There's a lot of competition in the secondary and a few rookies are competing for prime roles. Brian Branch is one with a shot at the fifth DB position known as the Star. "Brian Branch is definitely a baller," receiver Jaylen Waddle said Tuesday. "I really like the way he competes. He is real physical and he is going to be a future star, definitely a household name." Malachi Moore of Hewitt-Trussville is also in that mix. Junior cornerback Patrick Surtain spoke about Branch and Moore on Tuesday. "I see them improving in knowing the plays, knowing the adjustments, knowing concepts as well," said Surtain, the one full-time starter back in the secondary. "They have the talent to cover, and stuff, but I know developing, the playbook and understanding the game consistently, that's what they've improved upon."Saban also spoke about Moore and Branch after a Sept. 8 practice. "Both guys have played multiple positions, Star, Money," he said. "I just think both guys have a chance to make a contribution. We lost four out of five starters in the secondary last year, so we don't have a lot of experience. And that's one of the positions that we're trying to create more depth at. Those guys seem to be the kind of guys that have enough maturity as freshmen to stay focused on the things that they need to do so they have a chance to go out there and play. We've had a few guys be able to do that around here as freshmen, and we're probably going to have somebody need to do that in the secondary." - Birmingham News