Story by
Alabama Secondary Has the Depth to Become the Best in College Football
- Story by
- Alabama Secondary Has the Depth to Become the Best in College Football
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
We've seen the Alabama Crimson Tide garner a lot of momentum over the past week after the high praise from Aaron Taylor.
But the defensive side of the ball is where Alabama's true strength lies – and it may end up being the top secondary in college football.
Advertisement
Of course, the usual suspects will be in the running for the top DB room. Georgia's always a threat with KJ Bolden ; Oregon has a three-headed monster of its own in Brandon Finney Jr. , Carl Williams IV and Ify Odibegwu; and Notre Dame's Leonard Moore is perhaps the best cornerback in the game.
However, Alabama's depth in the secondary may end up being what puts the Tide over the edge.
Both cornerback Zabien Brown and safety Bray Hubbard were named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team, and Keon Sabb was named to the Third team. But the one player that hides in the shadows is Dijon Lee.
Lee, a former five-star, came into his freshman season and quickly forced his way onto the field.
Advertisement
"We talk about it all the time: a body of work, and you have to answer for the things that we put on tape," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said of Lee last season. "And we just felt like what Dijon was doing in the game, and as the game was going on, he was operating at a very efficient level and doing his job at an efficient level… And so Dijon is certainly on a very good trajectory right now."
In addition, according to PFF , Lee was recognized as the second-best returning cornerback for the season, behind Notre Dame's Moore.
Max Chadwick wrote, "Lee emerged as one of the SEC's top cornerbacks as a true freshman last season. He intercepted two passes and broke up five more en route to an excellent 80.2 PFF coverage grade… He and the rest of Alabama's secondary should make life very difficult for opposing offenses again in 2026."
Apart from Lee, safety Red Morgan made some serious waves last season, earning the trust of Wommack.
Advertisement
Morgan plays with the type of edge Alabama looks for, and Wommack's comments make it clear how much he values the young safety.
"That's a young man that we asked a whole hell of a lot of a year ago, to come in here and start as a true freshman, and it was because we didn't have another answer," Wommack said last season. "So we put a whole lot on his plate, and some things he handled really well... Proud of his fight and excited to see what he'll do on the back end of the season."
Across the college football landscape, Alabama has gotten its flowers when it comes to its DBs.
But are flowers enough?
Advertisement
The biggest question will be whether Lee and Morgan can take the next step.
If they do, Alabama won't just have a secondary built around proven stars, it could have one of the deepest defensive back rooms in the country.
