Alabama Crimson Tide set to have key starter against Vanderbilt Commodores despite his recent absence from practice
The Crimson Tide expect to have their secondary in tact against Vanderbilt.
If you told fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide that “College GameDay” would return to Tuscaloosa in 2025, they wouldn’t have batted an eye. But if you told them that Alabama would welcome ESPN to the Capstone for the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores, many would have laughed.
Yet, here we are. A year removed from one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history, Alabama is aiming to ascend among the ranks of the nation’s best, with a pesky and undefeated Vandy coming to T-town.
It will need to be healthy to do so, especially on defense. Well, there was a brief scare after Keon Sabb wasn’t seen at a recent practice, but Kalen DeBoer assured the media he intends to play on Saturday.
Alabama expected to have Keon Sabb against Vanderbilt
“Yeah, no, he’ll be playing on Saturday,” said DeBoer of Sabb on Wednesday. “I think that he’s continued to get better. I think all of them have, especially Keon [Sabb], since we brought him up. His volume has continued to increase, working through fall camp. And, you know, I think he’s getting better and better each week, and more comfortable, just physically.
“I thought he’s played his best football here as of late, and Bray [Hubbard]. Just done a really good job the last couple of weeks. You know, leading the charge. He’s playing hard-nosed. He’s in the right places and making the plays that we need, whether it’s getting interceptions or forcing fumbles.”
There was a lot of talk coming into the season about the safety duo in Tuscaloosa. Some were high on Sabb and Hubbard, while others were pessimistic about scheme and durability. Thus far, the two have been ideal fits in Alabama’s secondary.
Sabb is the roaming ball hawk, while Huabbard is the rallying player from depth. A thunder-lightning, sizzle-and-steak kind of combo patrols the backend for the Tide. Looking to make life difficult on Diego Pavia, the two of them, along with Deontae Lawson and LT Overton, will be critical factors in the game.
That’s especially true as Tim Keenan returns to health and the team prepares to miss James Smith for the first half after a controversial targeting call against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Nonetheless, what happened in 2024 certainly can’t happen again, and definitely not in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama Crimson Tide News
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Alabama is set to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in a revenge game. A Crimson Tide sent out a strong warning heading into the matchup.
