It was good enough, but not the killer that everyone was accustomed to from the Nick Saban era. It was unable to come up with a meaningful third-down stop in the awful performance against Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt (the Tide lost), and there was a meltdown in the second half against Georgia (but the Tide won). Every other problem was insulting in nature. Holding a team to 25 points or less should be a win every time out with the offensive attack and skill on the offensive line, and Alabama accomplished that in 11 of the 13 games. Eight times, it gave up less than 20 points. There will be more of those this year.The focus will still be on the offensive side, and that’s because the 2025 Alabama defense will do its job. It’s experienced, deep, and with an outstanding coordinator in Kane Wommack settled in, it’ll look and play like the version everyone is used to.
Alabama Crimson Tide Preview 2025: Defense
The Alabama defense shouldn’t average less than two sacks per week; if they fell below, say, 2.7 per game, it was freakout time under Saban. The defense will give Qua Russaw an opportunity to step up on the outside after he recorded 36 tackles and a sack, but there isn’t a Will Anderson or Dallas Turner to assault the quarterback—at least not last season. Along with a few other young players, he will mix in with Jah-Marien Latham, who recorded 29 tackles while carrying a sack.
On the inside, Deontae Lawson is a future NFL standout. After placing second on the team with 76 tackles, two sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss, he is back. However, Jihaad Campbell, who is set to become a dominant player with the Philadelphia Eagles, was responsible for the most of the sacks. In his two seasons at Michigan, Charlotte, and Colorado last year, Nikhai Hill-Green recorded 206 tackles and 21 tackles for loss. He will share the middle with Justin Jefferson, who finished the season with 60 tackles, two sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss.
The massive Coke machines, which rotated in waves like the Saban defenders pumped out, are not there in the front, but they are not far away. 325-pound, 6-2 tackle James Smith produced strong pressure at one tackle position, Tim Keenan won’t be moved on the nose very often, and LT Overton, a 6-5, 280-pound pass rusher, became the team’s most effective force at reliably reaching the quarterback. Two good additions to the rotation are the swift 6-3, 282-pound Edric Hill and the 6-4, 315-pound Jeremiah Beaman.
The pass defense was excellent. Although Auburn hammered it and Carson Beck and Georgia lit it up late, it held up admirably given the lackluster pass rush and managed to pick off 17 passes while allowing 13 touchdown passes. It is really important to get Keon Sabb back. He is returning and should be a stat-sheet filler at the free safety gig after missing half of last year due to injury. Zavier Mincey is a handsome sophomore who will work where required, Bray Hubbard is a tough guy at strong safety who has made 57 tackles with a team-high tying three picks, and DaShawn Jones should do more with a larger role.
The corners are prepared. In his first season as a starter, Zabien Brown had three interceptions, Domani Jackson recorded 52 tackles with seven broken up throws and two picks, and Utah’s Cam Calhoun, who finished the previous season with 21 tackles and nine broken up passes, is too excellent to be kept off the field.
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