Alabama’s recruiting efforts alongside the line of defense this yr have been attention-grabbing. The Tide pulled in each quantity and high quality – nonetheless, practically each single incoming freshman was beneath 260 kilos, all wanting extra like defensive ends than inside linemen. Despite that, all the studies have been that Alabama seen many of those gamers as inside linemen who would shortly bulk up… And, properly, with the first RollTide.com roster replace, that’s already proving to be true.
On high of that, the Tide added a handful of gamers in the switch portal who’re anticipated to be main contributors to the place group.
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For the functions of this piece, we’ll be each inside DL gamers and gamers who will doubtless be “Bandits”, or defensive ends. However, there’s some interchangeability between the Bandit and the Wolf linebacker in Alabama’s scheme, so it’s not an ideal delineation, and a few guys could swap between the spots earlier than the season ever begins.
As all the time, all scores shall be from the 247Sports Composite, although I’ll point out if the different providers have wildly differing opinions. And in case you missed it, you can go check out all of the previous Meet the New Guys articles here.
Buckle up, that is going to be an extended one.
Mhari Johnson
Position: EDGE
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Stars: 4
Hometown: Muscle Shoals, AL
National Rank: 277
Position Rank: 28
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 286
Johnson is a kind of guys who was listed as a 250-260 pound edge rusher who’s already bulked up by practically 30 kilos on Alabama’s spring roster. While he’s beginning as a Bandit finish, he’s doubtless seen as somebody who shall be extra of an inside participant and be taught a defensive deal with function as properly.
Johnson dedicated to Alabama method again in April of final yr and stayed strong with that dedication.
Playstyle
Johnson’s most notable trait is his lengthy arms regardless of a shorter body, and he can use that to fend off offensive linemen and actually create a bit of area for himself to have the ability to get off the block horizontally. Despite enjoying principally as a get up edge rusher in highschool, he didn’t supply a complete lot as a real edge rusher, with most of his sack rush manufacturing approaching unblocked performs or inside stunts. What he did excel at, although, was crashing an edge after which blowing up runs to the B hole, as he might cross the deal with and make the inside run stops.
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Scheme Fit and Prediction
Johnson takes a bit of little bit of projecting to determine what he’s going to be. He doesn’t have the pace to be an edge participant, however he’s going to should bulk up and be taught to play inside to be a defensive deal with. I feel he can ultimately turn into a plus participant as a deal with or probably at Bandit in the run recreation, however it’s not going he’s going to supply an excessive amount of move rush.
I don’t count on to see him on the subject this yr, and I feel he’ll want a yr or two to rise up to the 300+ pound vary earlier than he has an opportunity to get into any rotational function.
Malique’ Franklin
Position: EDGE
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Stars: 4
Hometown: Daphne, AL
National Rank: 377
Position Rank: 39
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 250
Franklin was a late add to Alabama’s recruiting class in December, and he’s one in every of the few that didn’t enroll early, so we gained’t see him till summer season. He’s one thing of a late riser in the recruiting cycle, apparently rising 5 inches over the final two seasons, and so there’s nonetheless some query on simply what measurement he’s finally going to be.
He’s listed as an edge rusher, however he did typically play extra on the line than as a get up linebacker, and his speedy progress means that he could also be a candidate for taking part in on the line in the future.
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Playstyle
Franklin’s mixture of body, size, and skill to transform pace into energy make him the kind of prospect that may have NFL scouts already taking early notes on him. He’s as intimidating as they arrive out of highschool. For the most half, Franklin lined up as a 4-3 strongside defensive finish who rushed from head on the deal with, reasonably than from a wide-9 pace rush spot. He didn’t have too many move rush strikes or a lot of a pace rush, however man, can he bull rush an OT into the backfield, then flick them to the aspect as he makes a diving try at the QB.
Add in his big wingspan, and he visibly shrinks the total pocket on the QB in a rush.
As a run defender, he might get washed out at instances when double teamed on the edge, however loads of instances he’d handle to recuperate by diving for the RB and filling a gap with, once more, his lengthy arms. And he nonetheless made loads of unfavourable performs in the run recreation as an attacker, even when he struggled a bit with the extra long-game of edge setting.
