This week, our 2025 Alabama Preview continues with a look at the secondary.
As stated in previous articles in this series, in recent years, we’ve waited until fall camp began to take a look at the upcoming team, giving the coaches every possible second to finalize a pre-camp roster. This has led to content droughts, however, so we’ve chosen to break up the 2025 Alabama team preview into eight segments, following our traditional eight-category game previews.
This week, we are focusing on the defensive backfield, which has two fairly distinct positional groups contained therein under Alabama’s 4-2-5 Swarm scheme: safeties and cornerbacks. In the article that follows, the cornerbacks will be grouped together, and then the safeties.
Fans who are familiar with our preview articles know we rate each unit and place them in one of five categories: Excellent, Very Good, Average, Fair and Poor. New for 2025, we do a little advance scouting at the player level as well; if there is something that stands out, good or bad, it is noted for the players.
No walk-ons are rated in these articles – outside of the Special Teams preview, which will be the final in this series – unless we believe the walk-on in question has a real chance of making the actual playing rotation, not just playing in blowout situations. Players are listed below in the way we believe they finished spring camp. For players who were not yet on the team in the spring, they are listed at the end of their respective categories.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (Rating: Ex)
Starting Safeties – Brayson Hubbard, Keon Sabb, DaShawn Jones
1. #18 Brayson Hubbard (Jr., 6-2, 213)
Strengths: Thinking man’s safety who reads eyes consistently, anticipates extremely well and gets into throwing lanes, good hands to make interceptions and the athleticism to do something on the return
Weaknesses: General lack of experience compared to most upperclassmen, recovery speed is just adequate
Analysis: Without an injury to Keon Sabb in the Tennessee game last year, Hubbard might have come into this season still fighting for a position. But when Sabb was forced to come out of the UT game with a leg injury, Hubbard stepped in, grabbed the spot and never looked back. A high school quarterback, Hubbard’s feel for offense and his ability to read the eyes of quarterbacks effectively have made him a preseason all-star candidate and the most complete player among Alabama’s many talented safeties. His ability to anticipate and diagnose routes and trick plays made him a secret weapon for Alabama’s defense in the second half of the year, and he remained effective even after opposing offensive coordinators started actually paying attention to him. Because he mostly sat on the bench for two and a half years, Hubbard doesn’t have the experience others have, but he has made the most of his time already and looks poised to be out of the SEC’s top safeties in 2025.
2. #3 Keon Sabb (Jr., 6-1, 204)
Strenghts: Aggressive and an agitator, good speed, hits harder than his size would indicate is possible
Weaknesses: Can get caught peeking, doesn’t always make full use of his height, toughness sometimes exceeds what his body is capable of withstanding
Analysis: Sabb personifies the concept of the so-called “Swarm” defense in that he will sacrifice consistency to make game-changing plays. His speed allows him to take chances that others can’t, but there are times when discretion is probably the better part of valor. He’s at his best when he can bait quarterbacks into making tough throws that he’s already diagnosed, and he is a no-fear hitter in the running game who is effective despite his slender makeup. Listed at 6’1”, he would seem to be better at high-pointing balls than he has shown so far, or posting up against bigger receivers. Nonetheless, there are few players in the secondary tougher than Sabb, whose effort against Tennessee last year to finish the game despite having a significant leg injury bordered on the heroic.
3. #7 DaShawn Jones (Sr., 6-0, 190)
Strengths: Signed as a corner and has the coverage skills to match, good run-support instincts, lots of experience between 2024 and his earlier time at Wake Forest
Weaknesses: Not elite speed, received several poor evaluations at Wake due to consistency issues
Analysis: Jones was signed to compete for a starting cornerback job in 2024 and to provide insurance against Domani Jackson being a bust. When Jackson instead had a breakout season, Jones found himself initially competing for playing time with true freshman Jaylen Mbakwe, who has since moved to receiver. Jones eventually moved to the nickel safety position when injuries began hammering away at the depth chart later in the season, and he might have found his niche. He brings corner-level coverage skills to the Husky spot, but he also proved to be excellent in run support while still at cornerback, which the coaches hope wasn’t just a mirage. Whereas Hubbard and Sabb are locked in as starters, Jones’ position is still up for grabs with as many as four others still having a shot to unseat him.
