Ivan Taylor may not stay under the radar in Alabama’s secondary for long.
That’s a tough place to stand out, because the Crimson Tide’s defensive back room is packed. Safety, especially, looks crowded in the best possible way.
Alabama brings back both starters, Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb, and that pairing could end up as the best safety duo in college football this season. But what really makes the group stand out is everything sitting behind them.
Zay Mincey, Ivan Taylor, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and freshman Jireh Edwards all look like players who can matter for Alabama’s defense in 2026.
Taylor, the son of former NFL star Ike Taylor, has already started turning heads this offseason as he heads into his sophomore year in Tuscaloosa. When Hubbard was sidelined by injury in spring, Taylor used the extra reps to make his case for a bigger role in a secondary that is loaded with talent.
Getting on the field won’t be simple, but Taylor’s ability may force the issue. He’s the kind of player who can make a room even deeper, the same way Dijon Lee did a year ago.
At SEC Media Days, rising junior cornerback Zabien Brown singled him out when speaking with Ryan Fowler of 100.9 The Game. Fowler asked Brown for a couple of “sleepers” on the Alabama defense, and after first mentioning QB Reese, Brown pointed to the sophomore safety.
"Ivan Taylor. Ivan is hungry, man," Brown said to Fowler.
"He's a young gun, but he's energy in a bottle. He's ready to go."
That kind of praise fits the way Taylor has been discussed this offseason. He could end up being a major luxury for Kane Wommack this fall, especially with Hubbard and Sabb already in place. In a room this deep, the question almost becomes whether Taylor is good enough to push his way into the starting mix.
Keeping him off the field may not be realistic for long. Alabama has shown a willingness to rotate players and reward the ones who earn it, and Taylor sounds like someone who will keep making that case in fall camp.
There are plenty of programs where he’d be an obvious starter. The fact that he isn’t at Alabama says more about the Tide’s depth than anything else. It also says something about Kalen DeBoer’s program that Taylor stayed put without a clearly defined role heading into his sophomore season.
Taylor clearly trusts the staff. He also trusts his own game, and he appears to believe the coaches will put the best players on the field, regardless of age or status.
It may not take much longer before Ivan Taylor is impossible to ignore as one of the best 11 Kane Wommack can deploy.
In Other News...
Kalen DeBoer May Face Alabama QB Call He Never Wanted
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Mack has only a handful of appearances on his rsum, and Russell is still just a freshman with even less exposure. With that kind of uncertainty, the Tide could be tempted to ease both into the job early rather than hand the offense to one and hope the other stays ready, even if DeBoer would rather avoid that kind of split. The bigger question is when he settles on a starter, with a decision expected a couple of weeks before the season and potentially around Aug. 24 after the second fall camp scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Already Be Leaning One Way In A Crucial Linebacker Battle
Alabamas defense is headed for a reset in 2026, and the linebacker room is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle. Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson is expected to step in as the Mike linebacker, giving the Tide a veteran anchor in the middle, while the spot next to him is shaping up as one of the more watched battles on the roster. Junior QB Reese has already done enough to put himself in the mix, with teammates and former players taking notice of the way he has developed.
Reese is not running away with the job, though, and that is what makes the competition worth following. Luke Metz is among the players pushing for that other starting role, and Alabama will spend the spring and summer trying to sort out who fits best beside Woodson. Reese has shown promise in previous seasons, and the buzz around him suggests he has a real chance to seize the opportunity, but the final call in that room still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]