Alabama Practice Observations: What we learned from the Crimson Tide’s fifth fall camp practice
Alabama returned to the field on Tuesday for its fifth practice of fall camp.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama returned to the field on Tuesday for its fifth practice of fall camp. After holding Media Days on Monday, the Crimson Tide was back in shorts and shoulder pads as it prepares for a road matchup against Florida State in the season opener coming up on Aug. 30. Below are some of our observations from Tuesday’s session.
-Physically, Keon Keeley is in a great place. The former five-star has looked the part for a while, but he’s starting to carry himself like a veteran out there. Would still like to see him play with a more consistent pad level, but he continues to be a guy who’s trending in the right direction. The more I watched him today, the more I’ve convinced myself that he’s in a place where he can get some interior reps as well. Before, he felt like an edge-only Bandit, but that may not turn out to be the case. We’ll have to wait and see, but I continue to be encouraged by his development.
-Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was a little more animated today. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him that animated. While watching the tackles and tight ends go through a blocking drill, he kept hammering for guys to keep their pad level down and play violent, and he wasn’t afraid to call people out when they weren’t. We heard him yell, “that wasn’t violent” on a couple of occasions. For anyone who still thinks DeBoer doesn’t have that second gear, you should hear some of the audio coming out of today’s practice.
-For the second consecutive practice, I focused in on fifth-year linebacker Justin Jefferson. Is he still somewhat undersized? Sure, but that’s also where the game is heading, both on the college and NFL levels. The hip explosion is jaw-dropping at times. He’s one of those guys who can work up to full speed in only a couple of steps. He plays with a violence that can be infectious to the rest of your defense. There’s no doubt that Alabama will miss Jihaad Campbell’s leadership and versatility, but this off-ball linebacker room continues to be in great shape. I thought Duke Johnson showed similar flashes as that undersized, yet explosive second-level defender today.
-We’ve seen high quality defensive backs come through Alabama over the years. By now, you and I both know what they’re supposed to look like. The Crimson Tide have plenty on this year’s roster, and second-year safety Zay Mincey is one of them. I liked him as a physical boundary corner coming out of high school, but it’s become clear that his highest ceiling is at safety. That length, physicality, hip fluidity and range all fit the position and allow him to roam/headhunt more. He might not be a starter in 2025, but he’s going to play a lot — and he’s going to be effective. Really enjoy seeing him work through drills that show off his ability to turn and run.
-Wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks was back at practice after missing the media viewing period on Sunday, but he was still in a black, no-contact jersey and was getting work on the stationary bike. To his credit, he was getting after it on that machine too. You can tell he wants to get healthy so he can get back onto the practice field. His absence is creating more opportunities for guys like Cole Adams, Jaylen Mbakwe and maybe even Jalen Hale.
-The offensive line and tight ends were split up into three groups. The left tackles were with one set of tight ends, the right tackles were with another group of tight ends and the three interior positions were off working to themselves. From what I saw, Kam Dewberry continued to be the left guard with the first group while Jaeden Roberts and Geno VanDeMark continued to rotate at right guard. That was only during my limited time watching the offensive line though, so I’m not sure if any of the other media members got a different look. We’ll continue to monitor that situation on Wednesday.
-Defensive back Cam Calhoun was back working with the cornerbacks during Tuesday’s practice. The Utah transfer had been seen working at Husky in the previous two sessions, but it feels like he’s being groomed to provide depth at both spots. As I mentioned on Sunday, I think he’s the “sixth DB” off the bench at corner or Husky while Mincey is that guy at safety. Calhoun just plays the game with an edge, which even shows up at times when he’s working through individual drills. This continues to be an underrated addition for Alabama this offseason, but similar to Mincey, it feels like he’ll be a name opposing fanbases will learn about this season, even if he’s not technically a starter.
-Qua Russaw seemed limited on Tuesday. I don’t think he was participating in every drill, but he also wasn’t in a black, no-contact jersey. I’m sure the tweak that Kalen DeBoer referenced on Sunday has the former five-star edge on somewhat of a pitch count. I wouldn’t be concerned about it.
