Alabama Football’s most important position battle
The Alabama secondary was almost entirely retooled this offseason after being a major strength in 2023. Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Jaylen Key all moved on to the NFL while Caleb Downs, Trey Amos, and others hit the transfer portal. When the dust settled, veteran safety Malachi Moore was the only returning starter of the group.
A major secondary haul in the class of 2024 eased some of the concerns, but it’s never optimal to rely heavily on true freshmen in the defensive backfield. The 5-man class includes 5-star DBs Jaylen Mbakwe, Zabien Brown, and Zay Mincey, along with 4-star Red Morgan and 3-star Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
Bama also landed a 5-man transfer portal class in the secondary. Several members of that transfer class will play critical roles this season. Former USC cornerback Domani Jackson, former Michigan safety Keon Sabb, and former Wake Forest cornerback DaShawn Jones could all be starters for the Tide in week one. Two more young transfer safeties, King Mack from Penn State and Kam Howard from Charlotte, will be options as well.
With Moore and Sabb on the back end, the safety position should be in good hands. Cornerback is more of a question mark, and likely represents the most important competition for Alabama Football heading into fall camp.
Domani Jackson is widely expected to be a surefire starter. A former top five player in the 2022 recruiting cycle, he has first round potential that he must live up to. He is the second-most experienced of the Bama corners with 35 career tackles in 18 games. The Tide is replacing two lockdown corners in Arnold and McKinstry, and it will rely on Jackson to play at or near that level this fall.
The other cornerback spot is much more intriguing. Transfer DaShawn Jones is the obvious starter on paper; with 61 tackles and three interceptions in 22 career games, he is the most experienced corner on the roster and has produced at the high-major level in multiple seasons.
True freshman Zabien Brown appears to be the most likely candidate to push or even surpass Jones. This will be an intense battle to watch throughout camp. Whichever player ultimately wins the job will be depended on a great deal. A weakness at the cornerback position can cost Bama points even when the rest of the defense does its job, and the Tide will face some of the best receivers in the sport in SEC play.
Mbakwe, Mincey, and redshirt freshman Jahlil Hurley will also try to be factors in the race, but Jones and Brown look to have created some separation.
This cornerback room is fairly thin, and it is very young as a collective. Some early season growing pains should be expected as the Tide figures out its best lineup and builds chemistry. If it can gel, the unit has enough talent to eventually become a strength.