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Scheme Fit and Prediction
I feel Franklin’s finest place goes to be Bandit for Alabama, although I might see him persevering with to develop into his body and ultimately turn into a defensive deal with. He presents loads of untapped upside as a move rusher and as soon as he settles right into a place, he’s the type of participant who might turn into a official star on the line. It gained’t be yr one, or perhaps even yr two, however he’s the kind of challenge participant you are taking a big gamble on to turn into a a power.
Corey Howard Jr.
Position: EDGE
Stars: 3
Hometown: Valdosta, GA
National Rank: 606
Position Rank: 64
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 285
Listed as an edge rusher in highschool, Howard has already placed on 40 kilos from his recruited weight and was listed at 285 for Alabama’s spring roster – so he’s undoubtedly not planning on being a real edge participant. Howard was initially a Georgia commit, however flipped from the Bulldogs in October final yr, together with his recruitment principally coming as a battle between these two faculties.
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Playstyle
Despite not enjoying at true defensive deal with measurement in highschool, Howard performs with an unimaginable quantity of pure power and relentless energy up the center. He’s obtained loads of expertise taking over double groups and can drop low to face his floor with out giving an inch regardless of being outweighed by a middle/guard duo. And if he’s singled up with a guard, he’s obtained a great really feel for holding a two-gap project and shedding his blocker with a fast swim as quickly as the working again commits.
As a move rusher, he’s obtained spectacular pace as soon as he will get a bit of area, and he’s fast off the snap with that very same swim transfer, and it earned him his fair proportion of fast sacks up the center. He does are inclined to get a bit chaotic when dashing the QB, and will trigger some points if it’s in opposition to a QB who’s able to take off scrambling.
Scheme Fit and Prediction
I feel Howard’s lack of weight regardless of enjoying an inside line of defense place saved him beneath the radar by way of recruiting rankings. With Alabama and Georgia as his high two suitors, it’s laborious to choose in opposition to what the teaching staffs see there. I feel he’ll shortly wind up north of 300 kilos, and I feel he’ll be a freshman that sees the subject a bit of bit this yr after which shall be difficult for a beginning function in 2027.
Nolan Wilson
Position: DL
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Stars: 4
Hometown: Picayune, MS
National Rank: 69
Position Rank: 9
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 258
Wilson was one in every of the most talked about recruits in Alabama’s class final summer season. He was a borderline 5-star prospect with a extremely contested recruitment that, supposedly, fairly just a few faculties *Cough* Miami *cough* threw important cash at him. Ultimately, it appeared that his relationship with Alabama gained out (they have been one in every of the very first faculties to supply him early in his recruitment). Interestingly, Wilson didn’t begin enjoying soccer till 2023, so he’s solely obtained three years in the sport to this point. Before that, he was principally a soccer and basketball participant.
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Wilson isn’t enrolling till summer season, so we’ll have to attend a bit of longer to see what sort of weight he exhibits up at to determine if we are able to count on him to be extra of a Bandit or a DT.
Playstyle
Wilson performed principally defensive finish, however began transferring inside a bit extra in his senior season as he continued to develop. Even at 260, his body appears to be like extra like an inside lineman, and it appears doubtless that’s the place he’ll wind up going. To this level, he’s obtained a mix of pace, quickness, energy, and energy that make him an athletic nightmare to match up in opposition to, however little or no in the method of any kind of developed dashing strategies or run protection self-discipline. He’s a wrecking ball on the edge or up the center, launching previous tackles and both simply flat out-running them round the edge or working again inside and knocking blockers off their ft as he crashes the center.
In loads of methods, his movie may be very reminiscent to after I watched Christian Barmore as a recruit: completely unrefined, however the quickness, energy, and energy made him stand out on the subject as somebody sowing chaos in the opposing offensive backfield.
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Scheme Fit and Prediction
I feel Wilson will doubtless develop to be true defensive deal with that has some versatility to play nearer to the edge when wanted, however I don’t suppose he’ll wind up as a pure nostril deal with. I don’t suspect he’ll see the subject as a freshman simply as a consequence of a scarcity of expertise and consistency. Even yr 2 may be a stretch. But as soon as he will get just a few years of observe beneath his belt, Wilson has an excellent shot of being the degree of participant that’s “best player on the defense” degree of fine.