Reserve Safeties – Zavier Mincey, Rydarrius Morgan, Kameron Howard, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Ivan Taylor, Kolby Peavy
4. #12 Zavier Mincey (So., 6-3, 205)
Strengths: Signed as a corner and brings good coverage skills, made switch to safety midseason and acclimated well despite being a true freshman, elite measurables
Weaknesses: Still learning to play in the box, can get baited out of position, not a natural hitter
Analysis: Mincey was just a few ticks behind Zabien Brown as a cornerback prospect last year, and quickly rose to the position of third corner on the team before moving to safety out of injury-related necessity. He’s probably a better fit at either free or strong safety in this defense, where he can play with his eyes more to the quarterback and not have to make as many post-snap adjustments as the nickel position would require. Mincey gives Alabama the added flexibility of being able to shift back to cornerback if either Cameron Calhoun or Dijon Lee prove incapable of handling the load of top bench corner. The fact he has (so far) chosen to stick with the program rather than transferring out is notable, as Mincey is reportedly one of the players other teams are most interested in trying to poach off the current Bama roster.
5. #16 Rydarrius “Red” Morgan (So., 6-0, 185)
Strengths: Personality of a mongoose at a snake farm, some positional flexibility, good preparation worker who comes in with a plan
Weaknesses: Plays smaller than his size against the run at times, second half of ’24 season had several rough patches where teams successfully targeted him
Analysis: Morgan almost grabbed the starting Husky position out of fall camp last year before settling in as Alabama’s dime back and overall top reserve in the secondary. For about half the year, it worked, as Morgan played with a chip on his shoulder after being labeled as more of an “average” talent coming out of high school. But in the second half of the year, things began to break down, and a couple of injuries added to his troubles. By the end of the season, Morgan needed a reset. In the spring, coaches worked him some at cornerback, which may be more out of size-related necessity than anything else. As a safety, he’s got a lot of the same basic traits as those that Malachi Moore brought with him, but Morgan needs to focus his fire and also get better all-around against the run. If desire and intensity mean anything, Morgan will be fine; he’s a hard worker with a hard-nose style. He just needs to lock in.
6. #21 Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. (So., 5-11, 202)
Strengths: Great instincts in coverage, key special teams piece, had added thickness that should prove useful in run defense
Weaknesses: Top-end speed isn’t the best, doesn’t have great length, limited positionally
Analysis: While he might not be the tall, rangy superstar his father was, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. has turned some heads in his brief time at Alabama. Many analysts pegged his signing (which occurred under Nick Saban) as just a nice nod to his father’s legacy, but Kirkpatrick started to break out at A-Day 2024 and continued to play well in limited opportunities in the fall. He’s going to be on every coverage unit and word out of Tuscaloosa is that he may end up pushing DaShawn Jones for the starting Husky spot. Kirkpatrick is probably a box safety only due to his speed, but he will have an edge due to his fantastic instincts, which rival those of his famous father. A lot will come down to how well Kirkpatrick is able to support the run.
7. #13 Ivan Taylor (Fr., 6-0, 194)
Strengths: Solid safety prospect with a balanced game, looked like a veteran during spring work
Weaknesses: No FBS experience yet, average measurables, probably needs some bulk to deal with run game support
Analysis: Taylor wasn’t the absolute cream of the crop as a recruit, but the book on him coming out of high school was that he had “four-star everything,” meaning his game was already solid without a lot of obvious weaknesses. His book of work this spring backed up that analysis, as Taylor proved himself capable during drills and put up a solid, if brief A-Day resume. He’ll all but certainly find a role somewhere, likely special teams, and he has enough raw ability to force a change in the playing rotation ahead of him. If Taylor could prove able to pick up the nuances of the nickel safety position in this defense, he could yet join the fight for the open Husky spot in fall camp.
8. #6 Kameron Howard (So., 5-11, 195)
Strengths: Good speed, decent resume at former school (Charlotte), was a priority transfer under the new staff
Weaknesses: Plays smaller than listed, couldn’t break through in 2024 despite depleted depth chart
Analysis: Howard’s name has come up several times as a player who made a lot of improvement between spring and offseason work, and given that he still has three years left to make an impact at Alabama, we’ll give 2024 a pass for now. Howard played sparingly at the beginning of the season and then disappeared until the Mercer game, with no obvious injury appearing to play a part in it. As for his actual on-field resume, the biggest issue in the action we observed in 2024 was that he was simply outclassed physically by most opponents. That’s to be expected somewhat coming into the SEC from Charlotte, but Bama has a couple of those guys on the roster already and Howard needs to stand out. He’ll either have to get bigger, or leverage his speed and smarts into a larger role.
