2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Defensive Backs

Many position groups were impacted by this, but perhaps the defensive backs faced the most turnover. Nevertheless, the Crimson Tide secondary still came up big in several games thanks to the efforts of safeties Malachi Moore (now out of eligibility and selected in the NFL Draft) and Bray Hubbard, then-freshmen cornerbacks Zabien Brown and Jaylen Mbakwe (switched to wide receiver in the offseason), then-incoming transfers Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb and more.

There's no doubt that the Crimson Tide struggled with depth last season in the defensive backfield, which made things difficult from both a player's and coach's perspective. However, the success of the slim unit helped create more freshmen commits like Dijon Lee and Ivan Taylor and also an incoming transfer from Cam Calhoun to hopefully make an impact during the 2025 season. In fact, Alabama may have the good problem of too many players in the defensive backs room.

“We have something that we didn't have a year ago, which is depth in our backfield," Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said on April 15. "And that’s exciting. Quite honestly, it's what I expected when I came here to Alabama—that we would have great depth.

"You're always going to have years where you have to kind of rebuild some of that depth. You've found yourself in a position of guys that left for the draft and guys in the transfer portal and the transition from coach Saban to coach [Kalen] DeBoer, to where we just didn't have the depth probably that we needed to be consistent on the back end throughout the year. And even that, I think our guys did a tremendous job."

The offseason additions give Wommack and second-year defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist "some bodies that (he) can work with." That being said, the secondary is made up of a plethora of sizes, speeds and strengths with numerous players having a healthy mix of these three assets—which is key for Alabama's defense. So, who are some of these versatile players that could be starters or major role players?

Well, it starts with cornerback Domani Jackson. The senior may have only had two interceptions and seven pass breakups in his first season with the Crimson Tide after transferring from USC, but he wasn't targeted very often. Whether it was press, man or zone, Jackson was one of the most consistent defensive backs for Alabama and could be in for a big 2025. That said, the expectations are already high for him as he was selected to the media’s Preseason All-SEC Second Team.

Opposite of Jackson will be fellow cornerback Zabien Brown, who will be a sophomore. The former 5-star recruit quickly became a starter and thrived at a very difficult position for a freshman in the SEC. Perhaps Brown’s defining moment was a game-sealing interception in the end zone against Georgia, as he called it the reason ”I came to Alabama," and he has high expectations to make even bigger plays this season.

Future national champion and Unanimous All-American safety Caleb Downs was one of the defensive backs to leave Alabama following Saban’s retirement. But the Tide got Michigan safety Keon Sabb out of the portal to fill Downs’ role and it couldn’t have been a better start as Sabb hauled in two interceptions in the season opener. However, a foot injury against Tennessee ended his season, and although he missed all of spring, DeBoer believes that the Preseason All-SEC Third Team member will be ready for the fall.

Bray Hubbard, a former 3-star athlete out of Mississippi who played in nine games on special teams as a freshman in 2023 and was a rotational player for a good portion of 2024, was called by Wommack to step up for Sabb. Hubbard did far more than that as he finished fifth on the team in tackles (57) and tied for the lead in interceptions (3). Hubbard has all but certainly gained the starting safety spot in place of New York Jets draftee Malachi Moore and is also a Preseason All-SEC Third Team member.

“I think he’s taken his game to another level this offseason, just in terms of the leadership that he carries and brings,” Wommack said of Hubbard on May 7. “This was a multi-sport, multi-position football player and athlete coming out of high school, and he has really settled into the nuances that make a great free safety. And then all of a sudden, you change systems, and he’s adapted really well to that.”

STAR, nickelback and HUSKY are all names for describing the position hybrid of safety and linebacker, and that’s what redshirt junior DaShawn Jones is expected to be labeled as—filling in for Notre Dame transfer DeVonta Smith. After three years at Wake Forest, Jones transferred to Alabama before last season and looks to prove himself as a starter for the Tide.

But of course, it’s very unlikely that Jones and each of the expected starting defensive backs mentioned above probably won’t play every single snap this season. Alabama’s widespread depth in the secondary could create some competition for non-starters to earn bigger roles.

Cam Calhoun and Dijon Lee Jr. are the first two cornerbacks to come to mind with the best shot at seeing a solid number of snaps off the bench.

Calhoun, who transferred from Utah this offseason, was the No. 4 cornerback and No. 46 overall player in the transfer portal, per 247 Sports, meaning his stats reflect that opposing quarterbacks don't target the receiver he's shadowing very often. Calhoun was taking mostly second-hteam reps but also some with the first-team reps at A-Day.

"Really like Cam," Wommack said on March 11. "He has a maturity about him. You can tell this dude’s been a seasoned player at a place that’s established itself as one of the great defenses year in and year out at Utah. It’s not an easy task to get on the field at that program, and he was a starter, so it’s awesome to be able to gain that experience."

Lee, a freshman, has been holding that most-acknowledged newcomer status on the defensive side of the ball this spring. The 5-star's 6-foot-4 length is eye-popping for his position, but he's already proving that he can use that frame well. Lee had a couple of pass breakups on Saturday, including a deep ball against wide receiver Germie Bernard.

"He looks like a really long-a-- corner," Wommack said on March 11. "He’s got really good feet. He’s got a maturity — he reminds me a little bit of Zabien. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him too early, but he has a demeanor that indicates that a freshman can come in and contribute."

Alabama has four returning safeties/huskies that could see some time on the field this fall, and although they're different positions than Calhoun and Lee, they'll likely each have fewer opportunities compared to the two cornerbacks.

Red Morgan didn't make much of an impact as a freshman last season, as he mostly stuck to special teams. However, with Sabb still healing, Morgan got a boost at A-Day and did not disappointb as he displayed smothering coverage and multiple pass breakups during the annual event.

