The 2024 college football season will be here before we know it and there may not be a team with more anticipation than Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Anytime a legendary coach such as Nick Saban decides to retire it turns the sport upside down and that has certainly been the case in Tuscaloosa.
You have to give Coach DeBoer a tremendous amount of credit for the way he has been able to navigate the uncertain waters during his first few months on the job. Currently, Alabama sits with the No. 2 overall ranked recruiting class and has not shown any signs of slowing down.
Let’s be honest though, recruiting doesn’t mean much if you can’t perform on the field. On August 31, DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will take the field inside Bryant-Denny Stadium to give fans their first taste of what the DeBoer era could look like.
Most fans are curious about the offense and there is plenty to be excited about on that side of the ball. Jalen Milroe returns at quarterback, four starters are back on the offensive line, and the skill players are among the best in the country. The defense under first-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has a few more question marks. But if these five players can step up and have big seasons, the Crimson Tide defense could be among the best units in the country.
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Alabama lost the elite cornerback duo of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold to the NFL. In steps Domani Jackson, the USC Trojans transfer and former five-star recruit to potentially be the Tide’s next superstar. If we are speaking candidly, Jackson had a rough couple of seasons with USC and has a lot to prove in 2024. He certainly has the tools to be a star player for Alabama and the Crimson Tide defense will need him to perform well to reach its full potential as a unit.
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Q-Rob has been receiving first-team reps for a handful of seasons now for the Alabama defense. He has played behind the likes of Will Anderson, Dallas Turner, and Chris Braswell but it now appears it is his turn to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Robinson has elite length and athleticism and has the potential to be a double-digit sack guy for the Tide defense and if he can provide that type of production in 2024 at the Wolf position, the Alabama defense could be nasty.
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DeVonta Smith might be the most important player on this list. Smith is expected to start at the Husky position in the Alabama secondary and the Tide will need him to play well to have success. Don’t sleep on Smith’s potential either. Entering the 2023 season, Smith was well on his way to becoming a starter until the injury bug bit him. Now that he is healthy, Smith could become the surprise player of the Alabama defense in 2024.
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Jah-Marien Latham lands on the list simply because he is going to be in a battle with Texas A&M transfer LT Overton as the starter at Bandit. Latham is a good player who is probably better suited to Wommack’s defense than Saban’s. Even as a bigger-bodied lineman, Latham has some quick twitch to him and has the potential to be a solid pass rush option. Latham will also need to set the edge against the run as the Bandit so playing with some physicality is also important. I like Latham’s game and I expect him to have his best season yet in an Alabama uniform.
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Tim Smith has been a mainstay along the defensive line since his true freshman season in 2020. Smith has flashed elite potential during his time in Tuscaloosa but has yet to be able to put it together consistently. Smith is coming off a solid season in 2023 where he totaled 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. I expect his role to expand further in 2024 and he will need to raise his level of play if the Alabama defense wants to be elite.
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Publish date : 2024-07-11 08:00:00
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