Alabama Football lands Wake Forest transfer CB DaShawn Jones

DaShawn Jones’ anticipated commitment to Alabama finally became official on Wednesday, with the Tide landing the veteran cornerback it has sought all spring. 

Jones will make the jump from the ACC to the SEC after being a difference-maker for the Demon Deacons in 2023. In Tuscaloosa, he will attempt to bolster a cornerback room that is loaded with blue chip freshmen but severely lacking in playing experience. 

USC transfer Domani Jackson looks like the leader of the pack, but the other cornerback spot is wide open. Jones will be competing with true freshman Zabien Brown, among others, to earn the rights to the job. Regardless of how the depth chart shakes out, Alabama will go into this season fairly young at corner and without a single player who has taken an SEC snap. The group will have to grow up fast with a couple of tough early-season games looming. 

In theory, the Crimson Tide will be able to lean on a stout front seven to protect the secondary until it can find its footing. If it can field a potent pass rush, it will go a long way towards making life easier on the back end and allowing that group to mesh.

This spring, Bama lost two defensive backs in young safeties Peyton Woodyard and Tony Mitchell to the transfer portal. It responded by bringing in Jones at cornerback and former Charlotte safety Kameron Howard.

This tradeoff will be interesting to track long-term, as Woodyard and Mitchell are the more talented duo on paper, at least according to recruiting rankings. However, Jones and Howard have both been starters at the collegiate level and have significantly more collective experience. For this reason alone, the swap benefits Alabama for the upcoming 2024 season. 

The Tide needed to add some older players in the secondary, particularly at cornerback, and it has done just that with the addition of DaShawn Jones.