TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama is having to replace a lot of its production up front on the defensive line from a year ago with LT Overton and Tim Keenan III off to the NFL and Keon Keeley, James Smith, Qua Russaw and Kelby Collins off to other schools out of the transfer portal.

Because of that, Kalen DeBoer and his staff were able to bring in some help from the portal themselves. Junior running back Daniel Hill has to go up against those guys every day in spring practice, and two of the transfers have been the biggest surprises to him along the defensive front.

“Thompkins from USC,” Hill said. “He’s a really good player. Des from South Carolina. Those two are really great players.”

Devan Thompkins spent three seasons at USC before transferring to Alabama this spring. Last year with the Trojans, he had 31 total tackles, including three sacks and a forced fumble. Desmond Umeozulu played in 36 games over three seasons at South Carolina, recording 30 total tackles with 2.5 for loss. Alabama also added 6-5, 319-pound defensive lineman Terrance Green from Oregon.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about the new transfers up front after the Crimson Tide’s first scrimmage.

“A lot of potential to set the front, let them play ball. Not have to utilize pressures and blitzes all the time to cause chaos in the backfield. The ability to stop the run with the four and, obviously, the linebackers and your support is there to help. So we have certainly a bigger group of guys than what we’ve had in the past. And last year, probably our biggest struggle against the run game was on the edges.

“Our system lends to making sure balls don’t get out there very often in the run game. But even in the last game, you saw people just running right down the middle of our defense. And we wanna be able to mix things up, but we also wanna be able to just play base with the guys and our personnel. I think with those guys you mentioned, they’re gonna allow us to do that. They still got a ways to go, but I like the direction we’re headed.”

While Alabama did lose some key pieces from last year’s front seven, the Crimson Tide does return sacks leader Yhonzae Pierre as well as defensive lineman London Simmons, who played in all 15 games as a true freshman last season. Jeremiah Beaman and Edric Hill are also back for the Tide.

“We’ve got some guys that are dogs,” Alabama safety Keon Sabb said of the Crimson Tide’s defensive front. “At Bama, you want guys that really compete, and I feel like through the transfer portal and the younger guys, I think we found that.”

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Oct 18, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Daniel Hill (4) runs with the ball in the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

It is safe to say Daniel Hill still has his strength and power intact, despite him losing weight this spring.

Hill looks slimmer this spring after dropping weight ahead of his third season with the Crimson Tide. This drop in weight has him feeling faster while still apparently being strong.

The Mississippi native was asked Monday to confirm a report he squatted 805 pounds, and he did.

“I did do that,” Hill said. “And the process, I mean, I’ve always been able to squat a lot. I don’t know, it just happened. I really don’t know how to explain it. Just they threw it on the bar, and I did it.”

Kalen DeBoer is hopeful this weight loss, mixed with Hill’s strength and athleticism, will lead to more productivity out of the back in the upcoming season.

“Daniel’s (Hill) been consistent,” DeBoer said after Alabama’s first scrimmage. “I think he’s taken advantage of just kind of having an offseason to lean up. A year ago, really from the previous ’24 season, was still dinged up, had to have surgery. We knew it during spring ball, had to have it after. I think that really went into him not having the offseason he’d probably like and the season that he knows he can improve on and be better than.”

Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.

Governor Kay Ivey has proclaimed Alabama Doctors Day on March 30, calling on residents to express appreciation for the state’s physicians.

A proclamation issued by the Governor notes that approximately 13,000 physicians are licensed to practice medicine in Alabama and highlights the doctor-patient relationship as “the foundation of high-quality healthcare.”

“Alabama’s physicians are honored to serve our fellow citizens during some of the most critical moments of their lives,” said Dr. Mark LeQuire, President of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. “Being a physician is a calling to help and heal people.”

Dr. Max Rogers, Chairman of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, also expressed gratitude for the recognition.

“Physicians understand the extraordinary responsibility we carry,” Rogers said. “Our decisions shape lives and guide families through uncertainty. We thank our patients for their trust and Gov. Ivey for recognizing Doctors Day.”

The Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners both expressed gratitude to the Governor for the proclamation.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].