One area where depth was thin on what looks like a talented and deep Alabama defense for 2026 was in the Wolf LB room. With Qua Russaw and Noah Carter leaving via the Transfer Portal, the only guaranteed players in that room for next season looked to be Yhonzae Pierre and Justin Hill.
Until Wednesday.
According to the Tuscaloosa News, veteran Jah-Marien Latham will be back at Alabama next season for his seventh season of college football. Latham has evidently been granted a medical redshirt after only playing one game in 2025.
Latham suffered a lower-body injury during Alabama's season-opening loss to Florida State that caused him to miss the following two games. But it was a serious neck injury he suffered in practice during the lead-up to the Georgia game that ended his season.
Latham suffered the injury in practice and was immediately transported to UAB via ambulance. It was announced quickly that he would be done for the season, but Kalen DeBoer wasn't sure if the medical redshirt process would work out or not, given that Latham had already been granted a regular redshirt and the free COVID year in 2020.
But it has. And now Alabama will return its most veteran player, and the last man standing from the Crimson Tide's last National Championship-winning team.
Jah-Marien Latham's return is a huge boost for Alabama in 2026
Latham brings back a lot of versatility and experience for the Crimson Tide in 2026. He made the move to the Wolf LB room last offseason, and that's likely where he'll remain. He's a bigger body for that position that will help against the run in setting the edge.
But Latham is versatile enough that he could slide down to Bandit, or even inside to DT, according to Kane Wommack.
That will likely allow Wommack to move around 5-star incoming freshman Xavier Griffin, who now has the luxury of bouncing between on and off-ball linebacker spots, much like Jihaad Campbell did.
Latham's return eases the one real concern for next season's defense, and now he'll hopefully have the opportunity to end his playing career on his own terms.