Alabama’s secondary depth is clearing the path for flexibility that will allow Kane Wommack’s Husky position to make a significant impact on game days
Alabama’s depth and versatility in the secondary will allow the Husky to be an impact player on Saturdays.
Alabama has a plethora of depth in the secondary. After being forced to play multiple true freshmen in 2024, that playing time will now benefit a group that returns most of its key starters while also adding more potential impact pieces via the transfer portal and high school ranks.
Both of the top cornerbacks return in Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown, who combined for close to 1,400 snaps last year while starting every single game together. At safety, Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard are back. No, they didn’t play many snaps together in 2024, but Sabb was the starter next to Malachi Moore for the first half of the season while Hubbard took his place after a season-ending injury.
Plus, DaShawn Jones, who’s expected to start at the Husky nickel position, played 295 snaps while getting one start in 2024. That gives the former Wake Forest transfer almost 1,200 snaps in his career and almost 12 starts. Throw in players such as Cam Calhoun, who got quite a bit of experience at Utah last season, five-star freshman Dijon Lee, returning contributor Zay Mincey and others, and you’ve got plenty of talent and depth to work with.
All five positions in the secondary play an important role, but the Husky is typically asked to be more versatile. A lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the guy manning the slot, which second-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was asked about following Alabama’s third fall camp practice on Saturday. First, he broke down the Husky’s role while also bringing up the depth that’s been built in the secondary.
“Obviously, you’ve got a couple of guys over there that are fighting and battling right now,” Wommack told reporters. “I think our depth in the secondary, which is a lot better than it was a year ago, allows us to try a number of different guys out there.
“That is a very versatile position. It’s similar to the Wolf in all of the things that we ask that position to do, and yet, at the same time, very different. But that guy’s got to be able to fit the run. He’s got to be able to play man. He’s got to be able to play zone, coverage and blitz off the edge, and all of that stuff. So consistent execution is critical.
“That player can really eliminate part of the field, if they do their job in terms of perimeter blocking and teams that try to throw perimeter screens out there, if you’ve got a Husky that can take the field space away. I think we have a number of guys who seem to be doing a really good job right now. So pleased with where those guys are going, and I really like the competition in the room.”
With Wommack saying it’s similar to the Wolf linebacker position, it’s also worth mentioning how he described the latter on Saturday.
“It’s a really versatile position,” he said about the Wolf. “It takes a number of different things from a pass rush standpoint, from a run fit standpoint and then we ask those guys to do a lot of things from a coverage aspect as well.”
In some ways (and I use that term “some” lightly), the Husky and the Wolf are interchangeable. For example, you’ll sometimes see an inside receiver go in motion across the formation. And depending on what’s called defensively, you’ll either see the Husky follow him or let him go. In those situations where he lets the receiver go, the Husky and Wolf can almost switch responsibilities with the Husky becoming more of an edge presence (either on or off the line of scrimmage) and the Wolf being forced to drop into coverage.
Of course, you’re not going to ask the Wolf to man up on a receiver in most situations, but a zone drop becomes possible (and you might even see the Wolf roll off the line of scrimmage and become an apex player). This is why Wommack says they’re similar. Not the exact same, but playing the run, blitzing off the edge, dropping in coverage… they’re both asked to be some of the more versatile guys on your defense.
Jones continues to be the primary option at Husky. Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is a guy who emerged as a potential No. 2 at the position, and you’ve also got Red Morgan, who played it during his freshman year. But are Kirkpatrick and Morgan the sixth and seventh best defensive backs on the roster? Maybe, but maybe not. As I mentioned before, Calhoun, Mincey and probably even Lee should be in that conversation too.
If injuries happen, I’d be nice if your sixth and seventh options could play multiple positions to get them on the field as the first-line replacements. For that reason, it’s wise to see who’s also capable of playing Husky, whether that be as a rotational piece or as a replacement option in the event of an injury. During Friday’s practice, we noticed that Calhoun was getting reps inside after mostly playing on the perimeter since arriving at Alabama.
After that continued on Saturday, Wommack addressed the decision while also comparing the similarities and differences between the Husky and an outside corner, as Jones, Calhoun, Morgan and others have played both since Wommack’s arrival.
“There are similarities to an outside corner and a Husky, a nickel, and yet, at the same time, when you’re playing in that slot portion of the field, it really is a different position,” Wommack said. “And so, fundamentally, there’s a lot of carryover, but schematically, there’s a lot of difference in what we’re asking him to do.
“We started Cam on this really towards the end of spring and then got him involved in the summertime. And then those guys have done a really good job, Mo [Linguist] and Jason Jones, kind of working him back and forth between both rooms and so that he is available to play at both corner and at the nickel position. But I like what I’ve seen from him so far.”
Right now, I’d argue Calhoun or Mincey are your best non-starting defensive backs. Lee could certainly find himself in that conversation too, and I wouldn’t forget about Kirkpatrick, but that’s where I believe things are at right now. And between Calhoun and Mincey, you’ve potentially got a “first guy off the bench” for all three positions (corner, safety and Husky). That’s a good approach. Now, continue to get the other depth ready.
