So often during the Nick Saban years, the Alabama Football dime packages were outstanding. As was obvious last season with sparing use of Dime formations, Kane Wommack's Swarm defense is built around fix defensive backs rather than six.
Wommack's predilection for Nickel may change in the 2025 season. The main reason is that Alabama Football has seven or eight defensive backs, each of whom could be dime formation starters. Depending on situational needs, one or more, sixth defensive backs may be too good to leave on the Alabama sideline.
Alabama appears to be easily staffed at defensive back with four starters from last season. They are Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown at the corners, Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard as the safeties. In Kane Wommack's base defense, the Husky position has been a three-way competition and may have turned into a four-way battle. The initial trio, Cam Calhoun, DaShawn Jones, and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. All three earned praise from the coaching staff in fall camp. At different times, Alabama football insiders projected either Calhoun or Jones to start at Husky.
Near the end of fall camp, the Husky situation added a wrinkle. Zabien Brown worked some as the Crimson Tide's third cornerback, lining up at Husky. When Brown moved from outside corner, true freshman Dijon Lee stepped in. Kane Wommack stated that Jackson, Brown, and Lee were all considered as starters at cornerback.
Alabama Football Dime Package
Last season, Alabama used a Dime package (six defensive backs) so rarely that fans might have missed the use of Nick Saban's old favorite Dime. Like some of Saban's secondary rosters, Wommack and Maurice Linguist have so much talent to utilize; playing six defensive backs might become a key tool for certain situations. Even if Wommack sticks with Nickel, predominantly, he will rotate. Dijon Lee is not going to watch games from the bench all season. Instead, there could be a rotation that includes Jackson, Brown, Sabb, Hubbard, Lee, Calhoun, Jones, Kirkpatrick Jr., and another freshman who has shone quickly, Ivan Taylor.
Gaining game experience for so many talented players would afford Alabama the added protection of easy adjustments if or when the secondary incurs injuries.