his voice that he’s his hardest critic and he has a long way to go to reach his full potential.

“I’m not scratching the surface,” Foster said during the College Football Playoff. “I’m just using the talent that God gave me. If it don’t come, it don’t come. But right now, he’s getting me there, man, he’s getting me there.”