The Alabama Crimson Tide are quietly building one of the more exciting collections of future NFL Draft talent in college football. After watching Alabama take on Mississippi State, one thing is very clear: the wide receiver room is finally matching its talent with production, and the defense has a couple of young pieces who could be special.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. Alabama recruits at an elite level, and head coach Kalen DeBoer is a great offensive mind. Whether or not you’re fully bought in on DeBoer for the long term, there is real excitement around what the Crimson Tide can do in the passing game.

Keelon Russell looks like a 2028 NFL Draft headliner

It starts with Keelon Russell. If you ask me, the redshirt freshman quarterback looks like he could be in the No. 1 overall pick conversation for the 2028 NFL Draft. I think he will firmly be in that mix next year.

Russell has a great deep ball and layers the football really well. What I love most about him is that he’s one of those quarterbacks you could weaponize as a runner, and he could kill you. He’s a quarterback first, though. Outside of the designed run game, he is always looking to extend as a passer before he takes off.

My co-host Joe DeLeone compared him to Jayden Daniels and pointed out some skittish, tappy feet before he throws. That’s a fair note. Still, confidence in the pocket improves with experience, and Russell would be a two-year starter by the time he’s draft eligible.

The timing and nuance can be taught. The athletic tools he has cannot. He was a five-star recruit coming out of Duncanville for a reason, and he has not disappointed Alabama.

Can Ryan Coleman-Williams be trusted again?

Ryan Coleman-Williams didn’t have a huge game against Mississippi State. He only had around 40 yards, but he made a couple of nice catches and is leading the team in receiving.

Here’s the thing about Coleman-Williams: he has been a liar to me. After his first few games as a freshman, I thought he was going to be a top-10 pick down the road. Then came a year-and-a-half stretch with far too many drops and poor ball skills. He even opened this season with a couple of egregious drops.

Over the last few games, I’ve slowly started to buy back in. I’m cautiously optimistic he has figured it out, but drop issues can come back quickly for some players. That kind of volatility isn’t a stable model for success at the NFL level.

If he keeps this up for the rest of the season, though, you can’t ignore it. There’s no question he’s a freaky athlete.

DeLeone has floated a Ja’Marr Chase comparison based on Coleman-Williams’ fluidity and route running. I understand the thought process, and the hype is certainly building. Chase is a much more physical player, though, and he plays at about 205 pounds. Just as important, Chase never forgot how to catch the football in a game, only in practice prior to his rookie season.

Alabama’s linebackers are sneakily loaded

Much of the preseason focus was on the Alabama secondary, but the linebackers have been the more intriguing group to watch.

Luke Metz is a freaky athlete, which isn’t a surprise if you follow recruiting. He is still developing his instincts, but he flies to the football. DeLeone singled out his interception against Kentucky as a moment that stuck with him.

Then there’s true freshman Xavier Griffin, who was a five-star recruit in the 2026 class. He had a tremendous game, and his burst is absurd. Joe compared his impact as a blitzer to Arvell Reese. It’s early, but Griffin looks the part.

Caleb Woodson has been a good, solid pickup from Virginia Tech. Yhonzae Pierre also flashes in some capacity every week, whether in pass coverage or as a pass rusher.

Devan Tompkins deserves more attention

The name I keep circling is Devan Tompkins. The USC transfer keeps popping up every week. Alabama plays him on the edge a lot, which is a bit of a strange fit at around 6-4 and 295 pounds, but he moves incredibly well.

I’m not sure he will ever be a true difference-making run stopper on the interior. Give him some space to work from wider alignments, though, and he has a lot of juice as a pass rusher.

A 3-4 defensive end role feels like the right projection. Why USC didn’t get more out of him is a conversation for another day. Either way, he’s a potential high-end 2027 defensive tackle prospect to keep a close eye on.

The secondary has been a letdown

Not everything has gone to plan. The Crimson Tide secondary has been up and down. I like Bray Hubbard, and I think he will play in the NFL for a long time. I’ve never been in on Keon Sabb. I expected Zabian Brown to take a nice jump after a good 2025 season, but he looks about the same, if not a little worse.

Part of that could be how the defense is being called. An emphasis on forcing turnovers can leave defensive backs out of position, though I may be painting with too broad a brush there. There is still time for this group to respond. If it does, Alabama has the young talent to be a problem for the rest of the SEC.