Why Wommack feels Alabama football’s secondary can compete at ‘higher level’

Alabama football’s defensive coordinator, Kane Wommack has been impressed with the growth the Crimson Tide’s secondary has shown in comparison to last year.

Alabama’s secondary was tested during the 2024 season. They battled injuries and some tough moments in games, where the Tide were defeated. These challenges prompted what Wommack describes as an ‘aggressive turnaround.’

“I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, saying this here, but I do think to this point, we have shown a significant amount of maturity and development from our defensive back room,” Wommack said. “You think about where we were going into the Tennessee game a year ago, I think I mentioned this to you guys before. We played six players for five positions up until that game, right? And I’m talking the vast majority of the snaps when it mattered most, right? And then five of those guys went out. We are in a much better position now, with the depth, and I would say probably one of the more aggressive turnarounds that I’ve ever seen from one year to another year in terms of guys that you trust to be able to get on the field.”

Wommack attributes this turnaround to the work Alabama football’s General Manager Courtney Morgan and the Tide’s defensive staff had done on the recruiting front. The Alabama defensive coordinator also feels Alabama’s coaching staff deserves their fair share of credit.

“I think that’s a tip of the cap in terms of what Courtney Morgan and our defensive staff have done in recruiting, and then I think the development that you’ve seen from Maurice Linguist and Jason Jones to bring those young guys along has put us in a position to go compete at a much higher level this year than from a depth standpoint than we were a year ago,” Wommack told reporters on Wednesday.

Alabama’s secondary returns multiple starters from last season and has added some talented young players.