Alabama

Here’s how Alabama football’s safeties shape up heading into fall camp

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2024

Here’s how Alabama football’s safeties shape up heading into fall camp

This offseason, Alabama football was tasked with replacing every defensive back from its 2023 roster aside from Malachi Moore.

At corner, the Crimson Tide returns one member from its 2023 squad in Jahlil Hurley. At safety, it returns three members from its 2023 roster, including Moore, and brings in transfers Keon Sabb (Michigan), King Mack (Penn State) and Kameron Howard (Charlotte) from the portal and two true freshmen from its 2024 recruiting cycle.

Via the transfer portal, the Crimson Tide lost Caleb Downs to Ohio State, who led the team in tackles in 2023 (107). It also lost Jake Pope (Georgia), Kristian Story (Kentucky) to the transfer portal and Jaylen Key to the NFL Draft.

Alabama also brings in coaches Maurice Linguist and Colin Hitschler, who joined coach Kalen DeBoer’s staff over the offseason and are in charge of the Crimson Tide’s defensive backfield under new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Wommack will be instilling his 4-2-5 “Swarm” defense at Alabama, brought with him from South Alabama.

Wommack will be introducing new terminology to the Crimson Tide safety room: Rover, the strong safety, and Husky, a more hybrid player who is essentially the nickel defensive back in Wommack’s system compared to that of former coach Nick Saban’s.

Here is how Alabama’s safeties room looks heading into fall camp. Every scholarship player and any notable walk-on is mentioned:

The options for Alabama football at safety

Projected starters: Rover: Keon Sabb, r-so.; FS: Malachi Moore, gr.; Husky: Devonta Smith, r-jr.

Reserves: King Mack, so.; Kameron Howard, so.; Bray Hubbard, so.; Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., fr.; Red Morgan, fr.

Sabb was a huge pickup for the Crimson Tide from the portal. He brings with him two years of elite college football experience, including one as a national champion with the Wolverines. He tallied 28 tackles, one for loss, along with four pass break ups and two interceptions in 2023.

Moore typically manned the-now Husky role for the Crimson Tide last season, but expect to see him perhaps man the free safety position this season. Last year, Moore was named a permanent team captain and started in 13 games, tallying 52 tackles, five for loss, to go with five pass breakups, one interception and one quarterback hurry.

Smith spent the first half of 2023 rehabbing from injury, but was able to see time in four games, where he collected four total tackles.

Howard saw time in nine games for the Crimson Tide in 2023 contributing on special teams. Mack appeared in 13 games at Penn State as a true freshman, totaling three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Howard saw time in 12 games at Charlotte last season and started in two of them, registering 38 tackles with 0.5 for loss to go with two interceptions and one pass breakup.

Morgan comes to Tuscaloosa as a four-star prospect and Kirkpatrick Jr. a three-star, per the 247Sports Composite.

The upside

Wommack’s defense might be a learning curve for the Crimson Tide players but should be one that should be easy for players to catch on to.

Speaking at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Moore spoke of the differences between the two systems, calling coach Saban’s defense “very complex,” while referring to Wommack’s as “a lot simpler.”

“Coach Saban’s defense was a very complex style of defense from making checks to motions and different formations and alignments of receivers. It was a very complex system to be in and you had to be a very good communicator, you had to be very smart,” Moore said. “In this defense, now under Coach Wommack it’s a lot of vision coverage and it’s a lot simpler from people who were in coach Saban’s defense. A lot more eyes on the quarterback allowing you to make plays on the ball and get more turnovers.”

Players will also have plenty of time to adjust between the two between spring practice and fall camp before the season-opener on Aug. 31 vs. Western Kentucky.

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One question or concern

Alabama lost majority of its production at safety from the 2023 season, so of course the question remains as to how Alabama’s secondary will perform this season.

Aside from Moore and Smith, Alabama’s safety room lacks real-game SEC experience. However, the Crimson Tide bring in key transfers, especially in Sabb coming in from Michigan with prior College Football Playoff experience.

Alabama also brings in talent from its 2024 recruiting cycle in Morgan and Kirkpatrick Jr. and with its transfers in Howard and Mack, both sophomores, the Crimson Tide safety room should be in a good position for years to come.

Breakout candidate

Last season, it seemed as if Smith was in line to serve a bigger role for the Crimson Tide. But injuries prevented him from doing so, not appearing in a game until November vs. Kentucky.

This season, Smith is in prime position to start the Husky position in Wommack’s new defense.

Smith, in his redshirt junior season at Alabama, has waited for an opportunity like this one, expect him to be ready.

