Alabama’s defense has a habit of letting freshmen grow up fast, and two more five-star newcomers are already pushing for real snaps.
With the season opener against East Carolina getting closer, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said linebacker Xavier Griffin and defensive back Jireh Edwards are both trending toward roles in 2026. That fits the pattern Alabama has established under Wommack: six freshmen have already played at least 100 defensive snaps in his first two seasons, with Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee Jr. stepping into major roles right away in 2024 and 2025.
Griffin and Edwards are two of Alabama’s three five-star defensive signees in the 2026 class, alongside defensive back Jorden Edmonds. Edmonds, though, is out for a few weeks with an injury.
Griffin, in particular, is making an early impression in the linebacker room. Wommack said Alabama is asking him “to do multiple things,” including pass-rush work and continued reps as a “stack backer,” the same role he played at Gainesville High School in Georgia as a senior. Wommack said Griffin “took his game, really, to another level,” and praised the work being done by inside linebackers coach Chuck Morrell.
“(Alabama inside linebackers coach) Chuck Morrell’s done a fantastic job with him,” Wommack said. “I came in here, whatever it was, 6 a.m. this morning, and they’re meeting one on one, spending time.
We’re working to get him ready. I think he’s going to have a role for us this year.
He’s doing a really nice job.”
Griffin’s high school production backed up the hype. As a senior at Gainesville in 2025, he finished with 78 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss and four sacks.
Edwards brings a different kind of punch. Wommack described him as “one of the most instinctive playmakers I’ve ever seen coming out of high school.”
“Very physical,” Wommack said. “He’s got phenomenal tracking of the ball. His blitz IQ and awareness is really high, and so he can create production out of that package as well.”
Still, Wommack made it clear Edwards has work left before Alabama can unleash him in every situation. The staff wants him to “put the whole thing together,” and the bigger question is how quickly he can become trustworthy on any down.
“Jireh’s going to play for us, but how much does he play for us early in the season and in what situations?” Wommack said.
“Those are the question marks we’ve really challenged him in like, can you put everything together that we can throw you out there on any given down? And he’s still working towards that.”
Edwards is listed at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds and arrived after a junior season at Saint Frances Academy in Maryland that included 92 tackles, 17 tackles-for0loss, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles.
In Other News...
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Is Starting To Tilt One Way
Fall camp has a way of sharpening every quarterback conversation, and Alabamas has started to narrow in a way that matters for the rest of the SEC. Around the country, several major programs are still sorting through open competitions, with Tennessee weighing Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre and schools like Iowa, North Carolina and Florida still without a definitive answer. In Tuscaloosa, the picture is becoming clearer as the Crimson Tide move closer to naming a starter.
Keelon Russell has emerged as the quarterback who appears to be ahead in the race, which gives Alabama a growing sense of direction as the season approaches. Austin Mack remains part of the conversation, but the gap seems to be forming at the right time for a staff trying to settle the position before the games start to count. Another checkpoint is coming soon, and the decision now feels less like a wide-open battle and more like one nearing its final turn. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas New Offensive Look Has One Huge Advantage This Season
Alabamas offense is leaning into size in a way that should make life easier for Ryan Grubb as the season unfolds. The coordinator has pointed to bigger receivers Derek Meadows and Cederian Morgan as players who can give the passing game a different feel, while also signaling that the Tides tight end room could become a major part of the plan. Kaleb Edwards, Marshall Pritchett, Danny Lewis Jr. and Josh Ford have all been in the mix as camp has gone on, giving the staff more ways to build around matchups rather than force the same look snap after snap.
Grubb has made it clear that the goal is to use personnel in a way that tests defenses and keeps Alabama flexible from down to down. The tight ends have stood out as a bright spot in camp, and the expectation is that their usage will rise as the offense settles in. For a unit looking for reliable answers and a little more strain on opposing coverage, that kind of depth gives the Tide a useful edge before the season even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Offensive Line Is Suddenly Fueling Real Buzz At Camp
There is a little more life around Alabamas offensive line this camp after a strong practice caught the attention of Aaron Taylor, the former Notre Dame lineman and Super Bowl champion who watched the group up close. Taylor came away impressed with the way the Tide were moving people in the run game, pointing to cleaner technique and a more forceful approach than he saw before, while also crediting the influence of offensive line coach Klemm.
For Alabama, that kind of outside validation matters because the line has been a central question as the offense tries to establish itself early in the season. Taylors read was that the group looked improved in the core areas that decide whether a team can control games at the line of scrimmage, and he especially noted the progress in run blocking. The question now is how consistently that camp buzz carries over once the real snaps start adding up. [Read more 🡒]