In this installment, TideFans.com will cover Alabama’s linebacker group, both the two inside linebacker slots and the hybrid-DE Wolf linebacker position.
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 future team previews into eight segments, following our traditional eight-category game previews.
Today, we are focusing on the two traditional inside linebacker positions as well as the Wolf linebacker position, which is most often used as a stand-up end and is classified as an end in Bama’s 4-2-5 base. The Wolf position is almost identical to the Jack/SLB outside linebacker spot from Bama’s previous defensive system, and is therefore included here rather than with the defensive linemen.
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. We now also 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.
We will separate the Wolf candidates from the inside linebacker candidates and profile them separately here.
LINEBACKERS (Rating: Vg)
Starting inside linebackers – Caleb Woodson, Cayden Jones
1. Caleb Woodson (Sr., 6-3, 238)
Strengths: Strong resume at Virginia Tech, smart player with experience in a similar system, good mix of size with ability to defend routes
Weaknesses: Sometimes plays smaller than listed, unknown value against the biggest running teams
Analysis: Alabama felt it had to add a veteran presence at inside linebacker, and in Woodson, the Crimson Tide gets a player similar to Justin Jefferson but larger by a margin sufficient to allow him to play in the A-gaps with more regularity. Woodson brings good speed to the role and is instinctive in pass defense against tight ends and running backs, which makes potentially for an upgrade over some of the most recent players in this space. The big question to be answered is how well will Woodson hold up as a run defender against the biggest and most physical running games Alabama sees. His spring work was solid and on-brand with what Alabama thought it was getting when it took his transfer.
2. Cayden Jones (Jr., 6-4, 231)
Strengths: Good measurables, 21 games playing experience, big and lanky for an ILB with plus-pursuit skills
Weaknesses: Unknown coverage abilities, has not been able to stay healthy for long stretches
Analysis: Jones, along with the next two names on this list – Luke Metz and Q.B. Reese – are still competing for the starting spot next to Caleb Woodson. Each has a certain skill set but none are complete players yet. If you tell most Bama fans that Cayden Jones already has 21 games played in 2 years, they’ll probably not believe it. He’s been a special teams stalwart, but he’s also battled numerous injuries and his workload is only going to go up. Jones has basically the build of a slot tight end, and he’s not the guy you want filling A-gaps, but he is the guy you want in pursuit. He’s aggressive and has good instincts, and if he can stay healthy, he could be special in this defense. If.
3. Luke Metz (So., 6-3, 233)
Strengths: Old-school thumper MLB, learned the defense quickly as a true freshman in ’25, standout spring
Weaknesses: Lateral pursuit speed is just OK, coverage skills need development
Analysis: We feel Metz came the closest of anyone to unseating Jones, and he may have actually done it. He got a lot of snaps at A-Day, and was frequently mentioned by coaches as a player to watch. The most notable achievement up to this point was how fast Metz learned the Bama playbook as a true freshman, and he wound up playing in nearly every game. If coaches can come to trust his skills in pass defense, he may be able to hold onto the spot especially if Jones continues to battle injuries.
4. Q.B. Reese (So., 6-0, 229)
Strengths: Plus-speed, aggressive hitter, hell-bent-for-leather playing style that wins fans easily
Weaknesses: Small even for an ILB in a Swarm scheme, coverage skills need work
Analysis: Reese is one of the most entertaining players on the Alabama roster, because it’s like watching a hornet chase an unwanted guest away from the hive any time he pursues someone. Everything is full-on, all the time, and he never takes a play off. The most pertinent question is simply can he maintain it. Reese is generously listed at 6’0” and 229 pounds; he looks like he belongs in the defensive backfield when he’s on the field. But snap the ball and there’s no question what he’s out there to do. If he can limit mistakes, he’ll find a role.
5. Darrell Johnson (So., 6-1, 232)
Strengths: Elite speed, innate coverage skills, athleticism off the charts
Weaknesses: Still learning linebacker, plays smaller than listed, almost feels like he doesn’t fit either position
Analysis: Johnson was a wide receiver for much of his high school career and played five different positions altogether. He went from possible redshirt to special teams staple in 2025 largely due to injuries to Cayden Jones and others. Both he and fellow 2025 signee Abduall Sanders appear to be bracketed behind the top four on this list, but both Johnson and Sanders are ready to play if necessary. The question for Johnson is, is he an inside linebacker with ILB responsibilities, or is he a guy that should play off the edge and utilize his top-tier speed?
6. Abduall Sanders Jr. (So., 6-2, 228)
Strengths: Good center-of-gravity control, strong enough for MLB, natural LB instincts
Weaknesses: Needs more weight if he’s going to stay in the middle, penchant for getting banged up
Analysis: Sanders shows good tackling technique and as far as pure MLBs go, he’s probably just behind Luke Metz. Now he just needs to start putting it all together. Sanders battled nagging injuries for a period of time in 2025, and it probably kept him for making a true run for playing time. He had a good spring, though, and he’s ready for prime time if called upon.
