There’s already plenty of preseason chatter around Alabama freshman linebacker Xavier Griffin, and for good reason. The Tide landed a rare prospect in the 2026 class, with 247Sports ranking Griffin as the No. 1 linebacker. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he already carries the look of a player who belongs on a college field.
But Griffin isn’t the only young defender drawing attention in fall camp.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack also singled out freshman defensive back Jireh Edwards earlier this week, and he didn’t hold back on the praise. “Jireh’s one of the most instinctive playmakers I’ve ever seen coming out of high school,” Wommack said, via Roll 'Bama Roll.
“Very physical. 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. Really, for him, it’s about putting the whole thing together.”
That kind of endorsement hints at a real path to impact for Edwards at safety in 2026.
Griffin, meanwhile, brings his own impressive résumé. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, and he arrives after a standout high school career at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia.
As a senior, he piled up 78 tackles, including 12.0 tackles for loss, along with four sacks. He also earned all-region honors in basketball, underscoring the athleticism that made him such a coveted recruit.
His recruiting profile backed that up, too. Griffin was rated a five-star prospect and the No. 2 safety in the 2026 class.
Even with the buzz around Griffin, Alabama’s safety picture still points to Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb as the veterans at the center of the room. Hubbard is coming off a second-team All-American season, while Sabb enters his fifth year.
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