Story by
The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama football will look much younger at linebacker this spring. Here's why
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Alabama football will look much younger at linebacker this spring. Here's why
Alabama football has a lot of experience at the top of its linebacker depth chart.
Both Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson are returning for another season. The Crimson Tide also added Colorado senior transfer Nikhai Hill-Green to bolster its middle linebacker spot.
Advertisement
But the majority of that veteran experience will not be seen this spring. Lawson is out. Jefferson is limited, Kalen DeBoer said Monday.
Who will fill those roles in the middle of the Alabama defense this spring? For DeBoer, it starts with the 2025 class: Abduall Sanders Jr. , Luke Metz and Duke Johnson , who were each working out with the Crimson Tide during its ReliaQuest Bowl practices.
Please enable Javascript to view this content.
For DeBoer, those bowl workouts for those incoming freshmen were vital, saying they "really got a feel" for what life is like at Alabama.
"It's a social thing too, just getting comfortable with some of the relationships," DeBoer said. "And then they get here, and they're already kind of off and rolling in some ways. It ain't going to be long. We're not going to think of all these early enrollees not as freshmen anymore. We're going to think of them as almost sophomores."
Advertisement
Those younger players, DeBoer said, are getting experience with green-dot communication. While Alabama is limited to one player with in-helmet communication on game days, it can have as many players as it wants to have that communication during practices.
While DeBoer said Lawson will be his go-to communicator come fall, and Jefferson at No. 2, he said "it's good for all of (the linebackers) to get that experience."
"There's a lot of stuff being thrown at some new faces on the defense when it comes to the communication, the green dot," DeBoer said.
Along with Hill-Green, Johnson, Metz and Sanders, Alabama linebacker Cayden Jones and QB Reese should also expect increased reps this spring with the injuries to Lawson and Jefferson.
Advertisement
Alabama will hold its A Day spring game at noon April 12 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football will look much younger at linebacker this spring
