Despite the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer, Alabama was able to hold onto four-star defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman in the 2024 recruiting class. Now, Beaman appears to be ready to show Crimson Tide fans why that was so important.
Beaman redshirted his freshman season and played just 30 snaps across three games last season after arriving in Tuscaloosa as a bit of a tweener on the defensive line. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, he was built like an edge rusher, but played primarily on the interior. Now, after a remarkable transformation, he has the body to match his game and could be ready to play a major role for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
Since arriving on campus, Alabama defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman (@Jeremiah_Beaman) has added 47 pounds to his frame.
— Crimson Coverage (@CrimsonCoverage) July 12, 2025
He is now being listed at 6-foot-4, 312 pounds on Alabama Football’s official website.
The former four-star played in three games as a true freshman but is… pic.twitter.com/DTlDDFksRx
Jeremiah Beaman adds 47 pounds ahead of redshirt freshman season with Crimson Tide
It can take time for young players to mature in their frames and reach a viable playing weight for the SEC. That was the case for Beaman, a three-technique at the high school level, who dominated with a quick first step and good footwork.
The trouble for the program that lands a player like that is adding weight to their remarkably athletic frame without sacrificing any of the athleticism. If Alabama pulled that off with Beaman, he could be one of the most improved players on the roster and could give the Crimson Tide defense a significant boost.
Alabama’s defensive line will be led by veteran nose tackle Tim Keenan III, who established himself as one of the premier run defenders in the country last season, and edge rusher LT Overton, a former Texas A&M transfer who led the team with 39 QB pressures last season. Beaman won’t unseat Keenan for reps on the interior, but with Tim Smith and Damon Payne both gone, he will compete with James Smith and Edric Hill for opportunities.
Even with Keenan leading the way and a linebacker ground with Jihaad Campbell, a 2025 first-round NFL Draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alabama’s run defense finished barely above average in stuff rate (the percentage of run plays stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage). Beaman’s presence, with his 47 added pounds, may tick that number up in 2025, and in turn allow Wommack’s unit to be more successful.
If he remained an undersized player who relied on length and speed, Beaman could have been an effective interior pass rusher. The added weight is crucial because it will help him take on double teams in the run game and hold up at the point of attack, making the Birmingham, Alabama native a more impactful player for the Tide on all three downs, not just obvious passing situations.