Desmond Umeozulu brings 'great size and ability' to Alabama defense
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MOBILE — Nick Barrett remembers Desmond Umeozulu as a “great guy,” a player who laughs and jokes around, someone who is “good to be around.”
And then Umeozulu gets on the field.
“Works hard,” Barrett, a former South Carolina defensive tackle, said at the 2026 Senior Bowl. “Shows a lot of effort. Has great size and ability, so that definitely shows up on tape. Has some great potential.”
That’s the player Alabama football hopes to be acquiring in Umeozulu, who is joining the Crimson Tide for his final season of collegiate eligibility.
Umeozulu’s situation is one that is completely different at Alabama than it was at South Carolina. With the Gamecocks, Umeozulu, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound edge rusher, did not play more than 329 snaps in a season. He was star defensive end Dylan Stewart’s backup.
At Alabama, Umeozulu has a clean slate, joining a Bandit defensive end room that returns little-to-no production after losing LT Overton to the NFL draft and Jordan Renaud and Keon Keeley to the NCAA transfer portal.
Across three seasons, Umeozulu recorded 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks along with six quarterback hurries.
Alabama has “a great player” in Umeozulu, Barrett said. Umeozulu is a “tall guy,” a lengthy player who plays with power.
“I do think he will go there and make some things happen,” Barrett said.
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: South Carolina teammate scouts Desmond Umeozulu with Alabama football
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