Spring practice is just a little over a month away and it's a big one for Alabama football as they flip the page to year two under Kalen DeBoer.
This will be the first spring with a full roster of DeBoer players. He has his coaching staff in place and improvement will be necessary in 2025 or DeBoer will feel the weight of the Alabama head coaching job as he enters year three on the hot seat.
We previewed the offensive players who could breakout this spring on Wednesday. Today we take a look at the defensive players who could breakout.
The defense returns a lot of talent from last season and in year two in Kane Wommack's scheme, the Tide should boast one of the best units in college football next season. They will still need some depth pieces to emerge in order to reach the potential the unit has.
3 defensive players who could breakout for Alabama
3. BANDIT Keon Keeley
It's now or never for Keon Keeley as he enters his third season with the Crimson Tide. The former 5-star recruit has yet to make much of an impact in Tuscaloosa. He took a redshirt in his first season and then made a positional switch with the new coaching staff in 2024.
Keeley came to Alabama as an outside linebacker and then needed to bulk up to play BANDIT, which is more of a hybrid edge rusher and defensive lineman.
Wommack was extremely positive about Keeley during bowl practices in December saying he was "as high as I've ever been on him." Keeley will have his work cut out for him to move up the depth chart. Alabama returned LT Overton at BANDIT and added Kelby Collins from Florida in the Transfer Portal.
Jordan Renaud was in the same class with Keeley and is neck-and-neck, and possibly even ahead, playing the same position. But Keeley is undeniably talented and with a second season coming in the same system, with the same coaches, and playing the same position, the best should be brought out of him.
2. DB Zay Mincey
Zay Mincey came to Alabama as a highly regarded cornerback prospect. He spent the year there but made the switch to safety during bowl practices and seemed to be an immediate fit there. Alabama needed help at safety with the previous season-ending injury to Keon Sabb and then Malachi Moore missing the ReliaQuest Bowl due to surgery.
Alabama returns Sabb and Bray Hubard, who replaced Sabb when he went out with a season-ending injury and was one of the highest graded safeties in college football when he started.
Sabb and Hubbard should be in line to start next season, but there could be a role for Mincey. If he takes a leap in spring like he took during bowl practices, he'll be hard to keep off the field.
1. WOLF Yhonzae Pierre
Alabama has to do a better job at affecting the quarterback next season. The Crimson Tide only managed 25 sacks all of last season and its leader in sacks (Jihaad Campbell) is off to the NFL.
Qua Russaw is penciled in as the starter at the Wolf position and veteran Jah-Marien Latham has made the positional switch to give Alabama more size on the edge. JUCO transfer Kevonte Henry will also be competing for playing time. He was the top-ranked edge rusher in the junior college ranks last season.
Pierre took a redshirt during his first season on campus and was a backup that started seeing more playing time later in the season following the season-ending injury to Que Robinson.
Pierre was a highly-regarded prospect who has a lot of talent. This spring will be big for him as he looks to find his way into the rotation as a pass-rusher next season.