The calendar may read March, but it's football time in Tuscaloosa. On Sunday, Kalen DeBoer and Alabama took the practice field for the first day of spring camp and plenty of heads were turned with how great some guys looked.
5-star Alabama freshman shows up to spring ball with head-turning size
On the list was 5-star freshman Jireh Edwards. Leading up to Day 1 of practices, Edwards already had people talking because of his size - he's checking in at 6-2, 221 pounds, which is absolutely wild for a freshman safety.
Well, even more people are smiling thanks to the Alabama media team. Right after the first session wrapped up, the Tide posted pictures and videos and a close-up look at Edwards sure has people talking. Straight up, this kid already looks like a monster for the SEC powerhouse:
Freshman S Jireh Edwards. Woof.
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) March 9, 2026
Listed at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds.
(Via Alabama Athletics) pic.twitter.com/WC9nwuxPQV
Alabama freshman Jireh Edwards has wasted no time turning heads at spring ball
Just look at that picture. Goodness, Edwards indeed looks massive and his arms are popping. It's truly hard to fathom that the youngster should still be in high school right now, with his senior prom right around the corner for him and his classmates.
Instead, Edwards graduated from high school early and he enrolled at Alabama so he could get a headstart on his college career. He's surely been counting down the days for spring ball to arrive and he's going to want to make a splash alongside everyone else.
Edwards of course has an enormous amount of hype surrounding his name, as he joined Alabama ranked five stars and the No. 2 safety in the country per the 247Sports Composite. Once August gets here, Edwards is going to have the training wheels taken off quickly - look for him to get extensive playing time in 2026.
It's still only spring ball and there are of course going to be some ups and downs for him. He's still a freshman and there's a learning curve. However, Edwards has what it takes to be a total stud for DeBoer in '26 and beyond. We can't wait to see what he can get done.