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Alabama

Roll Tide: Lilly selects Alabama site as location for $6B API facility

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Roll Tide: Lilly selects Alabama site as location for B API facility

Eli Lilly has unveiled the location of the third of its four large-scale manufacturing facilities that it plans to build in the U.S. | Eli Lilly has unveiled the location of the third of its four large-scale manufacturing facilities that it plans to build in the U.S. The drugmaker has selected Huntsville, Alabama, as the site of a $6 billion plant that will produce APIs for small molecule and peptide medicines.

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Alabama

Alabama named in Paul Finebaum’s head-turning CFP prediction

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2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Alabama named in Paul Finebaum’s head-turning CFP prediction

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a lot of nerves awaiting the committee’s decision on their College Football Playoff fate, but they ended up getting into the field as the No. 9 seed and will face off against No. 8 Oklahoma.

Kalen DeBoer and company did not have a good showing against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game. They lost that matchup by a final score of 28-7. However, they’ll have a chance to prove that they belong.

While many have already written Alabama off as a potential national championship contender, there is one notable analyst who believes that the Crimson Tide still have a path to winning it all.

Read more: Texas, Arch Manning Dealt More Bad News After Missing CFP

Paul Finebaum still believes that there’s a chance Alabama could make a stunning run to a title.

During an appearance on “Get Up” on Monday morning, Finebaum revealed the pathway that he sees for Alabama to win a championship.

“The pairings could have been a lot worse. I, frankly, think if Alabama can get past Oklahoma, at least on paper, they have a path. It may not be that great for anybody who watched Indiana play on Saturday night,” Finebaum said. “But I think a lot of Alabama people would feel pretty good about it.”

Beating Oklahoma will be no easy task. The Sooners have had an up-and-down season at times, but they are loaded with talent on both sides of the football. Should the Crimson Tide pull off a win over Oklahoma, a much tougher test would await.

As Finebaum mentioned, Alabama would then have to take on the No. 1-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. Led by head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana is fresh off of beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game by a score of 13-10. They’re legit and they have arguably the best quarterback in the nation with Fernando Mendoza.

No one can count out any top-tier team at this point in time. There is a chance that the Crimson Tide could make a shocking run to a national championship win. That being said, DeBoer and company will have to fix a lot of weaknesses to do that.

Read more: Ohio State’s Ryan Day Sends Warning Ahead of College Football Playoff

One weakness that Finebaum sees has been the recent play of quarterback Ty Simpson and Alabama’s running game.

“Anything I say about Ty Simpson, it will be articulated 1000 times more,” Finebaum said. “But something is wrong. Is it the lack of running game? Is it problems up front? But he just doesn’t seem to be the same quarterback he was eight weeks ago. I think that has to be a major concern going into Norman.”

The Crimson Tide will face off against the Sooners on December 19. Fans can only wait and hope that the team can fix the issues that were clearly present against Georgia.

For more on the Alabama Crimson Tide and college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.

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University of Alabama alumni launch fundraiser to save student magazines

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Press Room

University of Alabama alumni launch fundraiser to save student magazines

University of Alabama alumni have launched a fundraising campaign for two print magazines that were shut down.

Masthead, a nonprofit dedicated to “diverse, anti-racist and equitable student media at the University of Alabama,” opened a $25,000 fundraising campaign for Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six, two student-led print magazines focused on women’s lifestyle and Black culture.

The university shuttered the magazines after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives may violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

The alumni group said it doesn’t think the magazines violated federal regulations.

“Even if their subject matter is specific, Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six have always been by anyone, for everyone,” Masthead said in a news release. “The editors-in-chief of both magazines said their staff are ready to continue their work, with or without UA.”

The nonprofit the university’s decision silences viewpoints “disfavored by the government because they dared to write about those topics at all.”

The fundraiser will go towards printing costs, equipment and student salaries. Masthead president Victor Luckerson told AL.com it costs about $7,500 to print 1,000 copies.

“This fundraising drive is the first step in ensuring the staff at Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six receive the mentorship, advice and support they need during this tumultuous time,” Masthead said.

Masthead will post updates about the campaign in their newsletter.

“Even if the university says that Nineteen Fifty-Six is suspended, this proves that there is no suspension of the stories that we’re going to tell,” Nineteen Fifty-Six editor-in-chief Kendal Wright said. “It takes away a space for us to be able to tell our own stories and for everyone to read our stories. But I think this experience has taught our community and our staff that there is always another way. We will always have a space to tell our stories, and we will always make one. We cannot be silenced.”

The University of Alabama has not responded to requests for comment.

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