Alabama Players List 'Hungry, Starving' Sleeper Teammates

Ryan Coleman-Williams, Yhonzae Pierre, Jackson Lloyd and Ivan Taylor break down the biggest sleepers in their respective position groups.

8/11/26 MFB Fall Camp Practice 6 Alabama Wide Receiver Derek Meadows (30) Photo by Kent Gidley | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football has a plethora of players standing out at fall camp, but not all of them are getting the spotlight.

The Crimson Tide roster is riddled with players striving for more playing time, many of whom are being slept on as potential key contributors to the 2026 roster.

BamaCentral spoke with numerous Alabama players at Media Day on Aug. 8 about a variety of topics surrounding this year's team. We also asked them which of their teammates are sleepers. Here are four players to keep an eye on as the season looms.

Justin Hill, Linebacker

Alabama Linebacker Justin Hill (8) in action against A-Day at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Apr 11, 2026. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The Endorser: Yhonzae Pierre — "[Hill's] on the come up, he's a young guy, he's been flying around. He's been doing a good job and whatnot. Yes sir, I feel like that's one who everyone's sleeping on."

If there's any position that isn't a competition by any means, it's the Wolf linebacker spot. It belongs to Yhonzae Pierre, who led the Crimson Tide in sacks and tackles for loss last season. However, Pierre's dominance off the edge could sometimes put him in a package where he fills the Bandit spot, and sophomore Justin Hill would be the Wolf.

Hill saw time on defense and special teams while playing in all 15 games as a freshman, totaling 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, plus a pass breakup. His role seemed to increase with each contest, and on A-Day, he logged four tackles, including two for loss. Despite the man in front of him, Hill should see the field much more this year, maybe more than we'd expect.

Racin Delgatty, Center

8/5/26 MFB First fall Practice Alabama Offensive Lineman Racin Delgatty (55) Adrian Klemm Photo by Kent Gidley | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The Endorser: Jackson Lloyd — "Racin transferred from FCS to FBS, and he wasn't worried about any of that, wasn't worried about the outside noise. He just came here wanting to maximize his potential. He's been doing great, so I think he'll turn a lot of heads this season."

Yes, you can make the argument that Delgatty isn't a sleeper because he'll start at center, but his journey is nothing like the typical Alabama player. He was a 3-star prospect and the No. 169 interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2023 out of La Cañada Flintridge, Calif. He spent his first three seasons at Cal Poly before transferring to Tuscaloosa this offseason.

Delgatty started 12 games at center for Cal Poly in 2025, earning All-Big Sky Second Team honors. He allowed just 11 pressures and no sacks over 460 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has high expectations for Delgatty, labeling him as "super athletic," which fits his scheme well.

Derek Meadows, Wide Receiver

8/13/26 MFB Fall Camp practice 8 Scrimmage 1 Alabama Wide Receiver Derek Meadows (30) Photo by Kent Gidley | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The Endorser: Ryan Coleman-Williams — "Last year, [Meadows'] freshman year, he got some snaps obviously, but this year he's attacked the offseason well. But I think with us having so many guys — so many young guys and so many old heads — I think people have been sleeping on him a little bit. I'm just excited for what the rest of this camp will hold for him."

For the second consecutive year, sophomore Derek Meadows is Alabama's tallest wide receiver, standing at 6-foot-5. He's one of multiple candidates for the vacant third starting receiver spot because of his large catch radius and the advantages that come with it in the red zone and jump balls. Additionally, he had by far the most targets at A-Day with nine, resulting in five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.

DeBoer said on April 6 that Meadows "has had some big plays throughout the whole spring," and Coleman-Williams said after A-Day that Meadows' performance was "nothing that I didn't expect" due to him being "super consistent." Additionally, Grubb said on Monday that Meadows "might be one of the hardest workers on the team, both in the classroom and on the field."

Jireh Edwards, Safety

Alabama Defensive Back Jireh Edwards (10) during practice at Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in Tuscaloosa, AL on Sunday, Mar 8, 2026. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The Endorser: Ivan Taylor — "[Edwards] is coming up. He's hungry, he's starving. He's really been playing very well during camp, and he'll continue to do well."

Edwards was a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 safety in the Class of 2026 out of Upper Marlboro, Md. He enrolled early and has imposing size for the secondary, making him an ideal Husky in the Alabama defense. Edwards is instinctual and has elite athleticism, making him an exciting prospect to watch as a true freshman.

This is a very deep safety unit, maybe the deepest position group on the roster. In addition to Preseason All-SEC members Hubbard and Sabb, Edwards will be competing for snaps with Husky Red Morgan, the aforementioned Ivan Taylor, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Zavier Mincey and more. But the fact that Edwards is already catching the eyes of his teammates is a great sign, especially since Taylor didn't even hesitate when asked for a sleeper.

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