9. #29 Kolby Peavy (WO So., 6-1, 190)
Strengths: Good size and body profile, better speed than most walk-ons, could find a special teams role
Weaknesses: A walk-on with a full depth chart in front of him
Analysis: Peavy made enough of an impression in 2024 that he got called up from the scout team late in the year when injuries began to hit the safety depth chart. He ended up playing in two games and made a tackle in one of them, and combined with multiple practice awards during the course of the season, we could easily see him becoming part of one or more special teams units. Whether he can get on the field at safety probably depends on a couple of guys ahead of him either suffering an injury or just failing to pan out. Peavy doesn’t look like a walk-on; he’s got good length and his size is adequate. There’s enough here to probably warrant keeping an eye on once the season starts.
Starting Cornerbacks: Domani Jackson, Zabien Brown
1. #1 Domani Jackson (Sr., 6-1, 196)
Strengths: Impressive physique that he uses to be strong in run support, aggressive with good hand play and will fight receivers for possession, elite speed
Weaknesses: Faster than quick, fine line between aggressive and interference
Analysis: Jackson came to Alabama to rehabilitate his career under Nick Saban; it’s ironic, then, that he ended up rehabilitating his career under Kane Wommack. Jackson’s prior career at Southern Cal had gotten off the rails, with Jackson a mechanical mess by the end of it. There was probably no one on the team being watched more closely as 2024 began, because Jackson was the only holdover cornerback Alabama had. Everyone else were true freshmen and transfers. He responded beautifully, quickly becoming one of those cornerbacks that quarterbacks would rather not challenge. He looks like a Mr. Olympus candidate out of pads, and uses that strength to overpower receivers. He wins most hand fights and rips passes out before they can be brought in. Most surprisingly, Jackson showed himself to be an elite run-support corner in 2024. He has all the skills necessary to be an NFL cornerback and frankly, it’s a bit of a surprise he returned for his senior season.
2. #2 Zabien Brown (So., 6-0, 192)
Strengths: Plays taller than he is, elite speed, high-points well and has a general nose for big interceptions
Weaknesses: Needs to get better against the run, risk-reward style can backfire
Analysis: With Jackson and Brown, Alabama has arguably the best cornerback tandem in the conference. Brown got on the field early as a freshman and it didn’t take him long to make an impact, as he added the final bookend on the win against Georgia with an interception in the end zone. Brown tries hard against the run, but he is a slender-built glider of a corner who is out there to flip the field, not take the pounding of a running game. Brown developed into a solid cornerback over the course of his true freshman season, but he also has built a reputation as an aggressive player who will take chances in order to make the big play. He’s the cornerback version of Keon Sabb, but with even more natural skills. It will be interesting to see how he develops in 2025 before probably becoming the team’s primary corner in 2026.
Reserve Cornerbacks: Cameron Calhoun, Dijon Lee Jr., Chuck McDonald
3. #5 Dijon Lee Jr. (Fr., 6-4, 202)
Strengths: Extreme length and height for a corner, well-developed physically, strong spring debut
Weaknesses: No FBS experience yet, needs time to learn the nuances of the defense
Analysis: Lee would start for a lot of very good FBS teams even as a true freshman. His spring work was strong, with Lee appearing to already understand a lot of the finer points of playing in this defensive system. He’s got fantastic length for a corner, plus height with long arms and the ability to get vertical. His speed and physicality both compare well to Bama’s upperclassmen at the position. There’s really nothing else to do at this point besides turn the lights on and see where Lee can take things.
4. #9 Cameron Calhoun (So., 6-0, 180)
Strengths: Exceptional ballhawk history in both high school and at Utah, near-elite speed, smart player who takes good angles to defend passes
Weaknesses: Low tackle production at Utah, needs to become better in run support
Analysis: Calhoun started out at Michigan, redshirted, then transferred to Utah, where he recorded 9 PBUs in one season despite starting only one game for the Utes. He has a track background and shows excellent pursuit speed and will push his luck if he thinks he can make an interception. If there’s an unknown quantity to his game, it’s in run support; despite his snap count at Utah, Calhoun wasn’t involved in many tackles and wasn’t around the ball as much as one would think – although when he was, he was likely to make a big play. Basically, Alabama needed a third corner and a guy who wasn’t coming onto the field totally green. The signing of Calhoun makes a lot of sense in that context.
5. #19 Chuck McDonald III (Fr., 6-1, 194)
Strengths: Good combination of length and physical presence, elite speed
Weaknesses: No FBS experience yet, wasn’t with the team for spring practice
Analysis: The last of Alabama’s fall enrollees, McDonald was one of the top cornerback prospects in the country and provided a mild surprise when he decided on Alabama despite playing his high school ball in California. McDonald is somewhere in between Jackson and Brown as a prospect, not quite as physical as Jackson but more so than Brown, with a more tempered field demeanor than Brown. It will be interesting to see how the DeBoer staff keeps so many corner prospects happy in this age of at-will player movement.