Devan Thompkins
Position: DL
Transfer School: USC
Class: Redshirt Senior
Stars: 3 (recruit), 4 (switch)
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Hometown: Stockton, CA
National Rank: 635 (recruit), 30 (switch)
Position Rank: 44 (recruit), 5 (switch)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 298
Thompkins has had an attention-grabbing rise via school soccer. He was a 6’5” 220 lb 3-star edge rusher in highschool who took a few years to develop into his physique at USC earlier than turning into an enormous function participant in 2024 and a full time starter in 2025, racking up 6.5 tackles for loss final yr. He performed about 2/3 of his snaps at defensive deal with and the relaxation at defensive finish, so he brings inside and out of doors positional versatility.
One different factor that has been repeatedly introduced up about Thompkins is his skilled demeanor and management skills. So make no mistake, Thompkins was introduced in to be a day 1 impression starter for the Tide.
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Playstyle
On high of displaying unimaginable quickness off the snap for an enormous man, Thopkins additionally has a relentless bull rush and a completely nasty rip transfer that enable him to make that coveted second-wave of pocket collapsing up the inside. Once he will get a bit of open area, he’s obtained the closing pace and size to essentially seek out the opposing QB.
What we didn’t see loads of from him at USC was two-gap defending. He was typically extra of a B-gap splitter, and at solely 285 kilos, they used him extra as a speedy inside rusher than a real defensive deal with. However, he’s as much as 298 at Alabama, and in Kane Wommack’s defensive entrance scheme, he’ll be requested to carry up in a two-gap mush pretty typically, except he make a everlasting transition to Bandit.
As a abstract, his inside move dashing expertise are elite, and he’s finished it at the highest degree of school soccer. There’s some work to be finished as a run stopper nonetheless, however he’s additionally a man that’s solely began enjoying defensive deal with in the final couple of years, so there’s loads of room for progress regardless of being a senior.
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Scheme Fit and Prediciton
Lots of people have projected Thompkins to be a Bandit for Alabama, however I feel he’s principally going to remain as a defensive deal with that may often kick out to the edge in particular packages. He’ll be Alabama’s starter at DT this yr, and certain will lead the total line of defense room in snap rely this yr earlier than headed out to be a day 2 decide in the NFL draft.
Kedrick Bingley-Jones
Position: DL
Transfer School: Mississippi State, from North Carolina
Class: Graduate Senior
Stars: 4 (recruit), 3 (switch)
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
National Rank: 152 (recruit), 905 (switch)
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Position Rank: 15 (recruit), 94 (switch)
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 302
Bingley-Jones was granted a seventh yr of eligibility after profiting from the free covid yr and a few medical redshirts. He was initially a reasonably extremely rated recruit going to North Carolina, the place he was a reserve for 4 years. In 2024, he transferred to Miss State and was wanting like a full time starter for them, however then missed most of the season with damage. He returned in 2025 and performed 343 snaps for the Bulldogs at defensive deal with. Interestingly, the authentic studies when he signed with Alabama is that the employees seen him as a nostril guard, however he’s dropped 18 kilos from 320 to 302 since becoming a member of the Tide, so it’s a must to marvel if he’s going extra for a DT function.
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Playstyle
Bingley-Jones is thicker participant who’s at his finest when he can get a step of momentum and bull-rush a guard one on one. He does a great job of getting decrease than the blocker and slicing simply to the within them to essentially get them off stability. That stated, that power doesn’t fairly translate when he’s taking over double groups, and he typically finds himself getting washed out in the run recreation. He tends to attempt to get low to win these battles of power, however simply winds up on his knees as a working again goes by.
For the most half, Bingley-Jones was utilized in the B-gap, however I believed he really did finest when he was lined up in opposition to and OT reasonably than a guard or proper up the center, and he might use his power and low middle of gravity to win in opposition to tackles, notably in a move rush.
