The offseason can reveal a lot about a football team.
It can show you which players have taken a step forward, who has earned more responsibility, and which young players are poised to carve out consistent roles when the games turn real.
For third-year Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, those evaluations have been unfolding over the last eight months, with several young and rising defenders at multiple positions steadily proving their worth within what is expected to be a deep Crimson Tide defense.
Now, with Alabama entering game week ahead of Saturday’s regular season opener against East Carolina, some of those players have done enough to earn Wommack’s trust — and a chance to turn their offseason progress into meaningful snaps.
Kane Wommack says Ivan Taylor and Xavier Griffin have expanded their roles
“I think you're seeing some guys that are still trending in the right direction,” Wommack said Monday. “I think Ivan Taylor comes to mind as a guy that has elevated his game to another level going into his second season here with us. He's gonna have a much more significant role within our defense. I think his work ethic is phenomenal."
Taylor is perhaps the clearest example of what Wommack wants to see from Alabama’s younger defenders.
The 6-foot, 198-pound safety got his first taste of college football as a rotational piece in 2025, recording five solo tackles and a pass breakup. Now, after an offseason of crafting, Wommack expects there to be more put on his plate in year two.
That distinction matters for an Alabama secondary with legitimate depth.
Wommack isn't looking to put young players on the field because of potential alone. They have to prove they can add value to a defense already filled with established starters.
Taylor has done enough to earn that opportunity, but he isn't the only young defender who has caught Wommack’s attention.
“And you've got guys like true freshman Xavier Griffin, who I think is gonna be out there on the field,” Wommack continued. “And there's gonna be different things for him; hopefully he can continue to evaluate and grow his role for us because we've seen position versatility from him. And the ability to continue to develop.”
Griffin’s versatility has helped create a path to the field in year one as a five-star true freshman. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he gives Alabama’s defensive staff another athletic piece it can move around the front, creating opportunities for Wommack to deploy his speed and athleticism in matchup-based situations.
For Taylor, Griffin and several other reserve talents that continue to breathe down Alabama’s defensive staff's neck for extended looks, Saturday will be the first step towards proving the trust they've gained during the offseason can translate when the stakes change.
But there is one hurdle Wommack still needs them to clear.
“Game days are different,” Wommack said. “It's always different. It's always been different. And what you do when those lights come on in Bryant-Denny Stadium matters differently, so you try to prepare these guys as best you can for that opportunity, but we need to see what they do under the lights, or under the 11 A.M heat.”
That's the final test.
If Taylor, Griffin, and the rest of the Tide’s emerging depth can turn the trust they've earned into reliable production, it gives Wommack something every defensive coordinator wants: more dependable pieces and more ways to deploy them as the season unfolds. And for a Crimson Tide defense with championship aspirations, having young players prove they belong early on could be what ultimately gives Alabama the depth and versatility it needs when the biggest games arrive.
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