Jumbo Package: Looking at the defense ahead of spring practice
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Happy Gump Day, everyone. Unfortunately there isn’t much to Gump over where last night’s basketball game is concerned. I think Kanon Catchings just made another shot. Talk about a heater: that dude had averaged 8.5 points a game over the past six and just over 10 on the season before popping off for a career high 32 last night, thanks in large part to his 7/13 performance from three. Alabama looked tired, which isn’t terribly surprising, and that game didn’t carry a ton of meaning for the Tide where tournaments are concerned. Hopefully they can bounce back against Auburn on Saturday.
Spring practice kicks off next week, and Matt Stahl has a look at the defense for you.
During his press conference at the recent NFL Combine, former Alabama center Parker Brailsford fielded a question about the toughest members of the Crimson Tide’s defense to block. He pointed first at Tim Keenan, who was also in Indianapolis after exhausting his eligibility.
But then, he looked down the depth chart.
“There’s actually a young buck who’s doing pretty well, London,” Brailsford said, speaking of rising sophomore London Simmons. “London’s a good player.”
Simmons (6-foot-3, 303 pounds)started two games and played in 15 last season, as the Crimson Tide dealt with a rash of injuries. Coaches think the former three-star prospect has an extremely bright future.
Someone is going to have to step up on the DL, and Simmons is probably the leading candidate.
Wyatt Fulton is focused on the linebackers.
Alabama rotated at inside linebacker under Wommack’s defensive scheme over the last two seasons, with Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, and Nikhai Hill-Green heading that rotation last season. All three are out of eligibility and off to the NFL, with the Crimson Tide now set to rebuild its inside linebacker room. The most likely candidate is redshirt sophomore QB Reese, who appeared in all 15 games on special teams and defense last season. Reese ended his redshirt freshman year with six total tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In terms of seniority, alongside him could be junior linebacker Cayden Jones, who only appeared in 10 contests during 2025 after dealing with a lower-body injury. He still totaled eight tackles, one fumble recovery, and a quarterback hurry. In 2024, he played in 11 games as a freshman, with six total tackles and one pass breakup. Alabama also brought in senior linebacker Caleb Woodson from Virginia Tech, who totaled 57 tackles and one pass breakup for the Hokies last season. He’s totaled 151 tackles, three pass breakups, two sacks, and an interception in three seasons in Blacksburg. Will the Tide continue its two-year trend of rotating at inside linebacker? If so, these three feel like early candidates to take the charge.
Reese and Woodson seem like the most likely starters, with Jones rotating. But we’ll see.
We probably won’t go a day without discussing quarterbacks this spring.
Russell is more experienced in college and with the Kalen DeBoer offense. He redshirted at Washington in 2023 before following his coach to Tuscaloosa a year later.
The 6-foot-6 passer certainly looks the part, and Mack got the call in the Rose Bowl when Ty Simpson got hurt. Leading the only scoring drive of that dreadful 38-3 loss to Indiana, Mack threw a few nice balls after the Hoosiers erased any doubt in the outcome. He was 11-for-16 passing for 103 yards that afternoon.
Then there’s Russell, a 5-star, can’t-miss recruit who redshirted his freshman season last fall. The Duncanville, Texas, product has an effortless throwing motion that made him one of the top recruits in the 2025 class.
So, it’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out over the next few weeks.
Russell has more potential for stardom, while Mack has three years of college football to his name.
Kalen DeBoer added a couple of staffers.
Alabama updated its staff directory on Monday, and two analyst hires were added to it.
Mikael Bradford and Jake Vang will be analysts for the Crimson Tide football program during the upcoming 2026 season. Their additions bring Alabama’s analyst total to 13 on the directory.
Bradford comes from Baylor, where he was set to be a quality control coach in 2026, but now, he will coach at Alabama this fall. He was previously a grad assistant at Colorado State (2023) and Kansas State (2024-25). Bradford worked with the safeties at Kansas State. A Compton, Calif., native played college football at Minot State (2018-19) and Nevada (2020-22).
Vang was going to be the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Central Washington in 2026 before coming to Alabama. He was the edge rushers coach at Sacramento State in 2025.
Last, freshman Malique’ Franklin from Daphne is one to root for.
King remembers the “uncomfortable conversation” vividly. Franklin and his mother sat in King’s office. Franklin wanted to move to the defensive line, a position King knows better than anyone. King played defensive line at Alabama, finishing his career with experience at all three positions. And for Franklin to be successful, he had to choose violence, King said. He had to attack, to be quick, to be conditioned.
“His challenge is to show me that he could do it,” King said.
Franklin’s mother’s response was simple.
“(Franklin’s) mom looked at him and said, ‘Coach don’t believe you can do it,’” King said. “‘You’re going to make him eat his words.’”
Growing into a 6-foot-6, 265-pound monster off the edge, Franklin had 98 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss, 11 sacks and a forced fumble in his first season as a starter, per 247Sports. He was large, but nimble, able to run to the ball, knock piles back and secure sacks.
This kid sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder. We could use some of that.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
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