One of the most glaring issues for Alabama defensively in the season-opening 31-17 loss to Florida State in the season-opener was the play of the Crimson Tide's off-ball linebackers. Deontae Lawson looked timid and rusty, Justin Jefferson looked unsure of himself, and Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green was still figuring out his role.
All you can ask from a team is to get better every week. That has certainly been the case for Alabama's off-ball linebacker trio, and it has keyed the defense's improvement. Kane Wommack's unit still has a ways to go to live up to the preseason hype, but they are improving week by week.
In Alabama's 29-22 comeback win over South Carolina, the trio played key roles. They were three of the Tide's four leading tacklers, along with safety Bray Hubbard. Jefferson got one of Alabama's two sacks of LaNorris Sellers, Hill-Green was steady and all over the field, and Lawson played his best game of the season, even before he came up with the game-winning play, stripping Sellers late in the 4th quarter and putting the offense in position to go win the game.
Wommack has made some subtle schematic changes, and Alabama is getting all of its off-ball linebackers on the field at the same time in some packages. Lawson is spending more time on the edge in obvious passing downs, with Jefferson and Hill-Green manning the inside linebacker spots. Lawson may not have recorded a sack against the Gamecocks, but he pressured Sellers four times and kept the QB from getting comfortable.
The week before against Tennessee, it was Hill-Green's turn to shine. He finished with two tackles-for-loss, playing his best game in a Crimson Tide uniform. The Colorado transfer's steadying presence has been key for Alabama's defense.
Two weeks prior, Jefferson put together one of the best linebacker games in years for the Tide. He was dominant against Vanderbilt, racking up 14 total tackles, a sack, and forcing a key 1st quarter fumble on Diego Pavia.
Alabama's defense has a long way to go, but the LBs are providing optimism
This hasn't been the dominant defense many thought Alabama might have this season. After finishing last year 9th in the country in yards per play defensively, the Crimson Tide has regressed in 2025. Alabama currently ranks 39th in the same metric this year, per Team Rankings. Advanced stats paint a similar picture: Alabama ranks 37th in defensive EPA, per Game on Paper.
Alabama's defense has been good, but far from great. They've also played a brutal schedule, running through a gauntlet from late September until now that included four consecutive ranked SEC opponents. The numbers were never going to look pretty coming out of that stretch, but the results sure have been.
The improvement of the off-ball linebackers - and the emergence of Yhonzae Pierre off the edge in place of the injured Qua Russaw - is providing optimism that the Crimson Tide can play elite football on the defensive end down the stretch.
That's what it's going to take to turn Alabama from a playoff team into a National Championship contender.