Alabama Roster Rankings: Five-star freshman already checking in as a top-30 player reflects his unicorn talent at cornerback
We talk often about unicorns in football, and Alabama now has one roaming around its secondary with this five-star freshman.
Alabama starts fall camp in just eight days, and the season opener against Florida State is exactly one month after that. So today, we continue on with our summer roster rankings where we take a look at almost every player individually.
The only ones who won't be included in the rankings are those three summer enrollees (Chuck McDonald, Kaleb Edwards and London Simmons) and freshman punter Alex Asparuhov, who was out the entire spring due to injury. That brings the total number to 78 players while the first rankings included just 59 players (freshmen and JUCO weren't included).
Previous roster rankings: Nos. 74-78, Nos. 70-73, Nos. 66-69; Nos. 62-65; Nos. 58-61; Nos. 54-57; Nos. 50-53; Nos. 46-49; Nos. 42-45; Nos. 38-41; Nos. 34-37
No. 33 – IDL Edric Hill
Previous ranking: No. 41 (+9)
Alabama needs rotation along the interior of its defensive line. Last year, it was Tim Keenan, Tim Smith, Damon Payne and James Smith as the main rotation. Jehiem Oatis was also a part of it early, playing 68 snaps through the first four games, but he ultimately left the team following the emotional win over Georgia and is now at Colorado.
Then we started to see a bit more of Hill in non-mop-up duty as the season progressed, and by the bowl game against Michigan, both he and Jeremiah Beaman were a consistent part of the rotation with Oatis and Payne gone. With Tim Smith now in the NFL too, both Hill and Beaman will continue to be a key part of the rotation behind Keenan and James Smith.
Beaman feels like more of the every-down piece between the two though. Don't get me wrong, Hill will see some early-down work, but I believe his biggest impact will come as a situational player inside. He's got some disruptive, penetrative traits that could aid what needs to be an improved interior pass rush for Alabama, so don't be surprised if he finishes the 2025 season with over 300 snaps and 3-4 sacks.
Projected role in 2025: Rotational DT/situational pass rusher
No. 32 – CB Cam Calhoun
Previous ranking: No. 31 (+0)
Calhoun was an underrated get for Alabama out of the transfer portal. As a redshirt freshman at Utah, he played 395 snaps while starting one game, and was widely considered one top cornerbacks available in the portal. And the fact that he could possibly give Alabama three years makes him the perfect immediate contributor who also brings long-term potential.
With Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown both set to return, it's not likely that Calhoun is a starter in 2025 unless he makes the move inside to Husky and somehow took the job from DaShawn Jones. But while I do love Calhoun's tenacity and competitiveness, we saw how a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back can struggle inside at that position with Red Morgan. So I personally have Calhoun slotting in as a key depth piece out on the perimeter.
We've seen how valuable those guys can be, too. Last year, Jones and Jaylen Mbakwe combined for close to 400 snaps as rotational options at cornerback before Jones eventually moved inside to Husky. In 2023, Trey Amos was a critical piece as Alabama's CB3 behind Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry. He played 340 snaps while also getting a start against Arkansas that season.
Calhoun is extremely important to Alabama's defense.
Projected role in 2025: Rotational CB
No. 31 – RB Richard Young
Previous ranking: No. 28 (-2)
Young is a former top-65 recruit who also ranked as a top-5 running back coming out of high school back in 2023. So far, that's only led to 71 career snaps with 59 of those coming as a redshirt freshman in 2024, but he did technically act as Alabama's third back last season. And with Justice Haynes moving on to Michigan, the opportunity is now there for him to emerge as a second option behind projected starter Jam Miller.
As a runner, there's a lot to like. He brings power and leg drive while also possessing quality long speed. I wouldn't consider him an elusive runner though, as he's more of a "run through you" type. Plus, questions remain about his potential impact in the passing game, whether that be in pass protection or as a receiver out of the backfield.
If he gets those questions answered (he’s already making headway this offseason), then he can be a solid No. 2 running back who will likely be the most effective in short-yardage situations and as a fourth-quarter closer. But I wouldn't be shocked to see someone such as Daniel Hill, who I recently moved up 18 spots to No. 34 in my summer roster rankings, push Young for that No. 2 role. This will be one of the more intriguing battles to watch in fall camp.
Projected role in 2025: RB2-3
No. 30 – CB Dijon Lee
Previous ranking: N/A
Yes, Lee is my highest-ranked freshman. Sitting all the way up here at No. 30 despite not having played a snap on the college level could be perceived as madness, and I totally get it if that's how you feel. But this is a special player who possesses one of the most intriguing skillsets that I've seen for a perimeter cornerback.
First of all, he's extremely long with jaw-dropping size at 6-4, 202 pounds. His 32-inch arm length is solid, but it's not quite on the same level as his height when it comes to the percentiles. Overall, his size and length make him a complete unicorn at his position. He also brings impressive physicality, suddenness and ball skills to the table, but his size is far-and-away what sets him apart from others. In fact, I've talked about his length a lot this offseason.
Special player who has already generated buzz while working some with the first-team defense this spring. Granted, Domani Jackson was out, so Lee probably still shouldn’t be considered a starter this fall. In fact, he'll be battling Calhoun for CB3 duties, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lee ends up winning out. Either way, four corners rotated last season, and I think that number continues in 2025.
Projected role in 2025: Rotational CB
