2 5-star freshmen are already catching Zabien Brown's eye during Bama spring practice

At programs like Alabama, development isn't just top to bottom; it's constant, internal, and often unexpected. Experience matters, but it doesn't give veterans a monopoly on growth. Sometimes, the spark comes from the very players who just arrived. 

That's what makes this spring in Tuscaloosa so telling for Alabama veteran cornerback Zabien Brown. The third-year starter isn't just leading, he's observing, absorbing, and evolving. And some of that growth is coming from incoming true freshman defensive backs, Jireh Edwards and Jorden Edmonds. Both Edwards and Edmonds come into their first seasons in Alabama's secondary as early enrollees and 5-star talents this spring. 

And even though neither has been on campus long, it sounds like they've each already started to blend into the rhythm of the Crimson Tide's defensive back room subtly. Not necessarily by being loud or trying to take over, but by how they move, how they prepare, and how quickly they've both seemed to settle into the standard. 

Brown, coming into his junior campaign after having earned freshman All-SEC team honors in 2024, then earning his respect around the country as one of the best cornerbacks in the country in 2025, is experiencing this from the talented youngsters firsthand this spring. As roommates, Brown has gotten a firsthand look at Edmonds and Edwards, while sharing reps and also seeing how they prepare behind the scenes, day to day. That backdrop is what makes Brown's early assessment of both more meaningful.

"My roommates in the dorm are Jireh and Jorden, so those guys, they work hard and leave early, being around them, they move right," Brown said to reporters on Tuesday when highlighting both newcomers as Alabama kicked off week 2 of spring practice.

Zabien Brown speaks highly of touted freshmen Jireh Edwards and Jorden Edmonds

Brown's early impression isn't just built on hype or status; it's built on repetition. The kinds that show up in the small details before it ever flashes in a game. That consistency has already started to translate into practice for Edwards and Edmonds. And even though it's early, Brown says these traits are showing up in real time, and the growth is noticeable. 

"He (Edwards), moves amazing to me, I think all the freshman, they move around good," Brown said. "They've put on size and speed, I think everyone's progressing really good." 

Edwards has already made an impression with his size at currently 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, with many already labeling the Maryland native as possibly the "next one up" in Alabama's secondary at safety. Brown also noted to reporters that he's been humbly learning from Edmonds in the early stages of this spring.

"I'll ask Jorden about a rep he had or just something like, and if you're humble, then you should be able to take in information from everybody, anybody," Brown said... "Might just be somebody's press rep, the way they get hands on somebody, or just a certain movement. We'll ask them about that, what they've seen to make them (receivers) do that, just being able to pick up tools from other people to add to my game... I could say it happens every practice honestly, it's a plethora of talented guys around our room. If you can't learn from each other then you're probably not doing something right." 

Seeing a player of Brown's caliber still willing to learn from those behind him reinforces what Alabama's standard truly is — iron sharpening iron, regardless of age or experience. And if that mindset holds, it's what gives this Crimson Tide secondary a chance to be special this fall.