New Alabama DC Kane Wommack is a big believer in getting after the quarterback, as he mentioned just a couple of weeks back.

“There were like 751 takeaways in the NFL last season, and out of those the vast majority of them come from the pressure on the quarterback,” Wommack told reporters on Thursday. “Whether they hit the quarterback, got hands on the quarterback or they were able to put him in an uncomfortable position to where he forced to throw.”

He is spot on in that assessment, but Alabama enters the spring without a returning difference maker on the edge, called the “Wolf” in Wommack’s scheme but roughly equal to what we have long known as a “Jack”, for the first time since 2020 when phenom Will Anderson Jr. burst onto the scene as a true freshman. As with every position on the roster, there are several talented dudes to compete, but if Alabama is to compete for a national title this season at least one of them will have to emerge as a real threat.

The Departed

Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell were an elite pair on the edge for Nick Saban’s last squad. Both are off to the NFL, Turner to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round and Braswell to Tampa Bay in the second. The duo leave behind 18 sacks and 25 tackles for loss to replace. Former five star sophomore Keon Keeley did not depart the program, but he has added weight and moved full time to the “Bandit” position on the defensive line. Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell were the top two edge prospects in the 2022 class, but both have moved to inside linebacker since their arrival.

Returning Contenders

Based on everything that we have heard thus far, all four of the gentlemen listed below have impressed the coaching staff. Don’t be surprised if all of them get some rotational looks, but they are listed here in projected depth chart order.

#34 Que Robinson – RS Sr. 6’5”, 241 lb.

Robinson is the elder statesman of the group, entering his fifth season on campus. The Birmingham product has plenty of length at 6’5” but is also somewhat slightly built. As a recruit, he was the top player in the state and rated as a high four star. He has generally been running first in camp and should be considered the favorite to start.

#19 Keanu Koht – RS Jr. 6’4”, 242 lb.

Wommack has been impressed with Koht, calling him a “freak” in the spring. A high four star prospect out of Vero Beach, Koht has waited his turn and has been seen getting some first team snaps in rotation with Robinson. He will be heard from this season.

#42 Yhonzae Pierre – RS Fr. 6’3”, 239 lb.

Pierre is another in-state product, from Eufaula, and came in as a top 50 overall recruit. He is obviously on the small side for an edge rusher, but his explosiveness was said to be off the charts as a high schooler and his listed weight is a full 16 pounds higher than it was in the spring. He seems to be developing on schedule, and the talent is certainly there.

#49 Qua Russaw – RS Fr. 6’2”, 251 lb.

Qua is easily the sturdiest of the group from a build perspective, which may well give him an advantage against heavier run teams, but he hardly lacks explosiveness. The Montgomery product is also the only one on the list who was rated five stars by at least one of the major recruiting services. He saw no time as a true freshman, but his potential is off the charts. Qua will be worth monitoring.

Newcomers

Alabama signed a solid edge class for 2024, but barring something unforeseen it’s unlikely that any of them see much playing time this season. Summer enrollee Noah Carter has reportedly flashed in camp, but even he faces an uphill battle with so much upperclassman talent ahead of him.

#24 Noah Carter – Fr.

6’4”, 242 lb. four star from Peoria, AZ

#40 Sterling Dixon – Fr.

6’3”, 211 lb. four star from Spanish Fort, AL

#43 Jayshawn Ross – Fr.

6’4”, 220 lb. four star from Kansas City, MO

#30 Cayden Jones – Fr.

6’4”, 210 lb. four star from Asheville, NC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – With Election Day fast approaching, so is the deadline to register to vote.

Secretary of State Wes Allen says the state has just over 3.8 million Alabamaians registered to vote, which he says is about 94% of voting-age residents in the state.

“We’ve seen an uptick in registration, especially over the last month or so,” Allen said.

The Jefferson County Board of Registrars says not only has there been an uptick in people registering to vote over the last month but more people already registered have been making sure their voter information is up to date.

“The last week of June and the debate carried right on over into the RNC, had their convention. Then you had all the breaking news about the Democrats changing their presidential nominee and now we’re less than a week away from the DNC convention,” Jefferson County Board of Registrars chairman Barry Stephenson said. “There’s just been a lot in the news, both nationally and locally, so it’s generated interest here in the summer.”

Presidential nominee Harris may impact Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District election

While voter registration is in the 90th percentile, voter turnout has historically been significantly lower.

“Low turnout in the primary back in March and of course, in the primary runoff back in April of this year,” Allen said. “Presidential years seem to be higher turnout. I think in 2020, it was about 63% in the general election. In 2016, it was about 66% in the general election, so we’ll probably see some number comparable to that.”

Some people say that even though there might be some fatigue among voters now with the current political cycle, it’s important to still show up to the polls.

“You have to speak up, you have to speak out and you also have to know to vote in spite of. Vote in spite of your feelings, vote in spite of how you feel, how you think you should feel because you are making a difference whether you vote or not,” Miles College senior Jaeden Henderson said.

“We want to get you registered to vote. We don’t care who you vote for but it’s important that you get out and make your voice known,” Democracy Trailblazers managing partner Loretta Moore said. “If you don’t speak up and vote, then you can’t make a difference. I know a lot of times, a lot of people think their voice doesn’t count, it doesn’t matter, but your vote does matter.”

The deadline to register to vote is October 21. A link to register and all other voter information can be found here.

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