Five dark horse All-American Candidates for the Alabama Football team in 2025

Heading into the 2024 season many aspects of the Alabama Football team will be different than the 2023 season. The coaching staff will have a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer who brings with him two new coordinators Nick Sheridan and Kane Wommack. The team will also lose five players who may end up being first-round selections in this year's NFL Draft. The roster turnover as well as the coaching changes will allow for a few Alabama Football players to rise from relatively unknown to players who may end up in All-American conversations.

5. Tim Keenan III - Defensive Tackle

In just his sophomore year Tim Keenan became an integral part of the Alabama Football team's interior line group finishing the year with 38 tackles and a sack. Entering his Junior season Keenan will become an even bigger part of the Alabama defense with the departure of Justin Eboigbe who led the group with 63 tackles and seven sacks in 2023.

In Kane Wommack's "Swarm Defense" Keenan will have an opportunity to excel against the run and as a pass rusher as one of the interior defenders. Keenan will be able to use his size and power against smaller centers when the defense shifts to 3-4 looks.

The Alabama defense will need a productive season out of veterans Tim Keenan III and Tim Smith following the departure of the group's three most productive rushers, Justin Eboigbe, Dallas Turner, and Chris Braswell. While younger rushers continue to develop in the defense we may see more three-defensive tackle sets with Smith, Keenan, and Latham on the field leading to more interior pressure lightening the load on the edge group.

4. Jahlil Hurley - Cornerback

As Spring practice opens up the cornerback taking starting reps opposite Domani Jackson may come as a surprise to many. The redshirt Freshman Jahlil Hurley used last season as a redshirt year and has entered camp as the second corner on the depth chart. As a recruit, Hurley was the 6th-ranked cornerback in his class and the 80th-ranked player in the country as a four-star corner.

At 6"2 170 pounds Hurley is the ideal size for a cornerback with his frame coming similar to that of Patrick Surtain II's when he was at Alabama. We've seen cornerbacks step in and have immediate success in the past at Alabama with Kool-Aid McKinstry and Pat Surtain and Hurley has a chance to be similar to both.

Working in Hurley's favor is a year in the Alabama Football program gaining experience in practice against college level receivers while spending a year in the strength and conditioning program. If Hurley earns a starting role in Kane Wommack's defense he'll immediately put himself into the All-American conversation. If Wommack's defense can generate pressure upfront, then both cornerbacks will excel having to cover opposing receivers for less time.

Also working in Hurley's favor is new graduate assistant Kivon Coman who coached Hurley in high school joining the Alabama Football staff. Despite not playing in 2023, Hurley will have every opportunity to develop in practice in time to be a star by week one. Receivers Kendrick Law, Ryan Williams, and Germie Bernard may be better than a majority of the receivers any of the Alabama corners face in 2024.