Alabama football will be well-represented in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The game will be played on Saturday, February 4th, and will kick off at 2:30 PM EST.
Although three former Alabama players have decided not to participate, six others will be in uniform. Kicker Will Reichard decided to return to Tuscaloosa for one more season, while linebacker Henry To’o To’o and safety Jordan Battle will both miss the game with injuries.
Former Alabama Football tight end Cameron Latu has already been making noise in Mobile. Latu earned an award by being voted the top tight end on his team during Senior Bowl practice week.
The converted outside linebacker put together two solid seasons of production with the Crimson Tide. He burst onto the scene as a junior, tying a school record with eight touchdown grabs from the tight end position. While his touchdowns were slashed in half as a senior, he otherwise put up similar numbers.
Cameron Latu was a major red zone target that always came up big in the postseason. He scored touchdowns in the 2021 Cotton Bowl against Cincinnati, the 2021 National Championship game against Georgia, and the 2022 Sugar Bowl against Kansas State. With the Tide missing most of its starting wide receivers, Latu went for a career-high 102 yards in the 2021 National Championship. In his Alabama career, Latu posted 56 receptions for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns in 26 starts.
Former Alabama Football guard Emil Ekiyor Jr. was a long-time fixture on Bama’s offensive line, starting 40 games over his final three seasons at The Capstone. Ekiyor Jr. was the last holdover from Alabama’s 2020 offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award and paved the way to a national championship.
Emil Ekiyor Jr. played a lot of center in high school, and has worked at the position throughout Senior Bowl practice. In an effort to improve his draft stock, Ekiyor Jr. is seeking to improve the perception of his positional versatility.
Fellow former Alabama Football offensive lineman Tyler Steen is also in Mobile this week. Steen, a former Vanderbilt transfer, only played in Tuscaloosa for one season and was a starter at left tackle. He started all 13 games and was named second-team All-SEC. Including his time at Vandy, Steen started 46 career games as an SEC offensive lineman.
Former Alabama Football defensive linemen Byron Young and DJ Dale were major contributors on Bama’s D-line for several seasons. Young gradually progressed every year, and was one of the SEC’s premier defensive linemen in 2022. He recorded 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks en route to being named first-team All-SEC. In his career, Byron Young made 139 stops with 22.5 coming in the backfield, along with 7.5 sacks.
DJ Dale was essentially a four-year starter at nose guard for the Crimson Tide. As a senior, he split time with massive freshman Jaheim Oatis and had one of his best statistical seasons in Tuscaloosa. In his career, DJ Dale tallied 74 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.
Former safety DeMarcco Hellams put up lots of production as a three-year starter for Alabama football. He led the team with 108 tackles as a senior, and improved as a playmaker. Hellams racked up 261 career tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, and 17 pass breakups from his safety spot.
DeMarcco Hellams may be unfairly remembered by some for Alabama’s 2022 loss at Tennessee, in which he was exposed in man coverage on several occasions. Running with wide receivers in the open field was never one of Hellams’ strengths, so this game was an example of a massive schematic error as much as it was an individual deficiency.
At the Senior Bowl, Hellams is determined to prove he can be effective in coverage. If he can do so, he will improve his draft stock significantly, because he is very proficient in nearly all other facets of the safety position.
Tune in to the Senior Bowl to watch these six seniors wear an Alabama helmet one last time!