Kalen DeBoer confirms the hype on Alabama Crimson Tide young breakout stars ahead of game against Georgia Bulldogs
Young Alabama stars could prove to be key in SEC rivalry game against Georgia
This Alabama Crimson Tide team is built a bit different than fans have come to expect over the years, but things are starting to come together. The unproven fourth-year quarterback Ty Simpson is hitting his stride. The offensive line struggled early, but they’re finding their footing.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this 2025 Alabama team is the amount of young players (in many cases true freshman) becoming critical contributors, breakout stars, for Kalen DeBoer and company. When asked about all those young players this week, DeBoer couldn’t help but highlight just how important they’ve become already, and could be against Georgia this week.
Kalen DeBoer highlights freshman stars breaking out ahead of Georgia game
Nick Saban would bring in some special true freshman every single year, in some cases asking two or three of them to play significant roles throughout his special tenure with Alabama, but never as many are making a huge impact this season.
Part of it has to do with the lesser elite depth that powerhouse brands like Alabama are dealing with now in the modern era of transfer portal and NIL, but DeBoer and his staff clearly have no problem trusting their young players. And DeBoer clearly has high expectations for several of them moving forward:
“There’s no doubt. We use [our young players] in a variety of ways. They’re heavily involved, obviously, in offense and defense. And more and more guys, Lotzeir Brooks, Isaia Faga, London Simmons. I know they’re not all true freshmen, but guys getting their first real quality playing time. Then we use these guys on special teams. Dijon Lee on defense as well. But these guys are heavily involved in special teams and really doing a pretty good job for the most part. I’m excited about the development and growth. And that’s what the bye week so important for, is to continue to bring those guys along. This will be another taste for these guys on another level with us starting SEC action [against Georgia this week].”
DeBoer didn’t even name all of the high impact true freshman and young players breaking out this year for the Crimson Tide. Second year running back Kevin Riley has shockingly garnered more snaps than any other running back and he’s become the best option out of the backfield. Second year Ryan Williams continues to dominate (5 catches for 165 and two scores against Wisconsin).
Then of course with all four players DeBoer mentioned, Alabama is seeing solid contributions from all of them. Isaiah Faga and London Simmons on the defensive line. Dijon Lee at corner. Perhaps most impressive on smaller samples has been Lotzeir Brooks, the true freshman wide receiver.
Brooks has quickly seen his role rise from just nine snaps, to 22 snaps, to 30 snaps through the first three games. He’s snagged six receptions for 88 yards in the last two weeks alone, and his game-breaking speed could come in handy against Georgia this week (and beyond).
Dijon Lee has quickly become the team’s third cornerback on the perimeter, learning from Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown. He’ll be the future of the defense and has given up just two catches on his more than 60 snaps.
The two most important young breakout stars for Alabama this week against Georgia and the rest of the SEC are actually likely London Simmons and Isaia Faga. DeBoer hasn’t stopped talking about Simmons and his contributions all season, mentioning him in several pressers now. Faga has been even better on a per-play basis at generating pressure. As the teams’ primary one-two punch at deep interior defensive line they’re going to be the key to winning in the trenches all year long–and definitely against Georgia.
It’s strange to see for Alabama fans, but both Faga and Simmons aren’t the typical five stars that the Crimson Tide pulls in. They’re both former three stars, but they’ve already built out their frames well, showcasing great strength and push in pass rush. That kind of player might become the new reality for this era of Alabama football.
If the entire young core of Alabama’s offense and defense continues to grow as the season progresses, don’t be surprised if the team that lost to Florida State is long gone by the end of October. This team’s potential is sky high, and they’re still just getting their legs underneath them.
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