Everything Kane Wommack Said After Alabama's Third Day of Fall Camp

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— On Saturday, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack fielded questions from media members for the first time during the Crimson Tide's 2025 fall camp. A full transcript is below, in which Wommack discussed Keon Sabb, his defense's depth, former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and more.

On wolf linebackers:

"Yeah, I think that room -- Christian Robinson does a great job with those guys, the details. It's a really versatile position. It takes a number of different things from a pass-rush standpoint, from a run fit standpoint. And then we ask those guys to do a lot of things from a coverage aspect as well. I think when we have some older guys that are now more comfortable in Year 2 in the defense, they're able to start playing the game with a little more anticipation, offensive recognition and that leads to production."

On Keon Sabb's recovery:

"Keon is doing a really good job. He has truly pushed, our training staff has done a great job with him. I think he's ahead of really every marker we had in the offseason for him. We weren't sure if he was going to be able to go to the level he's going right now at the beginning of fall camp, but he is. He's here. I don't know if I could put a number on it exactly, but he's out there playing with our guys. He's comfortable enough to be able to do that. Sometimes those injuries, right, you've got to build a callous, right, of coming back. And I think that's something he's really pushing himself right now to get ready for the season."

On huskies:

"Obviously you've got a couple guys over there that are fighting and battling right now. I think our depth in the secondary, which is a lot better than it was a year ago, allows us to try to run different guys out there. That is a very versatile position. It's similar to the Wolf in all the things that we ask that position to do. At the same time, very different. That guy has got to be able to fit in the run, he's got to be able to play man, he's got to be able to play zone coverage and blitz off the edge, and all that stuff. Consistent execution is critical. That player can really eliminate part of the field if they do their job in terms of perimeter blocking and teams that try to throw perimeter screens out there -- if you've got a Husky that can take the field space away. I think we've got a number of guys that seem to be doing a really good job right now. Pleased with where those guys are going and I really like the competition to start fall camp."

On Cam Calhoun and differences between cornerback and husky:

"That's a great question. There are similarities to an outside corner and a Husky at nickel, and yet at the same time, when you're playing that slot portion of the field, it really is a different position. So fundamentally there's a lot of carryover, but schematically there's a lot of difference in what we're asking them to do. There were things that we started Cam on, really, towards the end of spring and we got involved in the summertime, and those guys have done a really good job -- Mo and Jason Jones, kind of working back and forth in both rooms so he's available to play at corner and also at the nickel position. But like what I see from him so far."

On how many defensive backs he might use in the rotation:

"I'll use as many that are ready to go, that we trust. If you think about the scope of trust, it's 'OK, these are the top five players in our defense, from a defensive back standpoint, who can play to the same level that a starter can? And if that backup guy can play to the same level the starter can, then he deserves to be on the field. We've got positions where I think we have multiple starters for one position, or guys we will rotate consistently. I don't know that I can put a number on that right now. A year ago, going into the Tennessee game, when we had five guys who went down, we only played six guys for five positions, primarily, when it mattered. I think we can play significantly more than that."

On contact for young players:

"Anytime we go live, we tell our guys all the time, live work is the closest thing we can do to simulate a game-like scenario to you. So, I put a premium on that, how they play, how they respond, how they produce in that moment, is the closest indicator we can give them to what they're going to do on game day. So you see it all the time. Freshmen win jobs, they win responsibilities, they win playing time through fall camp. Some guys continue to maybe be on a path that they're not ready to play the first game, but as we go through the season, they're going to be ready to do more and more as we go. Jeremiah Beaman was a great example of that last year. He really didn't play at all at the beginning of the season, and in the bowl game, he had a significant role for us. You just try to keep those guys pushing one day at a time, and you can't hold them to the same standard you would maybe a Deontae Lawson or a Tim Keenan."

On scouting Florida State:

"When you're preparing for an offensive coordinator that just took over a job, maybe a new quarterback, some new personnel things, you try to gather a whole picture. What did the quarterback do at his previous institution? How was he used under this staff or that staff? I've known Gus [Malzahn] since I was in the eighth grade. I played for him. The evolution of his offense and the things he's done, what might he do based off of this personnel? When you're looking at all those things, you try and gauge what you anticipate they're going to be, then at the same time, you know you've got to have answers if they go down this pathway or down that pathway. Naturally you're going to carry a pretty heavy catalog of defense going into a game."

On what he remembers of a younger Gus Malzahn:

"I was at Fayetteville High School and Gus was the head coach at Springdale High School. So, you had Fayetteville Purple Dogs and the Springdale Red Dogs, and so we went up against each other. But my dad and Gus had been really close for years, and so I kind of knew him through that connection. And then he coached me. He was our offensive coordinator at Arkansas my sophomore year."

On what sets Malzahn apart:

"Gus is relentless in the details. He does a really great job, from just constantly, you know, holding people accountable to the details. He had great teams at Springdale High School when he was a head coach back then. I just remember how disciplined those football teams were and how hard they were to beat, because I really think those guys, those players, took on and embodied the personality of their head coach, right? And if you look at his career, I think that's a point that you can continue to kind of acknowledge, right? The discipline that his guys play with and the physicality they play with, and then you know, simply the tempo that they play with."

On bandit depth behind LT Overton:

"I'm excited about some of the guys that are working in that position right now. You know, obviously, Keon Keeley and Jordan Renaud are getting a good bit of the reps there. Both of them, it's fun to watch their evolution and their growth over the last 18 months. I think both of them have taken huge strides and big steps towards being able to contribute for us. And so, really excited about what those guys can do. And then you've got, you know, some other guys that just got here in Kevonte Henry, that wasn't able to go through spring ball. And so, you know, looking forward to kind of seeing what he can do as well. And then what's nice is that you have older guys. The bandit and the wolf position, they’re different in some ways, but there is enough similarity that there's some crossover work. And so, we start to kind of do some of those things as well, just so that we can create enough depth, be it a certain personnel package, or just making sure that we have the depth to carry through a long season.”

On being able to float to different positions:

"That's something as a coordinator, right? Last year was my first time as really a walk-around coordinator. Chuck Morrell was, you know, didn't necessarily have the title, but was coaching the linebackers last season. And so, you know, it reminds me of my three years of being a head coach, right? Because based on what you think you're emphasizing that day in practice, or whether you think there's a certain need or a certain scheme that we're going to really, point out, you can kind of go and kind of hone in on that position, right? Or if there's an issue and somebody needs to get better, you can give that the attention it needs. And so, it's something that I think I would want to do moving forward, right? You know, as a coordinator, I think when you're able to have somebody that is calling plays, that can watch and evaluate the players at 30,000 feet and can also hone right into a specific drill that you know is going to be really important for something you're going to do schematically that week, a lot of versatility for me as a coach, as opposed to just kind of hunkering down on one position.”