Alabama
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Linebacker play could be on the verge of returning to it’s old level of importance in the NFL.
The surge in defenses running two-high coverage shells to counter explosive passing offenses has allowed for a resurgence in running games league-wide. Considering that the base defense is now a nickel look, that places even more importance on finding versatile linebackers.
Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell brings near DB-like movement skills as well as the ability to defend the run and rush the passer.
The Giants’ linebackers have improved significantly over the last couple years, but could Campbell be a curveball to push them over the top?
Prospect: Jihaad Campbell (11)
Games Watched: vs. Georgia (2024), vs. UCLA (2024), vs. Missouri (2024), vs. LSU (2024)
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Athleticism
- Range
- Versatility
- Processing speed
Jihaad Campbell is a smart, versatile, and explosively athletic linebacker prospect.
Campbell has solid size for a modern off-ball linebacker at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, while also having great speed, agility, and explosiveness. He is an excellent athlete for the position, combining sideline-to-sideline range with movement skills that look more like a defensive back’s than a linebacker.
Campbell was asked to play a variety of roles in the Alabama defense, lining up as both an inside and outside linebacker, as well as up on the line of scrimmage. He was primarily used as an off-ball linebacker and space player, though he was also asked to threaten gaps as a (potential) blitzer. Whether Campbell blitzed or not depended on the play call, but his athleticism makes him an effective rusher as well as coverage player.
He has excellent range when dropping into coverage, quickly getting depth on his zone drops. Campbell has quick feet and fluid hips for a player of his size, allowing him to turn and run with tight ends or running backs in space. He also executes a “W” drill – dropping before planting a foot and driving down hill – almost like a jumbo-sized safety.
Campbell appears to be a smart defender with very good processing speed. He commits hard and fast once he sees the play develop, and typically diagnoses quickly after the snap.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
Campbell is an excellent linebacker prospect, however there are a couple issues in his profile and he’s still something of a work in progress.
Most notably, Campbell lacks size compared to the “traditional” linebacker archetype. It’s a trade-off for his impressive athleticism and movement skills, but he lacks mass and play strength compared to some other linebackers. Campbell can struggle to stack and shed offensive linemen, and even be overwhelmed by bigger tight ends. He’s much better when allowed to use his speed and agility to slip past blockers, but that isn’t always possible.
Likewise, Campbell can also be a bit of a drag-down tackler. While he’s pretty reliable when it comes to getting ball carriers on the ground, it can lead to “leaky” yardage that can add up when ball carriers can carry him for a yard or two at a time.
Finally, Campbell is more of a “see and chase” linebacker than a truly instinctive player at this point in his development. He typically processes quickly, but he needs to see the play begin to develop before he launches into motion.
Game Tape
(Campbell is the Alabama linebacker wearing number 11 and a sleeve on his left arm.)
Projection
Jihaad Campbell projects as a starting off-ball linebacker at the NFL level.
He would likely be best as a WILL linebacker and could be better used as a coverage or pursuit player, at least to start his career. Campbell has fantastic movement skills and great range in space, but he’s still developing as a downhill player. He’s an impact player when he can fly to the ball, and his future defense should take advantage of that.
More aggressive defenses should also look for opportunities to use Campbell in their blitz designs, either scheming him rush opportunities or using him to cover for blitzing defensive backs.
There’s room on his frame for a bit more mass to improve his play strength, however teams should be wary of compromising the athleticism that makes him special. Jihaad Campbell should be able to win a starting job right away, and has the potential to be a Pro Bowl player if he fully unlocks his potential.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes, though value might not align
Final Word: A first round talent
Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams
Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday set an execution date for death row inmate Jeremy Williams, who was convicted in the 2021 kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in Phenix City.
Williams is scheduled to be executed by the state’s three-drug lethal injection during a 30-hour window beginning at 12 a.m. August 13 and ending at 6 a.m. August 14. The execution date comes after the Alabama Supreme Court granted a request from Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office on June 16, authorizing the state to carry out the sentence.
In a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Lovelace, Ivey said the Supreme Court’s June 16 order serves as the official death warrant for Williams.
“By law, I am required to specify the time frame for carrying out the sentence of death,” Ivey said. “Accordingly, I hereby order that Jeremy Lee Williams’s sentence of death be carried out within a time frame beginning on August 13, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. and ending on August 14, 2026, at 6:00 a.m.”
Ivey noted that she retains the authority to commute the sentence before the execution takes place.
Williams, 34, was convicted in April 2024 on four counts of capital murder stemming from Holland’s death. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a rape, capital murder during first-degree sodomy and capital murder of a child younger than 14.
Authorities said Holland disappeared from her family’s home in Phenix City on December 13, 2021. Her body was discovered two days later inside an abandoned house less than a mile away. An autopsy determined that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
In addition to the death sentence, Williams received several other prison terms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and for knowingly producing recordings depicting the sexual abuse of a child. He also received another life sentence for a separate sexual abuse conviction, along with a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to commit human trafficking and a 10-year sentence for abuse of a corpse.
Unlike most death row inmates, Williams sought to speed up the execution process. During a hearing, he told the court that he accepted responsibility for his actions and wanted the sentence carried out.
In 2025, Williams dismissed his attorneys and informed the court that he wished to waive any remaining appeals and proceed with his execution. Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson determined that Williams was competent to make that decision and allowed him to forgo further legal challenges.
Under Alabama law, capital convictions automatically receive appellate review. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals subsequently affirmed Williams’ conviction and death sentence in March.
After that review concluded, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office petitioned the Alabama Supreme Court in May to authorize an execution date. The court granted the request earlier this week, clearing the way for Ivey to schedule the execution.
If carried out as scheduled, Williams’ execution would occur nearly five years after Holland’s death and a little more than two years after he was sentenced to death.
Williams’ execution would be Alabama’s first by lethal injection since April 2025. The state’s three most recent executions were carried out using nitrogen hypoxia, which Alabama began using in 2024.
Alabama
Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”
They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.
“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”
Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.
“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”
It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.
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Alabama
Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to $507K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations
Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
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Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.
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