Since getting run out of the stadium by Indiana at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day and being left holding the bag by Cam Coleman and Hollywood Smothers in the transfer portal, Alabama football has been trying to pick itself back up off the mat. This process hasn't been easy, but many Crimson Tide fans are starting to believe that the program may have caught its second wind with the return of Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb to the Alabama defense in 2026.
This resurgence comes after Hubbard and Sabb both declined the opportunity to test the NFL waters in April and instead returned to Tuscaloosa for their final seasons of eligibility. That boost has the potential to pay huge dividends for third-year Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and Alabama by potentially giving their defense one of the top returning safety duos in college football.
Keon Sabb's return bolsters Alabama's secondary in 2026
I confidently say this because Hubbard and Sabb were already among one of the better tandems in the country this past season. If you don't believe me, just take a look at where Pro Football Focus initially ranked Alabama’s secondary last preseason, being regarded as the No. 2 tandem in the nation entering 2025, rivaling only Texas' Micheal Taaffe and Jelani McDonald and Ohio State's Caleb Downs and Jaylen McClain.
These early predictions went on to prove true as the two junior safeties showed to be the backbone of Alabama's defense, with the duo combining for 133 tackles, three forced fumbles, three sacks, five interceptions, seven tackles for loss, and nine pass deflections across 15 games. This production was second in the country, with Taaffe and McDonald combining for 143 tackles, five interceptions, nine pass breakups, through 13 games. Downs and McClain finished third nationally, combining for 121 tackles, three interceptions, and just two pass breakups through 14 games.
Those efforts graded out Alabama's duo with 89.2 overall PFF grade. Tide fans got their wish with both safeties returning while watching the Longhorns returneMacDonld but lost Taaffe to the pros, while the Buckeyes lost Downs to the draft, while McClain returned to Columbus.
Of course with good health and continued development, those bundled returns to Alabama's defensive cart could loom large this fall if Hubbard and Sabb can both take the next step. If they indeed do so, it'll be hard for me to believe that there's a better tandem out there that can surpass Alabama's duo.
With that being said, this should easily give Kalen DeBoer and Wommack the top safety duo in the land among all of major college football secondaries entering the 2026 regular season.