Alabama is a little over two weeks into fall camp, and with those two weeks of practice and interviews finished, we’re starting to get a better idea of what the Crimson Tide’s depth chart could look like for the season opener against Florida State.

Below, you’ll find my projections for Alabama’s defense, starting with the defensive front.

Defensive Line

BANDIT (SDE)
LT Overton
Jordan Renaud
Keon Keeley OR Kelby Collins
Fatutoa Henry

NT
Tim Keenan III
Jeremiah Beaman
London Simmons OR Steve Mboumoua

DT
James Smith
Edric Hill
Kelby Collins
Isaia Faga

This is a really good defensive line. Is it elite? Well, it has a chance to be elite, but we still have to see it all come together. Overton and Smith both have first-round talent, and Keenan is currently projected to go sometime on late Day 2 or early Day 3. That’s a great place to start. Who knows what the future holds for players such as Beaman and Hill, but both of them have generated buzz this offseason, especially Beaman.

Collins is a complete unknown. We do know that the Florida transfer brings inside-out versatility. He reported in the spring at 285 pounds, but he managed to get down to 275 before the start of fall camp. I thought that meant he was going to play Bandit, but we’ve only seen him working with the interior guys during the open portions of practice. I currently have him listed as a rotational piece at both Bandit and defensive tackle, but just know that his role remains fluid until we get a look at him in the season opener.

I remain a big fan of Renaud. He’s always been a guy who played with his hair on fire, but he’s also played a little out of control at times, not fully understanding how he fit into into the defense. Well, we’re hearing that he’s made significant strides on that front, which is excellent news with Alabama needing a second Bandit after Jah-Marien Latham’s move to Wolf late last season. Overton will continue to be the primary option, but I suspect that you’ll see Renaud and Keeley in the rotation too.

I’m also encouraged by what’s been reported in recent days about Simmons and Faga. These are two former three-star recruits who are in their first and second years, respectively, but the reported progress has been noteworthy. On Wednesday, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and veteran lineman Tim Keenan III both mentioned their names. Will either of them play? Probably not much, if everyone remains healthy, but this is great news for depth purposes — and for 2026. I wouldn’t completely rule out some sort of role though.

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Outside Linebacker

WOLF (WDE/LB)
Qua Russaw
Jah-Marien Latham OR Yhonzae Pierre
Noah Carter OR Justin Hill

Wolf was a revolving door at times for Alabama last season. Russaw was the starter for a majority of the season, but an injury in a Week 3 matchup against Wisconsin kept him from being 100% for a large portion of the year. The team’s primary backup, Quandarrius Robinson, went out for the season in Week 9, and Keanu Koht only made it seven games in before being dismissed from the team and entering the transfer portal. Pierre was less than 100% for a majority of the season too.

Not only that, but for most of the season, starting off-ball linebacker Jihaad Campbell was seeing situational reps at Wolf, which was beneficial because he was one of the best pure pass rushers on the team. Unfortunately, that versatility had to stop once Deontae Lawson went down with a season-ending injury against Oklahoma that forced Campbell to play exclusively off the ball next to Justin Jefferson. All of the movement even forced Latham to move from Bandit to Wolf, which has since become permanent.

This year, Alabama’s coaching staff is hoping for better health. Russaw is back to being 100%, and he’s lost close to double-digit pounds, going from 251 last season to 243 right now. That change has allowed him to become even more explosive and twitchy, which should help him be a more consistent force as a pass rusher. We know he’s got near-elite edge-setting ability, so the former five-star is set for a breakout season in Tuscaloosa.

We don’t know exactly what it’ll look like behind him though. Latham is the steady veteran who does a lot of things well, but nothing at an elite level. Dropping from 278 in 2024 to 262 should help him handle more Wolf responsibilities, but he’s still not going to be a guy who will headline or be flashy. Pierre has continued to work towards becoming a complete edge. He’s a naturally gifted pass rusher, but the early-down, edge-setting responsibilities remain a work in progress.

Don’t forget about Carter and Hill. Both of these guys are former top-100 recruits with coveted skillsets. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, Hill is built and plays like an ideal Wolf in Kane Wommack’s defense. He’s comfortable playing both on and off the ball, he’s way more effective converting speed-to-power as a pass rusher than you’d think for a guy who was 215-220 less than a year ago and he plays the game the way it should be played. I’m excited to see how both of these guys do this season, even if it’s not in any sort of significant role. That being said, don’t be surprised if Hill works his way onto the field in some capacity.

