Kane Wommack and Christian Robinson understand the Alabama football program’s standards, but both defensive coaches are in their first season with the Crimson Tide.
Freddie Roach, Alabama’s defensive line coach, is in his fifth year and it is a big year for him.
Tide fans have not seen a difference maker on its defensive line since Christian Barmore in 2020, and it has not seen a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft off the defensive line since Quinnen Williams in 2019. Alabama has talent and experience up front, but does it have a player or multiple players that strike fear in the hearts of offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and running backs? Roach, Wommack, and Robinson must locate these athletes before the college football season starts this fall.
Alabama has names such as Jah-Marien Latham, Tim Smith, Jehiem Oatis, Tim Kennan III, and Damon Payne Jr. that have playing experience.
Tide fans have not seen a difference maker on its defensive line since Christian Barmore in 2020, and it has not seen a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft off the defensive line since Quinnen Williams in 2019. Alabama has talent and experience up front, but does it have a player or multiple players that strike fear in the hearts of offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and running backs? Roach, Wommack, and Robinson must locate these athletes before the college football season starts this fall.
Alabama has names such as Jah-Marien Latham, Tim Smith, Jehiem Oatis, Tim Kennan III, and Damon Payne Jr. that have playing experience.
It brought LT Overton via the NCAA transfer portal from Texas A&M and signed young guys like James Smith, Jordan Renaud, Edric Hill, Jeremiah Beaman, Isaia Faga, Steve “Bolo” Mboumoua, Keon Keeley (could also play “Wolf” position at outside linebacker), and Hunter Osborne.
Tim Smith, James Smith, Payne and Keeley were five stars out of high school. Oatis, Kennan, Latham, Renaud, Hill, and Beaman all were talented four stars. Faga and Mboumoua were three-star athletes, but both possesses raw power and other tools to disrupt opposing offenses. The Tide has a rotation that Roach needs to trust, and he must keep guys fresh.
Alabama defensive front had so much success from 2015 to 2017 because the players behind Jonathan Allen, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Dalvin Tomlinson, Tim Williams, and Ryan Anderson were not slouches.
