Alabama’s young defense benefits from developmental opportunities in week one
Kane Wommack’s first game as the Alabama defensive coordinator has come and gone, but the young DC has yet to give up a point in his Crimson Tide tenure.
Wommack’s 4-2-5 “Swarm” defense looked the part in a shutout of Western Kentucky, surrendering just 145 yards on 67 plays and forcing a pair of first half turnovers.
In addition to veteran leaders like Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson, who led the team with nine tackles apiece, Alabama was able to rotate a lot of youthful talent into the game. These young players, most of whom were highly-touted recruits, flashed a lot of ability and promise.
Redshirt freshman Qua Russaw was perhaps the biggest revelation, starting at the Wolf position for the Tide. While it was known that he would be in the rotation, few had Russaw penciled in as a day one starter over several older players at his position.
He made an instant impact, making a big tackle for loss on just the fourth play of the game to help the Alabama defense get off the field. Russaw remained active throughout the contest, ultimately finishing with four stops.
His former high school teammate, sophomore defensive tackle James Smith, also saw a lot of time and was very impactful. Smith made three tackles and, even against 6'7" quarterback TJ Finley, was able to bat down two passes at the line of scrimmage.
The two former 5-stars out of Carver (Montgomery) look like they will play huge roles in the Alabama defense in 2024.
Sophomore safety Bray Hubbard was yet another second-year player that got a lot of reps against WKU. Hubbard spent a lot of time around the ball, finishing with a career-high six tackles.
In addition to Hubbard, Alabama’s secondary was flooded with true freshmen very early in the game. Zabien Brown got the start at cornerback and played well in his first outing. Fellow true freshmen Jaylen Mbakwe and Zay Mincey rotated in at corner and also showed the athleticism that made them 5-star recruits. Mbakwe recorded four tackles and a pass breakup while Mincey displayed solid coverage ability at 6’3”.
At the Husky position, another freshman saw the field early in Red Morgan. Morgan flashed with a tackle for loss and a PBU in his debut.
Several other youngsters got on the field for the Alabama defense as the game progressed. True freshmen linebackers Cayden Jones, Sterling Dixon, and Noah Carter all made their first career tackles while second-year players like defensive lineman Edric Hill, edge Yhonzae Pierre, and transfer safety Kam Howard made stops for the Crimson Tide as well.
All of the rotating Alabama did in the first quarter likely means that the lineups aren’t quite settled yet. It was expected that Alabama would go deep on the defensive line, and the Tide showed incredible versatility at the second level with guys like Campbell and Justin Jefferson moving around the field in situational packages.
However, the secondary movement indicates that there are still ongoing position battles as the season gets underway.