5 defensive players to watch for Alabama football during A-Day

We're just two days away from Alabama football's A-Day, which will conclude spring practice. It'll be the last, and for most observers, the first look at the 2025 Crimson Tide. There's been a bevy of injuries plaguing Alabama throughout the spring, the majority of which were carried over from last season.

Kane Wommack is entering his second season as Alabama's defensive coordinator. He led a Top 10 unit last season that got better as the season went on. All the youth an inexperience he dealt with last season should pay major dividends in 2025 as the Tide has experienced depth at all three levels of the defense.

With some key players missing the spring, such as LBs Deontate Lawson and Justin Jefferson, and DBs like Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb, there's been valuable reps being passed around to younger players. Several of them have made the most of it.

Let's take a look at five intriguing players to watch during Saturday's A-Day. You can read our five offensive players to watch here.

Watch out for these 5 Alabama defensive players during A-Day

5. LB QB Reese/LB Abduall Sanders

There's been plenty of reps to go around the linebacker room with Alabama's two most experienced players - Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson - missing the spring with injuries. Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green has been working with the first unit. Next to him in most drills has been redshirt freshman QB Reese, who has seemingly taken a big step throughout spring.

Reese and Cayden Jones's emergence in the LB room was thought to be a reason why Justin Okoronkwo transferred following the season. True freshman Abduall Sanders has been making waves in spring practice as well and has been working with Jones with the twos.

Sanders was a 4-star recruit from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California. When Lawson and Jefferson are back healthy, there isn't likely to be playing time at LB for Sanders this year. But he's likely to be a valuable special teams contributor immediately.

4. DL Jeremiah Beaman

Alabama has a big need for increased depth at defensive tackle after Tim Smith exhausted his eligibility and both Jeheim Oatis and Damon Payne hit the Transfer Portal. Alabama returned presumed starters Tim Keenan III and James Smith, but you can never have enough depth on the defensive line and behind the two starters the Tide was looking thin.

Alabama could pursue options in the Transfer Portal for added depth, but Jeremiah Beaman has gone through an incredible body transformation since getting to Alabama. He came in at 259 pounds and has reportedly increased his weight up to 312. He looks ready to contribute in a meaningful way in 2025.

3. S Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.

The son of former Alabama CB and NFL 1st Round pick Dre Kirkpatrick, the Jr. version is proving this spring that he was more than just a legacy recruit. He has excellent athleticism, and that appears to be translating into on-field play.

Now, Alabama is deep in the secondary, and projected starters Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard aren't likely to give up their spots. Alabama also has another player we'll talk about next, a returning contributor in Red Morgan, and true freshman Ivan Taylor.

There's a lot of competition in the secondary. The way Kirkpatrick Jr. is playing, I would expect him to be in the rotation.

2. S Zay Mincey

The aforementioned other player is rising sophomore Zay Mincey. Mincey came to Alabama as a corner and started his career there, but as the season progressed, he began working with the safeties. When Malachi Moore had surgery and missed the ReliaQuest Bowl, Mincey was the next man up and started against Michigan.

With Sabb still out from the season-ending injury that knocked him out following the Tennessee game last year, Mincey has been working next to Hubbard with the first-team defense at safety. When Sabb returns, Alabama will have three starting-caliber safeties they can be comfortable with, along with a rising player such as Kirkpatrick Jr.

1. CB Dijon Lee

Just like Lotzeir Brooks on offense, the freshman who has made the most noise so far defensively is 6-foot-4 CB Dijon Lee. Lee, a 5-star from California, has been turning heads during spring practice and looks to be carving out a place in Alabama's secondary.

In fact, with Domani Jackson sidelined with an injury, Lee has been working with the starting group at corner next to Zabien Brown, who started as a freshman a year ago. Alabama returns both of its starting cornerbacks and added a talented player in the Transfer Portal in Utah's Cam Calhoun, but Lee doesn't seem content with biding his time.

Lee is the real deal and Alabama fans will get to see that on Saturday. Jackson and Brown make up an incredibly talented CB tandem, but with Lee and Calhoun backing them up, there's probably not a better or deeper CB room in the country than what Maurice Linguist has to work with in Tuscaloosa.