Alabama heads into Saturday’s trip to LSU with a secondary that still feels like the biggest swing factor on the board, and the timing could not be better for a defense trying to steady itself.
The Crimson Tide’s defensive backfield has shown both sides of the coin this season. On one hand, Alabama is tied for the SEC lead with 12 interceptions.
On the other, the group has given up too many busted coverages and has been uneven tackling after the catch. If that unit shows up at its best in Baton Rouge, Alabama’s path to a win gets a lot cleaner.
Getting some injured players back would only help.
The safeties have been part of that uneven picture. Bray Hubbard has been the most steady presence, handling a little bit of everything from the back end to the box.
Keon Sabb’s production has not matched the expectations around him, while Ivan Taylor has flashed as a ball hawk in limited work. The problem is that the safety group has also been involved in some of Alabama’s biggest breakdowns this season.
At cornerback, Dijon Lee Jr. has been the roller coaster. He has had issues in coverage and with penalties, but he has also come through in big moments with two interception returns for touchdowns.
Zabien Brown remains one of Alabama’s top defensive backs and is not being challenged often. Red Morgan has had his own coverage issues, though he brings real force as a tackler.
Taylor has been eating into Sabb’s snaps, and there is still anticipation around Jireh Edwards, who drew plenty of buzz in camp and then looked ready for a breakout in Lexington back in week two. Jorden Edmonds also entered the season with a lot of hype. The way things stand, both the corners and safeties could use someone taking Lee’s job outside and sliding him into dime.
That secondary will have to deal with LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, who has completed only 20% of his passes of 20+ air yards. He has done most of his damage in the intermediate game, where he is completing 70% of his throws, but that approach has also come with an SEC-high eight interceptions.
Alabama’s back end has been opportunistic enough to punish mistakes. The question is whether it can clean up its own leaks long enough to take advantage.
LSU enters the game with a mixed recent run. The Tigers opened the season by crushing Clemson 51-10 and then rolled past Louisiana Tech 45-14.
Their first real setback came in Oxford, where Pete Golding’s Rebels beat them 32-24. LSU answered with wins over Texas A&M and McNeese before Kentucky stunned the Tigers 35-34 in overtime in Baton Rouge.
Since then, LSU has beaten Mississippi State and Auburn, and the Tigers were off last week, giving them extra time to prepare for Alabama.
Another loss would put LSU’s playoff hopes in serious trouble, which would be a major hit for Lane Kiffin after the expectations that followed his arrival in Baton Rouge.
Elsewhere, Alabama women’s basketball tips off its 2026-27 season tonight at Coleman with a home game against Queens. Pauline Love is beginning her first season after replacing Kristy Curry, who left after 14 seasons for USF. Love came from Oklahoma, where she was associate head coach, and she also spent time at Alabama as an assistant and recruiting coordinator from 2024-25.
The Tide return four players from last season, led by Ace Austin and Naomi Jones, and Love’s staff brought in nine new faces. Alabama has already won both of its exhibitions.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and the game will stream on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app. The men’s team opens tomorrow night against Sam Houston St.
There’s also plenty of attention on the College Football Playoff picture, with the first rankings set to come out Tuesday. The strength-of-schedule debate is expected to be a major talking point, and the SEC’s six 6-2 teams could all benefit if the committee gives real weight to schedule difficulty. The argument is simple enough: advanced metrics like the league’s profile, but the win-loss column still tends to drive the final call.
One more wrinkle on the national scene: USC’s win over Ohio State should quiet any speculation about a connection between USC and DeBoer, who worked with their AD while at Washington.
For Alabama, though, the focus is much narrower. Saturday in Baton Rouge may come down to whether the secondary can finally play like the unit it was supposed to be.
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The timing matters because the pressure around Alabama is only growing. The Tide opened as a 3.5-point underdog against LSU before the line swung heavily in the Tigers favor, and there are always ripple effects around recruiting when coaching changes hit elsewhere, including Florida State moving on from Mike Norvell. Even with Alabama soccers regular-season finale loss to Mississippi State, the broader athletic department remains in the spotlight, and Oats now has another prized recruit attached to a stretch where every result seems to carry extra weight. [Read more 🡒]