7. Xavier Griffin (Fr., 6-3, 222)
Strengths: Extreme positional flexibility that includes OLB, elite pass-rush moves, off-the-charts athleticism
Weaknesses: Trying to learn a lot in a short time, may need to play a rabbit role until comfortable with the scheme
Analysis: Griffin was arguably Alabama’s top recruit across any position in the 2025-2026 recruiting cycle. During the spring, he played as much on the edge as he did at inside linebacker, the better to showcase his eye-popping pass-rush skills that just seem to come to him naturally. We expect Griffin to eventually end up inside, if for no other reason than the path to playing time is quicker there and he’d get more snaps each game, and thus have greater impact. But for 2026, look for Griffin to do what Courtney Upshaw and others have done at Alabama in recent seasons – line up as a rabbit rusher on obvious passing downs, and give left tackles nightmares.
Wolf outside linebackers – Yhonzae Pierre, Justin Hill, Jah-Marien Latham, Jamarion Matthews, Zay Hall
1. Yhonzae Pierre (Jr., 6-3, 253)
Strengths: One of the best pure pass rushers in the SEC, plays bigger than his numbers against the run, good durability and stamina
Weaknesses: Sets edge but doesn’t dominate it, TE coverage skills are erratic
Analysis: Pierre won the position on the battlefield, taking it from Qua Russaw and turning into a guy who bypassed what was projected as a top-five Edge draft grade in April to return and improve as a redshirt junior. Whereas Russaw was able to effectively defend the run, Pierre managed to do it equally well yet combined those skills with elite first-step moves and enough pure speed to become on of the best edge players in the SEC by season’s end. Listed at 6’3” and 253 pounds, Pierre looks taller and leaner than that when he’s on the field, but regardless of what the numbers say, he was a terror for offensive tackles to deal with all last year and goes into this season competing with WR Ryan Coleman-Williams and CB Zabien Brown for highest potential draft grade on the team.
2. Justin Hill (So., 6-3, 244)
Strengths: Thrown into the fire in 2025 but didn’t let early failures discourage him, plus-level pass-rush skills, strong and well-leveraged in run defense
Weaknesses: Needs a bit more weight, can get ridden out of running plays at times
Analysis: For a time in 2025, the Wolf position was a mess due to injuries, and Alabama ended up having to put a lot on the true freshman Justin Hill before the coaches probably wanted to. Hill, though, proved to be a quick learner, and more importantly, didn’t get discouraged when the learning curve bit him a couple of times. He’s listed as virtually the same height and weight as Yhonzae Pierre, but Hill is a different kind of player, a thick-chested defender who is more about strength and leverage than Pierre, whose game is based on quickness. Hill proved to be capable in coverage, an added bonus for a freshman OLB. He’ll understudy Pierre in 2026 and become the starter in 2027.
3. Jah-Marien Latham (Sr., 6-3, 270)
Strengths: Multiple years in the system, good instincts, best run defender at this spot if he stays here
Weaknesses: Coming off scary neck injury, lacks traditional edge quickness, sort of a man without a position
Analysis: We’re not really sure what’s going on here, positionally. Latham surprised many by returning for a sixth year, especially after suffering a neck injury in 2025. Upon his return, he finds himself listed at Wolf, where he’s very unlikely to unseat either Yhonzae Pierre or Justin Hill. Latham is sort of this team’s Benjamin Button – rather than come to campus a certain size and then get bigger, he’s going the other way. He was a passing-downs nosetackle prospect for a time under Nick Saban, then moved to defensive end, now down to linebacker. We think he’s a better fit at Bandit, and Latham may see action at both spots. But for now, here he is.
4. Jamarion Matthews (Fr., 6-2, 252)
Strengths: Impressive first spring, thick body that allows him to play the run, could wind up at tackle
Weaknesses: Not as quick as other options at this spot, pass-rush moves need to extend beyond the bull rush
Analysis: This is another guy we think could have a future at either Bandit end or even tackle. He started out at Wolf in the spring, though, and put together a solid camp performance that ended with a good A-Day game. Depending on what happens in front of him with Jah-Marien Latham, Matthews could be in line for significant playing time in 2026. Whereas other young edge players might find a role as a situational pass rusher, we think Matthews is more likely to get the call when Alabama needs to stop the run at all costs.
5. Zay Hall (Fr., 6-3, 238)
Strengths: Can play ILB as well as edge, good spring evaluation, strong and physical player
Weaknesses: Tweener whose future position probably isn’t set yet, lacks elite speed
Analysis: Hall’s other offers out of high school were mostly to smaller schools wanting to play him in the middle. He may not have the lateral quickness for that assignment at Alabama, but it’s not set in stone that Hall is going to stay at Wolf. For that matter, the way Xavier Griffin was treated in spring camp, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two flip spots in fall camp, given that Bama could use some real beef at ILB. It’s mostly going to come down to whether hall can play fast enough in an ILB role; otherwise, he will land at Wolf or Bandit.