The 2024 recruiting class brought an influx of talent to the Alabama secondary, and a much-needed one after the offseason transfer portal departures of stars like Caleb Downs and Trey Amos following Nick Saban’s retirement. However, that group has been shaken up in a big way heading into Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era.
Perhaps most notably, five-star cornerback recruit Jaylen Mbakwe initiated a position change to wide receiver ahead of Alabama’s ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan last winter. However, he wasn’t the only rising sophomore on the move in the Crimson Tide’s back seven.
After spending his freshman year listed as a safety, Red Morgan is making the full-time move to cornerback, and he’s looking comfortable in his new role at fall camp.
Practice No. 5 of fall camp for Alabama today.
— Blake Byler (@blakebyler45) August 5, 2025
Here’s a rep from Red Morgan, now a full-time corner after playing safety his freshman season: pic.twitter.com/8EHqLwykjy
Red Morgan adjusting to full-time move from safety to cornerback for sophomore season
Despite being a true freshman, Morgan played 178 snaps across 10 games for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack last season. 144 of those snaps came in the slot, especially early in the season, but he saw a reduction in playing time after Alabama allowed 40 points to Vanderbilt in an upset loss.
Wommack tried King Mack in Morgan’s role against Tennessee, to no avail, before eventually landing on Wake Forest transfer DaShawn Jones in that spot, with Bray Hubbard taking over full-time at strong safety. Hubbard is now a rising star for the Tide heading into 2025, and Jones is the likely starter at the nickel, forcing Morgan to search for a role at outside cornerback, a position he played just four snaps at last season.
Mbakwe’s position change to the other side of the ball opens up nearly 200 outside corner snaps from last season, but both of Wommack’s starters, Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown, are back and firmly entrenched in their roles. That rotation won’t be easy to crack, especially for a player who fell out of favor in his first year with the team.
A reduction in playing time and a position change typically set off alarm bells for the transfer portal watch, but Morgan appears to be adjusting to his new position nicely, and as an in-state four-star recruit, he has significant pedigree to fall back on.
It will take more than a strong fall camp for Morgan to claw back snaps in the Alabama secondary, but it’s a promising first step for a player who, at this time last year, looked like a long-term foundational piece for the Tide defense.