Alabama Football: Secondary reinforcements
The Alabama football secondary has been hit with the injury bug, and has a few more question marks than originally anticipated heading into the season.
Earlier in the offseason, the cornerback battle was thought to be strictly a three-man race between Kool-Aid McKinstry, Khyree Jackson, and Eli Ricks.
The safety spots are held down by veterans Demarcco Hellams and Jordan Battle. The star position is filled by juniors Brian Branch and Malachi Moore. Most of this lineup is still very much intact.
Alabama Football: New face at corner
While the cornerback race hasn’t quite gone according to plan, Alabama football is still very solid at the position. Kool-Aid McKinstry has largely lived up to the hype he generated coming out of high school, when he was the no. 1 cornerback in the class of 2021 and the top player in the state of Alabama.
LSU transfer Eli Ricks remains a little behind the learning curve, and has dealt with a nagging back injury. Former JUCO product Khyree Jackson has had a minor groin issue. Neither of these injuries are serious, but both players have missed time in fall camp as a result. This has opened up room for competition at the corner spot opposite McKinstry, and redshirt freshman Terrion Arnold looks to have seized that opportunity.
Arnold joined Alabama football, along with McKinstry, in the class of 2021. He was one of the best safeties in the nation and, like McKinstry, was athletic enough to flirt with Nate Oats’ basketball team. Terrion Arnold has converted to cornerback and is now in a position to lock down a starting role. Junior Jahquez Robinson is also in the mix.
McKinstry and Arnold are both young, so it will certainly be nice to get Jackson and Ricks back in the rotation. However, Arnold’s emergence allows them some time to ensure they are fully healthy before they return.
Alabama football: Quality backup at safety
The safety positions are an overwhelming strength of the Alabama football team in terms of talent, experience, leadership, and returning production. Strong safety Jordan Battle and free safety Demarcco Hellams are both seniors with multiple years of experience, and are both among the best in the nation at their respective positions. Additionally, Brian Branch and Malachi Moore in the nickel are both elite players that can slide to safety in a pinch.
When Battle had an injury scare during practice last week, it prompted a lot of questions from Alabama football fans about the depth at safety. Although Battle is fine, it should be stated that redshirt sophomore Kristian Story is a more than capable replacement.
Story played on special teams and got limited snaps on defense in 2021, but should be comfortable with the system as he enters his third season in the program. Hopefully the Tide won’t need him much in 2022, but Story will be ready if called upon. He is being groomed to be one of the starting safeties for Alabama football in 2023, assuming he can hold off five-star recruits such as Caleb Downs and Tony Mitchell.
dark. Next. Saban demanding improvement
Alabama’s starters in the secondary make it a strength of the team. It is now beginning to develop quality depth on the back end.