'Good Luck to the Offensive Line': Tim Keenan III Previews Alabama's Defensive Front

"Hey good luck to the offensive line, that's all I've got to say," Keenan said during a recent press conference. "When you've got an arsenal like that, you've got body types that can move at different speeds. They've got the strength to back it up too, so good luck."

Keenan, who has been widely regarded as a very realistic candidate to be one of Alabama's captains for the 2025 season, previewed several of his fellow defensive linemen, both old and new, and revealed who he's been most impressed with.

"Really (redshirt sophomore) Edric Hill," Keenan said. "Edric Hill, (redshirt sophomore) Jordan Renaud, all of those guys, (senior) LT Overton, he's always just a monster. Those guys have made incredible jumps.

"We just got (sophomore) Steve [Bolo Mboumoua] and (redshirt freshman) Jeremiah Beaman, he's coming along too. But man, Edric Hill, he's been making a magnificent impact this spring and I can't wait to see what he keeps doing."

Hill has been committed to the Crimson Tide since August 2022 and enrolled in January 2023. He appeared in nine games last season and registered three tackles. Based on what Keenan and some other players and coaches have said, it's clear that the lack of experience hasn't harmed his development in the spring.

Like Hill, Keon Keeley had very few snaps last season despite being a top-tier recruit. Keeley was initially committed to Notre Dame but changed his mind and chose the Crimson Tide in December 2022. He redshirted in 2023 and switched from outside linebacker to defensive line last season, and Keenan really sees an increase in Keeley's potential for 2025.

"Keon has been making great jumps," Keenan said. "He's in his playbook, you can see him out on the field making calls, making checks and stuff like that. He looks comfortable out there. So I'm excited to see things for him."

Alabama's Jah-Marien Latham is another defensive front returnee, but unlike Hill and Keeley, he played in all 13 games with 11 starts. However, the graduate student wants more development and production as he went from 278 pounds to 265 this offseason. The weight loss has created a position switch as Latham went from being a BANDIT (defensive end) to now a WOLF (outside linebacker).

"He's always been like a freak athlete," Keenan said. "He always had that twitch, that wiggle to him. I'm happy to see that and I don't think he'll have too many problems out there or anything. I think he's [about to] take off. Shoutout to my boy Z (Zeebo is Latham's nickname)."

Alabama added two front-seven defenders from the transfer portal this offseason in former Florida defensive lineman Kelby Collins and former Colorado linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green. Collins is a junior and Hill-Green is a graduate student.

Collins appeared in 18 games over the last two seasons for the Gators tallying 29 total tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He played in six of Florida's first seven games but hadn't seen any action since a mid-October matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.

"With Kelby coming in, he's good," Keenan said. "He's adjusting to the system fast. He's getting the hang of things, especially the concepts and helping with checks and whatnot. But he's still learning and he's going to be fine."

Hill-Green had 82 total tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and four passes defended for Colorado in 2024. He finished second on the team in tackles. Hill-Green aims for a pivotal role in an inside linebacker room that doesn't have a ton of experience besides Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson.

"[Hill-Green] has been doing very well as far as managing the defense and having great control back there," Keenan said. "He seems poised. Great communication when we're in it because I've been with him some. But I can't wait to see how he does."

Alabama fans will get to see what these pass-rushers and run-stoppers can do during the Crimson Tide's A-Day scrimmage on April 12.

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