2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Defensive Line

Alabama's defense has been pretty good the last two seasons under Kane Wommack. The Crimson Tide finished 20th in scoring defense (19.2 points per game) and 13th in total defense (296.8 yards per game.) But Alabama's defensive coordinator still isn't satisfied.

"We’ve done some good things here, and I know our numbers and all that stuff have been pretty solid for the last two years, we just haven’t been a dominant defense consistently throughout the season," Wommack said back in the spring. "We’ve shown flashes of it, but I’d like to be more dominate up front. I think we’ve addressed some of those needs with guys we got in the transfer portal. Really excited about some of the new defensive lineman. Excited about the growth from some of the guys that have been here in our program. We’re finding creative ways to get them in the backfield a little bit more.”

Alabama picked up several key additions up front from the transfer portal with USC's Devan Thompkins, Mississippi State's Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Oregon's Terrance Green to go alongside returners like London Simmons, Jeremiah Beaman and Edric Hill.

"I think we added some pieces not just in the offensive line, but the defensive line, that can come in and really give us what we want from a physicality standpoint," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said at SEC Media Days.

All three transfers are upperclassmen and bring a lot of collegiate experience in the D-line room, which Alabama needed after some offseason departures.

Several Crimson Tide defensive lineman entered the transfer portal, some wooed by better offers or some looking for more playing time. Kelby Collins (South Carolina) and Jordan Renaud (Ole Miss) transferred to SEC schools while James Smith (Ohio State) and Keon Keeley (Notre Dame) moved on to other College Football Playoff contenders. With LT Overton's departure to the NFL and the transfer exits, Alabama is essentially having to rebuild the Bandit position, but it is happy with what it got out of the portal.

In Wommack's defensive system, things can get a little murky when trying to define exactly what position a player plays, especially along the defensive line. So if there's a player you think should be classified as a lineman, but he doesn't show up in this preview, he will be listed with the linebackers. For example, sixth-year Jah-Marien Latham is being listed as a linebacker on this yer's roster, but he has previously played more of a defensive line role. South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu could play Bandit or Wolf.

"I think we do have some pretty good depth right now at the those positions and so finding creative ways to get those guys matched up based on the situation or the personnel that we want on the field," Wommack said. "Those are going to be things that we’re exploring every avenue there.”

One of those guys that can move around to different positions and that garnered a lot of buzz throughout the spring from choaches and teammates alike is Thompkins.

"You try to find versatility— guys that can do multiple things, multiple positions. That, to me, is something that he brings to the table," Wommack said of Thompkins. "Because of his athleticism, and because of his size and strength, he can do things both outside and inside at a pretty high level. Once we got to know him and started doing research from his time at USC, this guy’s a captain, he’s a leader. He carries himself with a professional demeanor day in and day out.”

Alabama has a lot of good options up front. It'll just be about finding the right pieces to plug in at the right spots, but Wommack's past patterns also show that the Tide will likely rotate in a lot of different players along the defensive line throughout the season.

Projected Early-Season Depth Chart

Defensive tackle

1. London Simmons
2. Edric Hill
3. Steve Bolo Mboumoua

Nose tackle

1. Terrance Green
2. Kedrick Bingley-Jones
3. Jeremiah Beaman

Bandit

1. Devan Thompkins
2. Jah-Marien Latham OR Fatutoa Henry

2026 Alabama Defensive Lineman

Note: The NCAA eliminated redshirts during the summer, meaning Alabama lists its players as either a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, fifth-year or sixth-year on the official roster. Additionally the roster hasn't been updated yet with new measurements, so the ones below are from the spring.

Jeremiah Beaman- Junior, 6-4, 303 lbs

Beaman showed some promise at the end of his freshman season in 2024 when he was forced into a bigger role for the bowl game. However, his 2025 season was derailed by a season-ending injury in practice after just one game. Beaman was a four-star prospect coming out of high school in Birmingham and has two total tackles in his collegiate career.

Isaia Faga- Junior, 6-2, 291 lbs

As an in-state player out of Central Phoenix City, Faga found his spot in the D-line rotation last season after seeing limited action during his freshman campaign in 2024. Faga played in all 15 games in 2025 , finishing the season with nine tackles and a quarterback hurry.