Scheme Fit and Prediction
I’m probably not positive the place Bingley-Jones matches in Wommack’s protection. I don’t suppose he has the power to be a nostril guard, and whereas he has a pleasant bull rush on passing performs, I’m unsure that may get him enjoying time over some quicker inside rushers. He’s a veteran presence that may add some good observe depth and brings loads of SEC expertise, in order that’s all the time a optimistic to have as a reserve piece. Still, I don’t foresee a complete lot of enjoying time for him.
Caleb Smith
Position: DL
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Transfer School: Washington
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Stars: 3 (recruit), 3 (switch)
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
National Rank: 936 (recruit), 959 (switch)
Position Rank: 105 (recruit), 104 (switch)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 277
Smith is initially from Alabama, however wound up going to Washington for his freshman yr. Interestingly, it looks like the Huskies supplied him his scholarship after Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama, and Alabama by no means recruited him as a highschool prospect. But a yr later after Jeff Fisch left, he entered the portal to return again, and DeBoer obtained him a spot on the roster. Smith took a redshirt final yr, so we’ve not but appear him on the subject at the school degree.
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Playstyle
Smith jogs my memory of a few of these defensive ends from early in the Nick Saban period. He’s kind of a jumbo-sized finish participant that excels at setting the edge in the run, enjoying clear up, and mush dashing into move lanes and getting swats on passing downs. He’s not somebody who’s going to wow you with pace or quickness, however he’s quick sufficient to maintain issues contained on the edge, and his size provides him loads of leeway to make tackles. And once more, he’s wonderful at taking over a block on perimeter runs and simply walling off that aspect of the line, then making the deal with as quickly as the RB tries to chop inside.
Scheme Fit and Prediction
I feel Smith’s finest long run match is at bandit the place he can actually put his edge-setting capacity to good use. I feel he could be a plus run defender at the SEC degree, and can often have an effect on the passing recreation together with his capacity to get in the QBs method. What’s going to carry him again is the lack of dynamic move rush, and I feel it may be a yr or two earlier than he can work his method right into a rotational function, notably as an early-downs jumbo edge.
Terrance Green
Position: DL
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Transfer School: Oregon
Class: Redshirt Junior
Stars: 4 (recruit), 4 (switch)
Hometown: Cypress, TX
National Rank: 254 (recruit), 29 (switch)
Position Rank: 34 (recruit), 4 (switch)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 319
Green was one in every of the top-rated gamers in the switch portal this previous yr after enjoying an honest bit for Oregon as a rotational piece in 2025. He’s an enormous participant at 6’5” 319, and was listed at 330 when he was with the Ducks, so he undoubtedly brings an intimidating physique to associate with loads of expertise enjoying for one in every of the finest packages in the nation (and for what it’s price, I believed he had some good flashes in the semifinal recreation in opposition to Indiana).
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Playstyle
Green performed each defensive deal with and nostril deal with for the Ducks, sometimes as a rotational piece that performed extra on early downs and brief yardage units. He’s obtained spectacular measurement and power to carry his personal in opposition to double groups and clog the center fairly properly, however I additionally thought he displayed extra quickness than I anticipated for somebody his measurement, and I noticed him blast a guard into the backfield from the bottom of an out of doors run play and really practically catch the RB from behind. He additionally often will flash that very same burst in move rushes, stunning a guard or middle together with his fast burst and getting them off stability earlier than bowling them over and beelining for the QB.
The greatest factor for Green at this level is that we haven’t seen him do it in a full-time function over the course of a recreation. How’s his stamina to maintain flashing like that when he’s not simply coming off the bench so as to add juice?
Still, in the restricted snaps we’ve seen, he’s a wonderful run defender and a surprisingly bursty move rusher for an enormous nostril deal with. There’s undoubtedly loads of upside, and that’s why he was one in every of the top-ranked gamers in the portal.
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Scheme Fit and Prediction
Green shall be proper in the competitors to be Alabama’s beginning nostril deal with, and, regardless of the Tide having loads of returning gamers with expertise there, I feel that Green more than likely has the inside monitor to being the most important starter. That stated, I additionally count on he’ll solely play 300-400 snaps whilst a starter, as I feel the employees will wish to rotate him so much to maintain him as contemporary as doable.