Off-Ball Linebacker

MIKE (MLB)
Deontae Lawson
Cayden Jones
Abduall Sanders OR Duke Johnson

STINGER (WLB)
Nikhai Hill-Green OR Justin Jefferson
QB Reese
Luke Metz

This is one of the more intriguing rooms on the roster. We know Alabama has depth and experience here, as Lawson, Hill-Green and Jefferson are all either four, fifth or sixth-year players who have combined for close to 3,800 snaps and 53 starts. They each bring NFL talent, and their skillsets are valuable, yet different. That said, there’s still some unknown due to Lawson’s health and Hill-Green’s adjustment to the SEC and a new system.

Lawson has missed significant time in each of the last two seasons due to injuries, so even if he is able to assume a three-down role against Florida State in the season opener, having two other veteran options available will be vital for insurance purposes. But what if everyone is a full go? What will the rotation look like? Last year, Jefferson was afforded more opportunities, despite not being a starter, due to Campbell’s situational usage at Wolf. None of these three guys bring that versatility this year, so it’ll have to be a pure rotation.

If Lawson is back to a full-time workload, it’s safe to assume he’ll be an every-down player. He’s the field general of this Alabama defense, after all. That’d leave a platoon situation for Hill-Green and Jefferson, which makes sense. Hill-Green is more an early-down thumper type while Jefferson brings plus range and cover ability. I’d like to see Jefferson continue his every-down role after the way he finished last year though. I truly believe he’s got elite upside as a sideline-to-sideline, heat-seeking missile. If Lawson is unable to assume a full-time role, you can expect to see him platoon with either Hill-Green or Jefferson while the other is a full-time starter.

We’ve heard good things about all of the younger linebackers, including the three true freshman, but I doubt any of them see much meaningful action as long as the veteran trio ahead of them stays healthy. There’s an ongoing battle for LB4 between Jones and Reese though. I’m a fan of both guys, but I’d still probably lean Jones at the moment.

Secondary

FIELD (FCB)
Zabien Brown
Cam Calhoun
Chuck McDonald

BOUNDARY (BCB)
Domani Jackson
Dijon Lee OR Red Morgan

HUSKY (NCB)
DaShawn Jones OR Cam Calhoun
Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.

FS
Bray Hubbard
Ivan Taylor

SS
Keon Sabb
Zay Mincey
Kam Howard

Alabama’s secondary is expected to be one of — if not — the best in the country. There’s a perfect combination of experience, talent and depth that gives Wommack and the rest of this defensive staff a lot of flexibility and opportunity. Amongst the projected starters, you’ve got a fifth-year senior (Jones), a fourth-year senior (Jackson), a fourth-year junior (Sabb), a third-year junior (Hubbard) and a true sophomore (Brown).

Brown might be the youngest of the group, but he already has an entire year’s worth of starting experience under his belt after being a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Plus, a lot of your depth brings experience to the table. Calhoun has over 400 snaps and a start on the Power Four level (Utah), Morgan was a first-year contributor at Husky (178 snaps), Mincey got his feet wet and even started the bowl game against Michigan and Howard was a multi-game starter for Charlotte back in 2023.

That combination already makes the secondary intriguing, but then you’ve got three top-100 freshmen, including five-star Dijon Lee, who are ready to fill out some of your depth at both corner and safety. Lee is the closest to seeing action, but we’ve heard great things about Taylor’s immediate impact since arriving on campus back in the spring.

Recent buzz suggests that Jones is making significant progress at Husky, so while I currently have him as an “OR” starter with Calhoun, I’d be shocked if the former Wake Forest transfer wasn’t manning that position against Florida State. Calhoun is probably going to provide key depth, both inside and outside, but keep an eye on Kirkpatrick too. He’s a former three-star recruit who has far exceeded the ranking since arriving on campus.

Last year, Malachi Moore was Alabama’s strong safety (field safety) while Keon Sabb was the free safety (or boundary safety). When Sabb went down, Hubbard replaced him at free safety, but when Moore was forced to miss the bowl game, Hubbard slid over to the strong side with Mincey coming in at the boundary. The strong safety typically ends up as the single-high more frequently than the free, so it’s possible that Sabb plays there with Hubbard handling a slightly larger box load at free safety, but they’re pretty interchangeable.