Tim Keenan III may not be the most talented defensive player in the country. He may not even be the most talented player on the Alabama defense, but you can make a compelling case that he’s the most important.
After suffering an ankle injury in fall camp that required surgery to repair, Keenan is slated to make his season debut in Week 5 as the Crimson Tide head to Athens to open SEC play against Georgia. Ahead of that return, an NFL scout made a bold claim about the redshirt senior nose tackle.
An NFL scout to @aldotcom on Alabama DL Tim Keenan III:
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) September 22, 2025
“Might be the heart and soul of the defense. I don’t know if anyone is as important as he is." pic.twitter.com/COHkUgum4p
Tim Keenan III set to make season debut in Week 5 vs. Georgia
Keenan is not a penetrator on the interior. He was a disruptive pass rusher last season, racking up 14 QB pressures and three sacks with a 10.2 percent pass rush win-rate, but at 326 pounds, Keenan is best at taking up space on the interior of the defensive line.
Keenan can control double teams as well as anybody in the country, so that means more one-on-ones for Alabama’s edge rushers, LT Overton, who led the team in pressures last season, and Yhonzae Pierre, who has emerged as an impact rusher this season. It also means that opponents won’t get nearly as much push in the run game, and interior offensive linemen won’t be able to work up to the second level.
Alabama’s worst two defensive performances under Kane Wommack both came against similar types of quarterbacks and play-callers. The first was last season against Vanderbilt when Diego Pavia and the Commodores exploited Alabama’s linebackers in coverage with a play-action and run-pass-option heavy attack that left Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell flat-footed. The second was Week 1 this season against Florida State.
Tommy Castellanos torched Alabama on the ground, with Campbell off in the NFL and Lawson a step-slow recovering from knee surgery after a torn ACL ended his 2024 season. Keenan was out for that game, but with him back, Lawson and Justin Jefferson will have far less traffic to navigate and will be allowed to play much quicker in the run and the pass game.
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo should plan to move Alabama’s linebackers with pre-snap eye candy and option plays, but he’ll have a much tougher time if Keenan is plugging up the middle and slowing down the inside run game.
Saying Keenan is the most important on the Alabama defense may seem like a bold claim, especially with the talent that Wommack’s unit boasts in the secondary, but on Saturday, we’ll see just how valuable having an elite nose tackle can be.