What we saw from the new cornerbacks at Alabama football practice

Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack had a simple demand.

“Strike through the man and punch through,” Wommack barked to the Alabama football defensive backs.

Wommack was running a tackling drill early in practice on Saturday. One player stands with his back to a red landing mat. Meanwhile, a defensive back launches into him, down onto the mat.

Not everyone struck the way Wommack sought. But he liked one rep from Zabien Brown.

Brown lowered his right shoulder and popped the player standing in front of the mat.

“Good,” Wommack responded. “Better with the strike.”

It’s one moment in a practice of many. And it was an individual drill, in which Brown was tackling a non-moving teammate. Still, it reflects well on Brown, a freshman who is one of the cornerbacks in competition for a starting job.

The media viewing periods during preseason camp aren’t long; none has lasted more than 30 minutes. And there’s no 11 vs. 11 or really any offense vs. defense. It’s mainly position work reporters see. Nonetheless, it’s an opportunity to see the Crimson Tide players practice.

AL.com spent Saturday mainly watching the cornerbacks during the viewing period. Here are some of the things we saw.

– There wasn’t a clear or consistent hierarchy or order going through drills. Some positions, it can be easy to spot. Cornerback, not so much. The order through each drill changed, but one that stood out: Domani Jackson, DaShawn Jones, Zavier Mincey, Brown, Jaylen Mbakwe then Jahlil Hurley. The next time through for a slightly different drill it was Jackson, Jones, Brown, Mincey, Mbakwe then Hurley. Then it was all shuffled up the next drill in which the cornerbacks put a blue band around their ankles and backpedaled. Don’t take these to be the depth chart; just a look at how the group worked in practice.

– Mincey is another freshman cornerback to watch besides Brown. He stands out on the field with noticeable length. Mincey is listed at 6-3, so he’s easy to spot quickly. Learning the finer points of the game will be key, but he would be an ideal defender to face a tall receiver. He might not be able to win the starting job out of camp, but he could help the defense at some point this season if he doesn’t. He’s got the measurables and talent to be a valuable defender, whether it be now or down the road.

– We didn’t see any real pass coverage drills during the media viewing period. Tackling and run defense mainly filled the time.

– Maurice Linguist, who coaches the cornerbacks, really liked how Jones ran one rep of a drill; In the drill, cornerbacks start off the line of scrimmage then run to wrap up a teammate holding a blocking shield. “There we go,” Linguist yelled while he clapped forcefully to show his approval of Jones’ technique.

– Linguist also praised Jackson several times through some of these run defense drills; Jackson figures to man one starting cornerback spot after his time at USC.

– Mbakwe, another five-star freshman, had some good moments in the drills but also a moment or two that left something to be desired from the coaches. You can see the potential, though. His development will be worth watching.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer forAL.comand the Alabama Media Group.Follow him on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.