"(The new defense) is not like the old defense of the past, where you just know what you're going to do and it's real basic," Thomas said. "There's going to be a lot of different pressures. Different looks, ways we can attack them. Instead of them trying to attack us, it's going to be us attacking them."
The new defense will be run out of a 4-3 base, just like the old one. But with more diverse schemes involved, linebackers in Saban's system will be expected to blitz more often while remaining ready to drop back into coverage.
So will these more diverse assignments on defense require someone larger than Thomas, listed at 5-feet-11, 228 pounds, to handle the load?
Thomas doesn't think his size  or lack thereof  will be an issue.
"I think that's blown out of proportion," he said. "But that's just something we'll have to see. It's something I'll have to prove and just not talk about. I just have to go out there and play."
