'I'm So Roll Tide': Three Stories that Define Alabama Draft Prospect Tim Keenan III

It's Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and former Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan III is one of many who hope to be the next Crimson Tide product off the board.

The 23-year-old is widely projected to go in the fifth or sixth round. Numerous mock drafts have him being selected between the 150th and 200th overall pick.

But before he should hear his name called in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, here are three quotes from Keenan and head coach Kalen DeBoer and that define the defensive tackle as an NFL player.

How Tim Keenan Wants to be Remembered at Alabama

Keenan redshirted his freshman season in 2021 and only saw the field in two games as a sophomore. In today's college athletics, many players would transfer due to the lack of playing time, but the former in-state recruit stayed the course and earned a starting job in 2023 and emerged himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC in 2024.

Keenan would've been an intriguing prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he decided to stay at Alabama for another year with hopes of leaving Tuscaloosa with a National Championship. Keenan's 2025 campaign got off on the wrong foot, as he missed the first three games following a high ankle sprain.

While he and the Tide fell short, he finished with 16 tackles, including three for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 12 contests. He helped clog the trenches and pave the way for UA to log 33 sacks. But the answer to how Keenan wanted to be remembered at Alabama came over a month before his final season started.

"I want to leave behind that I was a God-fearing young man who stepped on this campus that at first seemed it wasn't going to work out, but he put his faith in God and his dreams ended up coming true," Keenan said at SEC Media Days on July 19. "It's going to be a Cinderella story at the end of the day, a happy ending.

"That's the legacy I want to leave — a great, dominant football player but also just a great man off the field for the stuff I did in the community and how I impacted people."

"...I'm so Roll Tide," Keenan said. "Just being from the state, watching this ever since I was knee-high running around, dreaming one day I was going to get to play on that field and I get to live out the dream. It's an honor and blessing to represent [Alabama] here as a leader."

Why Kalen DeBoer Chose Tim Keenan as a Captain

Keenan was one of four Alabama captains this past season, joining quarterback Ty Simpson, center Parker Brailsford and linebacker Deontae Lawson, who also held the title in 2024. The players vote for their representatives, and while DeBoer didn't necessarily have a say in the ballots, he wasn't surprised when Keenan won.

"First of all, just a guy that's been here for so long," DeBoer said. "Heart and soul type of guy in the program. Big brother to the younger guys. I know they feel like they can go to him and he's going to shoot them straight.

"Then just the work ethic and the journey he's been on. I didn't really understand his journey until we got into the year last year — kind of understand where he started out, how far he's come along, what he's doing for us.

"Now, it's really cool to see. It's important to him. You could just hear, I had each guy address the team just for a couple of seconds and he doesn't take it for granted. He appreciates that."

Monumental Status in the Ultimate Rivalry

Keenan is one of just three Alabama players in program history to go 5-0 in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, joining New York Jets safety Malachi Moore and fellow draft prospect and linebacker Deontae Lawson.

The Iron Bowl is a pivotal annual event for an in-state athlete like Keenan, as he modeled his playstyle and leadership after fellow former Alabama defensive linemen from Birmingham. This includes Quinnen Williams, Daron Payne, Marcell Dareus and DJ Dale.

"It means a lot, especially being from the state of Alabama and watching it my whole life," Keenan said before his fifth game and victory over Auburn. "Getting to actually play in the game and getting [experience] last year, I plan on going out there, having fun with my guys and entailing the legacy.

"...Hard work is definitely a beautiful thing. You find out how strong you are on this football field. I was very fortunate growing up, so a lot of things weren't necessarily challenging for me, but football showed me that adversity is not what you think it is. You can always overcome it."

Tim Keenan III's NFL Combine Numbers

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 327 pounds
Arm Length: 30 1/2"
Hand Size: 8 5/8"

40-yard dash: 5.31 seconds (No. 15 among 15 defensive tackles)
Bench press: 21 reps (No. 5 among five defensive tackles)
Vertical jump: 30.00" (No. 12 among 16 defensive tackles
Broad jump: 8'4" (No. 14 among 14 defensive tackles)
Three-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP

Keenan could become the 38th Alabama defensive tackle drafted in program history. Here's a look at the preceding 37.

Tim Smith, 2025
Justin Eboigbe, 2024
Byron Young, 2023
Phidarian Mathis, 2022
Christian Barmore, 2021
Raekwon Davis, 2020
Quinnen Williams, 2019
Isaiah Buggs, 2019
Da'Ron Payne, 2018
Joshua Frazier, 2018
Dalvin Tomlinson, 2017
A'Shawn Robinson, 2016
Jarran Reed, 2016
Jesse Williams, 2013
Josh Chapman, 2012
Marcell Dareus, 2011
Terrence Cody, 2010
Anthony Bryant, 2005
Jarret Johnson, 2003
Kenny King, 2003
Kenny Smith, 2001
Cornelius Griffin, 2000
Michael Myers, 1998
Shannon Brown, 1996
Robert Stewart, 1992
George Thornton, 1991
Byron Holdbrooks, 1991
Thomas Rayam, 1990
Curt Jarvis, 1987
Brent Sowell, 1986
Warren Lyles, 1982
Byron Braggs, 1981
Terry Jones, 1978
Bob Baumhower, 1977
Mike Raines, 1974
Louis Thompson, 1967
Ed Culpepper, 1955

List of Every Alabama Player Picked in 2026 NFL Draft and Where They're Headed

Sports Illustrated draft tracker: https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/tracker

Bama in the NFL Database

Contract Info, Status of Former Alabama Crimson Tide Players
Active Crimson Tide Players by Team, Position
All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players in the NFL
All-Time Crimson Tide Draft Selections
Team-by-Team History of Crimson Tide Players in the NFL

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