Like Morgan, Zavier Mincey also showed some lockdown flashes at A-Day. The sophomore was a 5-star recruit, but didn’t spend too much time in the secondary, but rather on special teams. That said, Mincey took advantage when he played in games as a safety, as he finished his freshman campaign with 16 tackles and two pass breakups.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is another name to keep an eye on as he also enters his sophomore year. Similar to Mincey, the son of former Alabama All-American cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. mostly played on the special teams unit. The former 3-star recruit made some strides in the spring and time will tell if he can compete for some defensive snaps in the fall.

Kameron Howard was one of the few defensive backs to transfer to Alabama prior to last season, but unlike Jackson and Sabb, he didn’t see the field much last season as he only appeared in four games. The former Charlotte standout still has time to develop and improve at Alabama ahead of his redshirt sophomore year.

Lee will likely be the only freshman to get meaningful snaps in the secondary, but two more first-year defensive backs aiming to develop more are cornerback Chuck McDonald III and safety Ivan Taylor.

Taylor made a mistake during a practice the week of A-Day on what looked like an open-field tackling drill and Wommack really let him have it. But on one of the first plays of A-Day, Taylor recorded an interception. While shaking off mistakes is an everyday part of football, especially at Alabama, it was cool to see Taylor make a big play so early into the public event.

It’s tough to make an outlook on McDonald as he didn’t enroll until the summer, meaning he didn’t compete during A-Day. Nevertheless, the highly touted 4-star recruit attended Mater Dei High School—a football factory in California that has produced numerous past and present Alabama players, including the aforementioned Brown and Jackson.

"The defensive backs are, a year ago where we were at, we had names and we brought guys in but they were completely new to this program and in many cases new to college football coming out of high school," DeBoer said on May 2.

"We took some lumps but I think those lumps are relative to what people thought we were probably going to take at that position is a tribute to Mo Linguist and what he does with the defensive backs there. Kane Wommack as the coordinator [too]."

Projected Depth Chart

Cornerback
1. Domani Jackson & Zabien Brown
2. Cam Calhoun & Dijon Lee Jr.
3. DaShawn Jones & Chuck McDonald III

Nickel - Husky
1. DaShawn Jones
2. Red Morgan / Zavier Mincey

Free Safety
1. Keon Sabb
2. Zavier Mincey
3. Kameron Howard

Strong Safety
1. Bray Hubbard
2. Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
3. Ivan Taylor

2025 Alabama Defensive Backs

Zabien Brown – Sophomore, 6-0, 192 lbs

Earned a starting spot at corner as a freshman and garnered Freshman All-SEC Team recognition from the conference coaches. He recorded 18 tackles to go along with three interceptions, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Cam Calhoun – Redshirt sophomore, 6-0, 180 lbs

Transferred to Alabama this offseason after a year at Utah. Calhoun played in 11 games with one start in 2024 and recorded 21 tackles, an interception and his team-high nine pass breakups were tied for fourth in the Big 12.

Kameron Howard – Redshirt sophomore, 5-11, 195 lbs

Joined the Crimson Tide after one season at Charlotte. However, he only played in four games last season and tallied two tackles.

Bray Hubbard – Junior, 6-2, 213 lbs

Grew into a bigger role as the last season following the injury to Sabb. Hubbard played in all 13 games with six starts at safety and tied for the team lead with three interceptions, accumulated 57 tackles, broke up two passes and forced a fumble.

Domani Jackson – Senior, 6-1, 196 lbs

Came to Alabama after spending two seasons at USC and starting all 13 games. He totaled 52 tackles, including two for loss, a forced fumble, seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.

DaShawn Jones – Redshirt senior, 6-0, 190 lbs

Came to Alabama from Wake Forest and played in all 13 games with one start. He finished last season with 23 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and 0.5 sacks.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. – Sophomore, 5-11, 202 lbs

An Alabama legacy who is the son of the former All-American and NFL standout of the same name. Kirkpatrick made an impact on special teams and played in all 13 games, recording three total tackles.

Dijon Lee Jr. – Freshman, 6-4, 202 lbs

A lengthy cornerback who was a consensus 5-star recruit and California's top-ranked prospect. Lee was also the third-rated corner and No. 15 recruit nationally by 247Sports.

Chuck McDonald III – Freshman, 6-1, 194 lbs

A unanimous four-star recruit out of the renowned Mater Dei High School. He was placed as the No. 64 player nationally, No. 9 cornerback and No. 6 recruit in California on the 247Composite.

Zavier Mincey – Sophomore, 6-3, 205 lbs

Earned snaps on special teams and in the Tide secondary as a 5-star freshman. He recorded 16 tackles and two pass breakups in 13 games, including one start.

Red Morgan – Sophomore, 6-0, 1185 lbs

The former 4-star recruit made an impact on defense and special teams across 12 games in his first season. He added eight tackles, including one for loss, to go with a pass breakup.

Keon Sabb – Redshirt junior, 6-1, 204 lbs

Joined the Crimson Tide in 2024 following two years at Michigan and started seven games at safety prior to suffering a lower-body injury at Tennessee that ended his season early. While healthy, he picked off two passes and broke up four to go along with 39 tackles.

Ivan Taylor – Freshman, 6-0, 194 lbs

The son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor was a 4-star prospect in the 2025 class. He was ranked No. 41 on 247Sports' list and was named the second-ranked safety and fifth-rated player in Florida by the same outlet.

This is the sixth story in BamaCentral's summer position previews series.

2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Running Backs

2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Linebackers

2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Defensive Line

2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Quarterbacks

2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Wide Receivers