Fatutoa Henry- Fifth-year, 6-4, 272 lbs

Henry started his collegiate career at Oklahoma before transferring to spend two seasons at Cerritos Community College. He was one of the highest-rated JUCO players in his class but only appeared in five games last season. Henry is a player that Wommack mentioned taking a big step forward in the spring with a full year in the program under his belt.

Edric Hill- Senior, 6-3, 287 lbs

Hill was thrusted into a bigger roll with Alabama last season after several injuries along the defensive line. He played in all 15 games with three starts, finishing the year with 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Hill is a player that has seen his role grow in each season for the Tide, and he will likely have his most impactful season yet in his senior year.

Steve Bolo Mboumoua- Junior, 6-4, 301 lbs

Mboumoua is originally from Canada but came to Alabama last year after one season at Southwest Mississippi Community College. With several more experienced players in front of him on the depth chart, Mboumoua appeared in just three games. He had five tackles, including one for loss in 2025.

London Simmons- Sophomore, 6-3, 302 lbs

Simmons played the second-most snaps of any freshman on the Alabama defense last season, trailing only cornerback Dijon Lee. Despite joining the Tide in the summer as a three-star prospect, Simmons saw time in all 15 games with two starts. Simmons had 19 tackles, including 1.5 sacks last season and a big fumble recovery against LSU. Because of that, he was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team by the league coaches.

Kedrick Bingley-Jones- Sixth-year, 6-4, 302 lbs

Bingley-Jones brings a veteran presence and SEC experience to Alabama's defensive line as a sixth-year player out of Mississippi State. He started his career at North Carolina, where he spent four seasons total after redshirting in 2020. The lineman transferred to Mississippi State in 2024. Last year with the Bulldogs, he played in all 13 games and finished with 25 total tackles.

Leslie Black- Senior, 6-5, 285 lbs

Black transferred to Alabama this offseason after one year at West Georgia where he played in 11 games with 16 total tackles. He started his college career with two years at Nebraska, only appearing in one game. Black was likely added as a depth piece for the Crimson Tide.

Terrance Green- Senior, 6-5, 319 lbs

Green was one of the best defensive lineman available in the transfer portal this offseason, joining Alabama after three seasons at Oregon. During his time with the Ducks, Green played in 25 games with 22 total tackles and a sack. He was part of the Oregon team that made a run to the CFP semifinals last season.

Corey Howard Jr.- Freshman, 6-6, 285 lbs

Howard was considered an edge rusher in the 2026 recruiting class, but Alabama has him listed as a defensive lineman on the official roster. He joins the Crimson Tide out of Valdosta, Georgia and flipped his commitment from Georgia to Alabama. He was a consensus three-star prospect by the major recruiting outlets

Mhari Johnson- Freshman, 6-3, 286 lbs

Johnson was an in-state signee out of Muscle Shoals. He was also an edge rusher in high school but can play the interior defensive line as well. Johnson chose Alabama over Auburn, Miami and Ole Miss and was selected to play in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. It will be challenging for either freshman to find signifiant playing time this season with the depth and experience ahead of them, but Simmons proved last season that it can come from unexpected places.

Caleb Smith- Sophomore, 6-5, 277 lbs

Smith is from Alabama, graduating from Parker in Birmingham, but started his collegiate career at Washington last season. He did not appear in any games for the Huskies. Another depth piece for the Crimson Tide to bolster the defensive line room.

Devan Thompkins- Fifth-year, 6-5, 298 lbs

One of the top players in Alabama's portal class. Thompkins is expected to be a starter for Alabama and can play multiple positions along the defensive line for the Tide. He comes to Alabama after four seasons at USC. Thompkins played in 12 games for the Trojans last season, finishing the year with 31 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and three sacks. Two of those sacks and a forced fumble came in USC's win over Michigan.

This is the sixth story of BamaCentral's summer position previews series. We're providing an in-depth look at every position group through the rest of July.

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Quarterbacks

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Running Backs

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Tight Ends

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Wide Receivers

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Offensive Line

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